Compress Image for Discord

Discord updated its file size limits in 2023. Free accounts can now upload files up to 25MB (previously 8MB). Nitro Basic raises the limit to 50MB and Nitro Standard to 500MB. Video files, GIFs, and images all count against this same limit per upload.

However, file size limits are only part of the story. Discord also compresses images internally when displaying them in chat. Images over approximately 8MB may be re-compressed by Discord's CDN (Content Delivery Network) before displaying, which reduces quality. Pre-compressing your images to under 500KB prevents Discord's internal compression from affecting what recipients see.

Profile avatars: Display at 128x128 pixels but upload at 512x512 or higher for sharp rendering on high-DPI screens. Animated avatars (GIF) require Nitro. Maximum file size: 10MB.

Server icons: Display at 96x96 in the server list but should be uploaded at 512x512. Must be a perfect square. Compressed to under 256KB after resizing. Animated server icons require Nitro.

Custom emojis: Must be exactly 128x128 pixels and under 256KB. PNG or GIF format only. Animated emojis require a server with Level 1 boost or higher.

Custom stickers: Must be 320x320 pixels and under 512KB. PNG or APNG format only. Available to all servers.

When you send an image in Discord chat, the platform processes it through its Cloudflare CDN, which serves different resolution versions depending on the viewer's screen size and connection speed. This is why the same image can look sharp on desktop and slightly softer on mobile.

For profile pictures and server icons, Discord serves the image at fixed low resolutions (32px, 64px, 128px, 256px) and applies its own compression to each size. Uploading at 512x512 gives Discord a high-quality source to work from, resulting in sharper downscaled versions at all display sizes.