To send a video on Discord or by email, it has to fit under a size limit, so you compress it to a target size instead of guessing a quality setting. With the free Video Compressor you choose Under 20 MB (Discord) or Under 25 MB (email) and the result is made to fit. If the clip is long, trim it first: a shorter video looks much better at the same size.
Know your limit
- Discord: free accounts can send files up to 20 MB each (raised from 10 MB in August 2026). Nitro Basic allows 50 MB and full Nitro much more.
- Gmail: attachments can total up to 25 MB per message. Larger files are offered as a Google Drive link instead.
- Outlook and other email services: usually around 20 to 25 MB, and the recipient’s mail server may set its own lower limit.
Email attachments are encoded for sending, which makes them roughly a third larger on the way. If a file just under the limit is rejected, compress it a little further, for example to 18 MB.
Step 1: Trim the video (optional, but worth it)
Size depends mostly on length. A 30-second clip squeezed into 20 MB looks sharp; a five-minute video at the same size looks soft. If you only need part of the video, cut it first.
- Open Trim Video and choose the file (MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV).
- Play the video to where the clip should begin and click Use current position next to Start. Do the same for End. You can also type times, for example 0:15 and 1:40.
- Tick Remove sound if the clip does not need audio.
- Click Trim video, check the result, then Download.
The trimmed clip is an MP4 that plays everywhere, ready for the next step.
Step 2: Compress to the right size
- Open Video Compressor and choose the video, or drop it on the page. You will see its resolution, length and size.
- Under Make it, choose a target:
- Under 20 MB (Discord) for a free Discord account, or Under 50 MB with Nitro Basic.
- Under 25 MB (email) for Gmail. Use Under … MB and enter a value such as 18 or 20 for stricter email services.
- 30%, 50% or 70% smaller if there is no hard limit and you just want a lighter file.
- Leave Resolution on Keep (lowered only if needed). For small targets the resolution is reduced automatically, which looks cleaner than a blocky full-size picture. Choose 720p or 480p yourself if you want an even smaller, smoother result.
- Tick Remove sound if the audio is not needed; it saves a little more space.
- Click Compress video. Progress and the estimated time left are shown; keep the tab open.
- Play the result in the page, check the before and after sizes, then click Download video.
If the first attempt comes out slightly above the target, the tool runs it again at a lower bitrate automatically, so the downloaded file fits. The status line tells you when more than one pass was needed.
For Discord specifically, the Compress Video for Discord page opens the compressor with the 20 MB target already selected.
What quality to expect
As a rough guide at 20 MB:
- Up to about a minute: sharp at 1080p.
- One to two minutes: good at 720p.
- Three to five minutes: noticeably soft, at a lower resolution.
- Longer: trim it, or share a link instead of the file.
Screen recordings compress very well, because most of the screen stays still. Fast action, confetti, rain or shaky handheld video need the most data.
Tips for better results
- Trim before you compress, not after. Every second you remove leaves more room for the rest.
- Compress the original, not a copy that was already compressed. Squeezing a video twice loses more detail than doing it once.
- Use 720p for phones and chat. Most people watch Discord clips and email attachments on a phone or in a small window, where 720p looks fine.
- Use Chrome, Edge or Safari for iPhone videos. iPhones record in HEVC, which these browsers can usually read on recent devices.
Common problems and fixes
“The video is already smaller than the target”
Nothing needs doing; send it as it is. If you still want it smaller, choose one of the percentage options.
My iPhone video will not open
Some browsers cannot read HEVC. Open the page in Chrome or Edge on a recent computer, or in Safari. To record in a more compatible format, set the iPhone camera to Most Compatible under Settings, Camera, Formats.
The result looks blurry
The target is too small for the length of the video. Trim it shorter, or pick a larger target if the destination allows it.
Compression is slow
The browser uses your device’s own video encoder, so speed depends on the hardware. Phones and older computers take longer. Closing other heavy tabs helps.
Alternatives
- Share a link instead. Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive and Dropbox let you share large videos as a link without compressing them. Gmail does this automatically for big attachments.
- Your phone’s built-in options. iPhone Mail can offer Mail Drop for large attachments, and many phones let you choose a lower quality when sharing a video.
- Desktop software. Free tools such as HandBrake give you full control over codecs and settings, which is useful for batches or very long videos.
FAQ
Is my video uploaded?
No. The video is compressed by your browser on your own device and never sent to a server.
Will there be a watermark?
No. There is no watermark and no sign-up.
Which format do I get?
An MP4 with H.264 video and AAC sound, which plays on Discord, in email clients, on phones and on computers. Browsers that cannot create MP4 save WebM instead.
Can I compress several videos at once?
The compressor works on one video at a time. Click Open another video when the first one is done.