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Discord File Size Limit: 20 MB Free Uploads, More With Nitro

Discord File Size Limit by Account: Free, Nitro Basic, Nitro

At the time of writing, the Discord file size limit is 20 MB per file on a free account. Nitro Basic raises it to 50 MB, and full Nitro to up to 1 GB. Discord doubled the free limit from 10 MB on August 13, 2026.

Discord rejected your clip because it's 38 MB. On a free account, no setting changes that. You can make the file smaller, share a link, or pay for a larger upload limit.

Account Max file size per upload
Free 20 MB
Nitro Basic 50 MB
Nitro Up to 1 GB

Discord has changed these numbers before. Its File Attachments FAQ is the page to check if they move again.

Why the Free Discord Limit Keeps Changing

The free upload limit has moved twice in two years. Free users could send files up to 25 MB until September 2024, when Discord cut the limit to 10 MB. The August 2026 raise to 20 MB still sits below the old 25 MB.

The same update changed how the mobile app measures a file. Your phone now checks the original file size before Discord compresses it, the way the desktop app already did. Before, the check came after compression.

Discord's FAQ spells out the result. Desktop and iOS users "should generally find uploads easier than before." On Android, where source files tend to be larger, you "may hit the size limit more often" than before.

So a video that used to go through from an Android phone can now be refused.

Compress Your Video to Fit Under the Limit

Compression is the fix that works on a free account. It also works for every other app with a cap, not only Discord.

File size comes from two numbers: bitrate (the amount of data per second of video) and duration. A 20 MB file holds about 160 megabits in total. Spread over a 60-second clip, that leaves about 2.7 Mbps for picture and sound together.

A longer clip gets fewer bits per second, so quality drops as duration grows. Cutting the parts nobody needs is the cheapest way to keep quality.

You can compress a video for Discord with a video compressor that runs in your browser:

  1. Open the page and drop in your MP4 or MOV file.
  2. Keep or change the target size. The tool starts just under 20 MB, the free limit. Nitro Basic users can pick a larger preset, like 25 MB.
  3. Optionally cap the resolution at 720p or 480p. The same bits then cover fewer pixels, so a small file looks cleaner.
  4. Download the result and upload it to Discord. If the first pass lands over the target, the tool runs one corrective pass.

Compression re-encodes the video, so some quality loss is unavoidable. The file never leaves your device: nothing is uploaded, with no account and no watermark.

Cloud Storage and Discord Bots for Bigger Files

When a video is too long to compress well, send a link instead. Use a cloud storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox. Set the sharing option so anyone with the link can view it, then paste the share link into the Discord channel.

Some Discord bots do the same thing in one step. They take your file, store it elsewhere, and post a link in the chat.

Every link-based option has the same catch: the file sits on someone else's server. For a private family video, that matters more than the file size.

Is Discord Nitro Worth It for Bigger Uploads?

Discord Nitro is the only way to raise your own upload size limit. Nitro Basic takes the maximum file upload size to 50 MB, and full Nitro to up to 1 GB. Discord shows current prices in the app.

Server Boosts are the other lever. They raise the limit for every member of a boosted server, with or without Nitro: 50 MB at Level 2 and 100 MB at Level 3.

The math depends on how often you hit the wall. If you post long gameplay clips several times a week, a bigger cap removes a compression step each time. If you send one clip a month, compressing it costs nothing.

Nitro Basic users still need to watch their files. At 50 MB, a long 1080p recording can go over.

Sending Large Video Files Beyond Discord

Email, WhatsApp and iMessage each set their own limit per file. A clip that fits Discord may still bounce somewhere else. A separate guide covers how to send a large video file on each of them.

Those limits change too. Check the app's current number, then compress to that target. The same rule applies to large videos everywhere: fewer bits per second, or fewer seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I send a file bigger than Discord's free limit?

Compress it under 20 MB, or upload it to cloud storage and paste the link. For files over 100 MB, only full Nitro accepts them directly, up to 1 GB. Past 1 GB, a link is the only option.

Why did Discord's free limit drop to 10 MB before rising again?

Discord cited storage costs when it cut the limit in September 2024. It also said most users already sent files smaller than 10 MB. Discord raised the free limit to 20 MB on August 13, 2026.