Compress Video for Discord — Under 25MB Free
Last updated: 2026-03-11
Discord free tier: 25MB file limit. Discord Nitro: 500MB. Your screen recording of that epic gaming moment: 150MB. Here is how to get it under the limit without it looking like it was filmed on a potato.
Discord File Size Limits
| Plan | File Size Limit | Video Length at 720p | Video Length at 1080p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 25 MB | ~60 seconds | ~30 seconds |
| Nitro Basic | 50 MB | ~2 minutes | ~1 minute |
| Nitro | 500 MB | ~20 minutes | ~10 minutes |
The Compression Strategy
For Discord, visual quality matters less than you think. People watch Discord videos in a small embedded player, often on phones. You do not need 4K or even 1080p.
- Resolution: 720p is plenty. Downscaling from 1080p to 720p cuts file size by roughly 55% with minimal visible difference in Discord player.
- Bitrate: 2-4 Mbps for 720p. This is the sweet spot for Discord. Lower than 2 Mbps and you get visible artifacts in fast motion. Higher than 4 Mbps and you are wasting bytes.
- Audio: 128 kbps AAC. Discord compresses audio further on playback anyway. 128 kbps is more than enough.
- Trim first. Before compressing, cut out the parts nobody needs to see. A 30-second clip compresses much better than a 5-minute recording.
Quick Math: How Long Can Your Video Be?
| Target Size | Resolution | Bitrate | Max Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 MB (Free) | 720p | 3 Mbps | ~65 seconds |
| 25 MB (Free) | 480p | 1.5 Mbps | ~2 minutes |
| 50 MB (Nitro Basic) | 720p | 3 Mbps | ~2 minutes |
| 50 MB (Nitro Basic) | 1080p | 5 Mbps | ~1.3 minutes |
Compress your video for Discord — free, instant, no signup.
Open Video Compressor →Alternative: Upload to YouTube/Streamable and Share Link
If your video is longer than 2 minutes, compressing to 25MB will noticeably degrade quality. Instead, upload to YouTube (unlisted), Streamable, or Imgur and share the link in Discord. Discord auto-embeds videos from these platforms.
Related Tools
According to Discord Support, file upload limits vary by subscription tier.
As MDN Web Docs explains, H.264 with AAC audio provides the best compatibility across platforms and devices.