How to compress an image to fit Discord's upload limit

Updated

How to compress an image to fit Discord's upload limit

Discord’s free upload limit is 20 MB per file as of August 2026 (Nitro Basic 50 MB, Nitro 500 MB). Phone HEIC and huge PNGs are the files that miss it. Convert HEIC to JPG, cap max dimension at 1920 or 1280, set quality around 80, and read the in → out size. EditItAll has no target-size field. Work runs in your browser - nothing is uploaded.

Do it now — free, in your browser

Compress an image for Discord

The limit is on the file, and it moved in 2026

As of August 2026, Discord’s own File Attachments FAQ sets the free per-file cap at 20 MB (it had been 10 MB). Nitro Basic stays at 50 MB; Nitro at 500 MB. Discord also said it now checks size before any client compression, on mobile as well as desktop, so a 25 MB photo that used to sneak through after the app mashed it may now be rejected up front.

Those numbers are Discord’s, not ours, and they change. If an attach fails, believe the error Discord shows. EditItAll cannot read your Nitro status or raise the cap. It only shrinks the file on your device so the attach succeeds.

Shrink the files that actually miss 20 MB

A typical JPEG from a phone is already under 20 MB. The files that bounce are iPhone HEIC bursts, 4K PNGs, and TIFF scans. Do this:

  1. Convert HEIC. Discord is happier with JPG. Use HEIC to JPG first if that is what the camera wrote.
  2. Cap pixels, then quality. Open the JPEG compressor. Set max dimension to 1920 (or 1280 for a chat thumbnail). Leave quality around 80. Those dimension options are the real ones on the tool - 4096, 2560, 1920, 1280, 800.
  3. Read the output. The results list shows in → out. Still over 20 MB? Drop quality about ten points and run again. There is no target-size input. The listed size rounds to whole KB, so a file showing 20 MB can be a hair over - stop when it shows comfortably under.

Batch a whole folder if you are dumping a photo set into a channel; ZIP download is included. Full loop: hit an exact size in KB. Nothing is uploaded; you can go offline after the page loads.

What shrinking will not change

Fitting the upload cap is not the same as how the image looks in the channel. Discord may still generate a smaller preview for chat. Sending as a file versus dropping into the image box can also differ by client. EditItAll cannot control Discord’s preview encoder, cannot split a file across messages, and cannot compress a video. For still images, one re-encode from the original is enough - do not stack JPEG saves.

More on the quality trade-off: compress without losing visible quality and the compressing images cluster.

Ready to try it?

Free, no sign-up, and nothing you open ever leaves your device.

Compress an image for Discord

Frequently asked questions

What is Discord's free upload limit right now?+

20 MB per file as of August 2026, per Discord’s File Attachments FAQ. Nitro Basic is 50 MB; Nitro is 500 MB. If a send fails, trust the error Discord shows - the cap has moved before.

Why does a phone photo fail the 20 MB cap?+

Often it is HEIC or a screenshot PNG, not a JPEG. Convert HEIC to JPG, cap the long side at 1920, and re-encode. Ordinary camera JPEGs are usually already under 20 MB.

Can I type 20 MB into the compressor and have it hit that size?+

No. There is no target-size field. Set quality and max dimension, read the listed output, and nudge. Aim a little under 20 MB so rounding cannot bounce the upload.

Will Discord still make the image look worse after it uploads?+

It may still build a smaller chat preview. The 20 MB rule is the attach cap. EditItAll cannot control how Discord displays the file once it is on their side.

Are my images uploaded to EditItAll while I compress them?+

No. Encoding runs in your browser. Files never leave your device, EXIF is stripped on export, and the tools keep working offline once the page has loaded.

Related guides

More guides on compressing images →