Video Compressor (WhatsApp, Discord, email)

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reduce video size to send by email

Reduce a video's size to send by email

The Email (Gmail) preset already discounts attachment encoding and aims at 18 MB. Choose Custom value if your provider accepts less, such as company mail.

Why the target is 18 MB and not 25 MB

Google states that for personal Gmail accounts the limit is 25 MB; work and school accounts have the limit set by the administrator. What the help page does not stress is that email carries attachments in base64, a text encoding that uses 4 characters for every 3 bytes and breaks lines every 76 characters. The result is an increase of about 37% (4/3 times 78/76). Dividing 25 MB by 1.37 gives roughly 18 MB of file. That math is an estimate, not an official Google figure, but it explains why a 22 MB attachment is often refused even "below" 25 MB. To be safe, the preset aims at 18 MB.
At 18 MB, length rules. A 1-minute video sustains 720p with 2.19 Mbps of video. Three minutes already call for 360p, with 705 kbps and 0.10 bits per pixel, which is a clean picture for a demo or a recorded meeting. At 10 minutes only 179 kbps of video is left and the picture goes to 240p; dropping the audio, on a recording with no speech, raises the video bitrate to 230 kbps and firms up the picture. At 60 minutes the floor of 40 kbps of video plus 32 kbps of audio already exceeds 35 MB, so the tool refuses and reports the minimum instead of producing an unreadable file.
Compressing is not always the best way out. For long videos, a cloud storage link keeps the original quality and sidesteps the recipient's limits, since they may have a smaller inbox than yours. Gmail does this on its own when an attachment goes over the limit: it sends a Google Drive link instead. Compressing makes sense when the recipient needs to open the video right in the message, when company policy forbids external links or when the content is a short demo where 360p is enough.

What fits in 18 MB (1080p source)

One minute

Input: 1 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 1280x720, 30 fps, 2192 + 128 kbps

Resolution, frames/s and video + audio bitrates. 720p with full audio.

Three minutes

Input: 3 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 640x360, 30 fps, 705 + 64 kbps

Clean 360p, 64 kbps audio.

Ten minutes

Input: 10 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 428x240, 30 fps, 179 + 48 kbps

240p, mono audio at 48 kbps.

Ten minutes without audio

Input: 10 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 428x240, 30 fps, 230 + 0 kbps

The audio gives 48 kbps back to the video.

One hour

Input: 60 min, 18 MB
Expected output: min. 36 MB

Impossible in 18 MB: the tool reports the smallest workable size (36 MB with audio).

Full tool FAQ

How do I compress a video to fit WhatsApp?

Pick the limit you want to hit and click Compress. WhatsApp's Help Center lists 100 MB for chat videos on fast connections (720p) and 64 MB on slow ones (480p); the classic 16 MB limit is still the most quoted and the only one safe on every version. Check yours: the targets here are editable. Tip: WhatsApp usually recompresses videos sent as media. Sent as a document, the file stays original, up to 2 GB.

What is Discord's upload limit?

Why is the email preset 18 MB if Gmail accepts 25 MB?

Will the file be exactly the size I asked for?

Why did the video end up at 480p or 360p?

What happens if the limit is too small?

Why can't my browser compress?

Does the audio come out as AAC?

Is there a limit on input length or file size?

Does my video leave my machine?

Frequently asked questions

What is Gmail's attachment limit?

25 MB on personal accounts, according to Google Help. On work or school accounts the administrator sets it. Above the limit, Gmail offers to send a Drive link.

Does Outlook accept the same size?

Not necessarily. Each provider has its own limit, and Outlook's was not confirmed in an official source, so there is no preset. Use Custom value with your provider's number, remembering to discount about 27% for base64 encoding.

Is compressing or sending a link better?

For videos over about 10 minutes, the link keeps quality. For short demos the recipient needs to see right in the email, compressing works. Both can go together: a short video attached and the original as a link.

Next steps

Continue in the tool

Open full tool

reduce video size to send by email

Reduce a video's size to send by email

The Email (Gmail) preset already discounts attachment encoding and aims at 18 MB. Choose Custom value if your provider accepts less, such as company mail.

Why the target is 18 MB and not 25 MB

Google states that for personal Gmail accounts the limit is 25 MB; work and school accounts have the limit set by the administrator. What the help page does not stress is that email carries attachments in base64, a text encoding that uses 4 characters for every 3 bytes and breaks lines every 76 characters. The result is an increase of about 37% (4/3 times 78/76). Dividing 25 MB by 1.37 gives roughly 18 MB of file. That math is an estimate, not an official Google figure, but it explains why a 22 MB attachment is often refused even "below" 25 MB. To be safe, the preset aims at 18 MB.

At 18 MB, length rules. A 1-minute video sustains 720p with 2.19 Mbps of video. Three minutes already call for 360p, with 705 kbps and 0.10 bits per pixel, which is a clean picture for a demo or a recorded meeting. At 10 minutes only 179 kbps of video is left and the picture goes to 240p; dropping the audio, on a recording with no speech, raises the video bitrate to 230 kbps and firms up the picture. At 60 minutes the floor of 40 kbps of video plus 32 kbps of audio already exceeds 35 MB, so the tool refuses and reports the minimum instead of producing an unreadable file.

Compressing is not always the best way out. For long videos, a cloud storage link keeps the original quality and sidesteps the recipient's limits, since they may have a smaller inbox than yours. Gmail does this on its own when an attachment goes over the limit: it sends a Google Drive link instead. Compressing makes sense when the recipient needs to open the video right in the message, when company policy forbids external links or when the content is a short demo where 360p is enough.

What fits in 18 MB (1080p source)

One minute

Input: 1 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 1280x720, 30 fps, 2192 + 128 kbps

Resolution, frames/s and video + audio bitrates. 720p with full audio.

Three minutes

Input: 3 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 640x360, 30 fps, 705 + 64 kbps

Clean 360p, 64 kbps audio.

Ten minutes

Input: 10 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 428x240, 30 fps, 179 + 48 kbps

240p, mono audio at 48 kbps.

Ten minutes without audio

Input: 10 min, 18 MB
Expected output: 428x240, 30 fps, 230 + 0 kbps

The audio gives 48 kbps back to the video.

One hour

Input: 60 min, 18 MB
Expected output: min. 36 MB

Impossible in 18 MB: the tool reports the smallest workable size (36 MB with audio).

Full tool FAQ

How do I compress a video to fit WhatsApp?

What is Discord's upload limit?

Why is the email preset 18 MB if Gmail accepts 25 MB?

Will the file be exactly the size I asked for?

Why did the video end up at 480p or 360p?

What happens if the limit is too small?

Why can't my browser compress?

Does the audio come out as AAC?

Is there a limit on input length or file size?

Does my video leave my machine?

Frequently asked questions

What is Gmail's attachment limit?

25 MB on personal accounts, according to Google Help. On work or school accounts the administrator sets it. Above the limit, Gmail offers to send a Drive link.