Discord File Too Large? Free vs Nitro Limits and Sharing Options

Current Discord upload limits: Free, Nitro Basic, and Nitro

Sender's plan	Upload limit
Free	20MB
Nitro Basic	50MB
Nitro	Up to 1GB

Before relying on the table, select the file in Discord's upload screen and note the limit shown for your account and destination. Use that displayed allowance as the final check, because Discord is testing different limits with some users and the applied allowance may vary by account, app or device, and server.

Checked November 2, 2026, against Discord's official File Attachments FAQ, updated September 30, 2026. The free limit is 20MB, Nitro Basic is 50MB, and Nitro offers up to 1GB. Discord checks file size before its own compression, including on mobile, so use the limit shown for your account, device, and destination server after selecting the file. If you compress a file first, check the size of that saved copy against the displayed limit; an experimental allowance may differ from the standard values.

Server Boost limits apply within the server

The table above covers the sender's personal plan. Discord's official Server Boosting FAQ lists separate server benefits:

• Level 2: 50MB uploads for all members within that server.
• Level 3: 100MB uploads for all members within that server.
• Level 1: no file upload limit increase is listed.

Some servers are also testing a 250MB limit through Larger File Uploads for 5 Boosts. This is an experiment, not a standard benefit available to every server. Server Boost limits apply only when you share within the boosted server; they do not raise your personal upload allowance in other destinations. Check your account and destination server before relying on a higher allowance.

What to do when your file is too large

First check the limit shown in Discord's upload screen for your account, device, and destination server. Then compare the file's size before Discord compression with that applicable limit, and choose what matters most:

• A slightly smaller file: compress it first if it is only a little over the limit and some loss of image or video quality is acceptable.
• Regular direct attachments: consider Nitro for a larger account-level upload allowance, or Server Boost benefits when everyone needs larger uploads within a specific server.
• Original quality: share an external link instead of attaching the file when preserving quality matters or compression cannot realistically bring it within the limit.

What server operators should consider

Individual Nitro can solve some cases, but shared project files, videos, and reference material are usually better treated as a server resource instead of a personal subscription problem.

The broader workflow is covered in the large file sharing guide.

Separate the sharing workflow before storage becomes painful

DisCoRibute starts with a free allowance, so you can test the server workflow first and upgrade only the servers that need more capacity. The setup flow is described on the help page.

Check storage plans