WhatsApp File Size Limits
WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging platforms on the planet, but it enforces strict file size limits that catch many users off guard. As of 2025, WhatsApp allows you to send video files up to 16 MB on most platforms. On WhatsApp Web, the limit can sometimes reach 64 MB, but the mobile apps stick firmly to that 16 MB ceiling. When you try to send a video that exceeds this limit, WhatsApp will either refuse to attach it or automatically compress it using its own internal algorithm, which often produces blurry, artifact-heavy results.
The 16 MB limit sounds restrictive, and it is. A single minute of 1080p video recorded on a modern smartphone can easily weigh between 100 MB and 200 MB depending on the bitrate. That means even a fifteen-second clip might exceed the WhatsApp limit if it was recorded at high quality. Many users discover this problem when they try to share a funny clip, a family moment, or a quick work update, only to find the file is far too large.
WhatsApp does have a built-in video trimmer that appears when you attach a video, but trimming only helps if the video is slightly over the limit and you can afford to cut some footage. If you need to send the entire video, compression is the only practical solution. The key is compressing the video yourself so you retain control over the output quality rather than letting WhatsApp butcher it with its aggressive automatic compression.
Discord File Size Limits
Discord has its own set of file size restrictions that depend on your subscription tier. Free users are limited to 10 MB per file upload. Discord Nitro Basic subscribers can upload files up to 50 MB, while full Discord Nitro members enjoy a generous 500 MB upload limit. For the vast majority of Discord users who are on the free tier, that 10 MB limit is a real bottleneck for sharing video content.
Discord is primarily a community and gaming platform, so video sharing is extremely common. People share gameplay clips, screen recordings, meme videos, and tutorial snippets constantly. A typical 30-second gameplay clip recorded at 1080p 60fps through software like OBS or NVIDIA ShadowPlay can easily reach 50 MB or more. Even with Discord's built-in compression, the file still needs to be under the upload limit before you can attach it.
Unlike WhatsApp, Discord does not automatically compress videos before sending. If your file exceeds the limit, you simply cannot upload it. Discord will show an error message suggesting you upgrade to Nitro. While Nitro is a fine product, paying for a subscription just to share an occasional video clip is not practical for most people. The better approach is to compress your video beforehand to fit within the 10 MB free tier limit or whatever tier you happen to be on.
Understanding What Makes Videos Large
Before you start compressing, it helps to understand why video files are so large in the first place. Four primary factors determine the size of a video file: resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and duration.
Resolution refers to the pixel dimensions of the video, such as 1920x1080 for Full HD or 3840x2160 for 4K. Higher resolution means more pixels in every frame, and more pixels means more data to store. A 4K video contains four times as many pixels as a 1080p video, so all else being equal, it will be roughly four times the file size.
Bitrate is the amount of data used to represent each second of video. It is measured in kilobits per second (kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). A video encoded at 10 Mbps uses 10 megabits of data for every second of footage. Higher bitrate generally means higher visual quality, but it also means larger files. Bitrate is the single most influential factor in determining file size, and it is the primary lever you pull when compressing video.
Frame rate is the number of individual frames displayed per second. Common frame rates include 24 fps for cinematic content, 30 fps for general video, and 60 fps for smooth motion and gaming content. Higher frame rates produce smoother motion but also increase file size proportionally. A 60 fps video contains twice as many frames as a 30 fps video, so it will be roughly twice the size at the same bitrate.
Duration is the most obvious factor. A ten-minute video will be ten times larger than a one-minute video at the same settings. When you are trying to fit a video under a strict size limit, sometimes the simplest approach is to trim unnecessary footage from the beginning or end.
Step-by-Step Compression Guide
Compressing a video to fit platform limits is a straightforward process when you use the right tool. ConvertFree provides a browser-based video compressor that runs entirely on your device, so your video never leaves your computer. Here is the step-by-step process.
First, determine your target file size. For WhatsApp, aim for 15 MB to leave a small buffer below the 16 MB limit. For Discord free tier, aim for 9.5 MB. Having a specific target makes it easier to choose the right settings.
Second, open the video compressor tool and load your video file. You can drag and drop the file or click to browse your device. The tool will analyze the video and display its current properties including resolution, bitrate, duration, and file size.
Third, choose your compression settings. Start by reducing the bitrate. For a video that needs to fit in 16 MB, you can calculate the maximum bitrate with a simple formula: target size in kilobits divided by duration in seconds. For example, a 60-second video targeting 15 MB would allow a bitrate of roughly 2,000 kbps, which is 2 Mbps. This produces acceptable quality at 720p.
Fourth, consider reducing the resolution. If your source is 1080p or 4K and you are sending it through a messaging app where it will be viewed on a phone screen, dropping to 720p is a sensible choice. The visual difference on a small screen is minimal, but the file size reduction is substantial.
Fifth, click the compress or convert button and wait for processing to complete. Since ConvertFree processes everything locally in your browser using WebAssembly, the speed depends on your device's processing power. Most clips under two minutes will finish in well under a minute on modern hardware.
Finally, download the compressed file and verify it plays correctly before sending it through WhatsApp or Discord.
Recommended Settings Per Platform
Different platforms benefit from different compression settings. Here are the recommended configurations for the most common sharing scenarios.
For WhatsApp video messages, use H.264 codec in an MP4 container, 720p resolution (1280x720), a bitrate between 1,000 and 2,500 kbps depending on the clip length, 30 fps frame rate, and AAC audio at 128 kbps. These settings produce good-looking video that fits comfortably under the 16 MB limit for clips up to about 45 seconds at 2,500 kbps or up to 90 seconds at 1,200 kbps.
For Discord free tier uploads, you need to be more aggressive. Use H.264 in MP4, 720p or even 480p resolution, a bitrate between 500 and 1,500 kbps, 30 fps, and AAC audio at 96 kbps. At these settings, you can fit roughly 50 seconds of video into 10 MB at 1,500 kbps or about 2.5 minutes at 500 kbps. The quality at 500 kbps will be noticeably soft, so keep clips short if possible.
For Discord Nitro Basic at 50 MB, you have much more room. You can maintain 1080p resolution with a bitrate of 4,000 to 6,000 kbps and 60 fps for gaming content. This produces high-quality video that looks great even on desktop monitors.
For Discord Nitro at 500 MB, compression is rarely necessary for clips under a few minutes. You can upload high-quality 1080p or even 4K content without worrying about size. Only very long recordings will need compression at this tier.
Regardless of the platform, always use the H.264 codec for maximum compatibility. While H.265 (HEVC) produces smaller files at the same quality, not all devices and platforms can decode it smoothly. H.264 is universally supported and ensures your recipient can play the video without issues.
Quality Tips for Compressed Video
Compression always involves a tradeoff between file size and visual quality, but there are several techniques to get the best possible results at any given file size.
Avoid re-compressing already compressed video multiple times. Every compression pass introduces additional quality loss. If you have access to the original recording, always compress from that rather than from a previously compressed copy. Each generation of compression adds more artifacts and softness.
Use two-pass encoding when available. Two-pass encoding analyzes the entire video during the first pass to understand which scenes are visually complex and which are simple, then allocates bitrate accordingly during the second pass. This produces noticeably better quality than single-pass encoding at the same average bitrate because it spends more data on complex scenes and less on simple ones.
Keep the audio bitrate reasonable. For messaging and social sharing, 128 kbps AAC audio is more than sufficient. Dropping to 96 kbps saves a small amount of space and the difference is barely audible on phone speakers. However, do not drop below 64 kbps or the audio will sound noticeably degraded.
Trim unnecessary content before compressing. If your video has dead air at the beginning, a long outro, or sections that are not relevant, cutting those out before compression gives you more bitrate budget for the parts that matter. ConvertFree's video trimmer tool can help with this step.
Consider the viewing context. Videos sent through WhatsApp will almost always be viewed on a phone screen that is five to seven inches diagonally. At that size, the difference between 720p and 1080p is nearly imperceptible. Viewers will not notice the resolution drop, but they will appreciate the video loading and playing smoothly.
Alternative Approaches When Compression Is Not Enough
Sometimes even aggressive compression cannot squeeze a long video under a platform's size limit without unacceptable quality loss. In those situations, consider these alternative approaches.
Split the video into multiple parts. If you have a three-minute clip that cannot fit under 16 MB at acceptable quality, split it into two 90-second parts and send them sequentially. This lets you maintain higher quality per segment while still delivering the full content. The recipient will need to watch them in order, but this is a practical workaround.
Use a cloud storage link instead. Upload the full-quality video to Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, or another cloud storage service, then share the link through WhatsApp or Discord. This bypasses the file size limit entirely and lets the recipient view or download the video at full quality. The downside is that the recipient has to leave the messaging app to view it, and the link may expire if you are using a free storage tier with limited space.
For Discord specifically, consider using a video hosting platform. Upload your clip to YouTube (as unlisted if you want privacy) or to Streamable, and paste the link in Discord. Discord will embed the video player directly in the chat, giving your viewers a seamless experience without file size concerns.
Convert to a more efficient format. If the recipient's device supports it, converting from H.264 to H.265 (HEVC) can reduce file size by 30 to 50 percent at the same visual quality. The AV1 codec offers even better compression efficiency, though encoding is slower and device support is still growing. ConvertFree supports conversion between these formats if you want to experiment with more efficient codecs.
Finally, adjust your recording settings for future captures. If you regularly share clips through messaging apps, consider recording at 720p 30fps instead of 1080p 60fps. This produces much smaller source files that require less compression, resulting in better final quality after you do compress them.