Max file size for Discord in 2026: free, Nitro Basic, Nitro and server boosts
Max file size for Discord in 2026: free, Nitro Basic, Nitro and server boosts
Discord's max file size is 20 MB on a free account, 50 MB with Nitro Basic and 1 GB with Nitro. Those are the numbers on Discord's own support pages as of 5 Oct 2026, and two of them changed in August 2026, so most guides you will find still quote the old 10 MB and 500 MB. Here is every tier, the server-boost exception, why videos and images behave differently, and the two ways to send a bigger file without paying.
Discord upload limits by tier
| Tier | Upload limit | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free (no Nitro) | 20 MB per file | Free | Raised from 10 MB in August 2026; checked before compression now |
| Nitro Basic | 50 MB per file | $2.99 / month | Applies to you everywhere, in every server and DM |
| Nitro | 1 GB per file | $9.99 / month | Raised from 500 MB; also HD streaming and 1080p/60fps screen share |
| Server boosted to Level 2 | 50 MB for everyone, in that server only | 7 boosts | Does not follow members into other servers or DMs |
| Server boosted to Level 3 | 100 MB for everyone, in that server only | 14 boosts | Same server-only rule |
| Link in Seconds (free) | 100 MB per file | Free | 20 links, 100 MB total; paste the link, Discord embeds it |
The split that matters: Nitro limits belong to you, so they apply in every server and every DM. Boost limits belong to the server, so a 100 MB upload that works in your boosted community fails in a friend's unboosted one. If you are sharing with one person, a boost does nothing for you.
Videos and images: the details that bite
The size is checked before compression
Discord's FAQ is explicit that since August 2026 the limit is checked on the file as it sits on your device, not on whatever the app would have shrunk it to. In practice that means the free 20 MB is a hard number: a 25 MB phone video is rejected even if Discord's mobile "Data Saver" setting could have made it smaller. Desktop and iOS users get the more predictable result; Android may vary.
Videos must be in a format Discord can play
MP4 (H.264, HEVC or AV1) and MOV embed as a playable preview. Anything else, or anything Discord cannot decode, is posted as a plain download. Under the limit, 20 MB of H.264 at 1080p is roughly a minute of footage, which is why most clips end up being compressed or linked.
Images over 20 MB become downloads
A chat setting notes that an image larger than 20 MB is shared as a download instead of an inline picture. For a full-resolution photo from a modern camera that is easy to hit, and the recipient then has to download the file to see it at all.
How to send a file over the Discord limit
Option 1: compress it
- Video: re-export at 720p or trim it. HandBrake (free) with the "Fast 1080p30" preset usually cuts a phone clip by half or more. Quality drops; that is the trade.
- Images: export as JPEG at 80 to 85% quality, or resize to 2,000 px on the long edge. Screenshots are often huge PNGs that shrink tenfold as JPEG.
- PDFs: a scanned PDF is images in disguise. Our free Compress PDF tool downsamples them in your browser without uploading the file anywhere.
- Anything else: zip it. Text-heavy files compress well; already-compressed media (MP4, JPEG) barely moves.
Option 2: send a link instead
Upload the file once, paste the link into the channel. Discord shows a preview card, a video link plays inline, and the file itself never touches Discord's limit because a link is a few dozen characters. The original quality is untouched and the same link works in every server and DM, boosted or not.
That is what Link in Seconds is for: drop the file in, get a clean link, paste it. A free account holds files up to 100 MB each, which covers the gap between Discord's 20 MB and the point where Nitro starts to make sense. For clips specifically, see turn a video into a link. The link also opens for people who are not on Discord at all, which an attachment never does.
- You can replace the file behind the link later; the message in the channel keeps working.
- You can see views, so you know whether anyone actually opened the thing.
- It does not expire, unlike a transfer-service link that dies in days.
Is Nitro worth it just for uploads?
If you share big files on Discord every day, 1 GB per message for $9.99 a month is a fair deal, and you get the streaming and emoji perks on top. If you hit the 20 MB wall a few times a month, a free link does the job with no subscription, and Nitro Basic's 50 MB is a narrow step up that still fails on most videos. Compare every chat and email app's ceiling in file size limits by app, or, if the same file also has to go by email, read how to send large files via email.
Quick answers
What is the max file size on Discord without Nitro?
20 MB per file. Discord's File Attachments FAQ says the free limit rose from 10 MB to 20 MB in August 2026. The one exception is a server boosted to Level 2 (50 MB) or Level 3 (100 MB), which raises the limit for every member inside that server only.
What is the Discord file size limit with Nitro?
1 GB per file with Nitro, and 50 MB per file with Nitro Basic. Both limits follow you into every server and direct message, unlike a server boost, which only counts inside the boosted server.
Why does Discord say my file is too large when it is under 20 MB?
Since August 2026 Discord checks the size before any compression rather than after, so the number that matters is the file's size on disk, not what the app might have shrunk it to. A 19.8 MB file can also tip over once metadata is counted. Trim it a little or send it as a link.
How do I send a video over 20 MB on Discord for free?
Either compress it below 20 MB, which costs quality, or upload it somewhere else and paste the link. Discord embeds a video link as a playable preview, the file is not recompressed, and there is no Nitro involved.
Does a server boost raise my upload limit everywhere?
No. Discord's Server Boosting FAQ says the 50 MB (Level 2) and 100 MB (Level 3) limits apply to all members in that server only. Move to another server or a DM and you are back to your own account's limit.
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