Quick answer: 20 MB per file on a free account. Nitro Basic raises it to 50 MB and full Nitro to 500 MB.
Discord upload limits by tier
| Account | Max file size |
|---|---|
| Free | 20 MB |
| Nitro Basic | 50 MB |
| Nitro | 500 MB |
Server Boosts can also raise the limit for everyone in a boosted server; Discord applies whichever is higher, your account’s limit or the server’s.
What changed in August 2026
Discord announced on August 13, 2026 that the free limit was doubling from 10 MB to 20 MB. It’s a partial reversal: free users had 25 MB from 2023 until Discord cut it to 10 MB in late 2024.
The same update changed how mobile uploads are checked. Previously the iPhone and Android apps compressed a file first and then checked its size, so some videos slipped through. Now the size is checked before compression, matching desktop. In practice that means an iPhone video has to genuinely be under 20 MB.
How to fit an iPhone video under 20 MB
iPhone video is large — about 60 MB per minute at 1080p 30 fps — so most clips over about 20 seconds need shrinking.
- Trim first. In Photos, tap Edit and drag the timeline ends in. Shorter is the cheapest way to stay sharp.
- Compress to 19 MB. Leave a little headroom under 20 MB. Lower the resolution as the video gets longer: 1080p for short clips, 720p for one to two minutes.
- Upload the compressed file from Photos or Files.
Rough guide for 20 MB at 30 fps:
| Video length | Resolution that still looks good |
|---|---|
| Up to ~40 seconds | 1080p |
| ~40 seconds – 2 minutes | 720p |
| 2 – 4 minutes | 480p |
| Over 4 minutes | Share a link instead |
Other ways around the limit
- Share a link. Upload to Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud and paste the link; Discord shows a preview.
- Use a boosted server. Uploads in a boosted server can use the server’s higher cap.
- Nitro Basic if you regularly need 50 MB.
Discord has changed this limit several times, so we re-check it regularly and update the date at the top of this page.