Compress video free, in your browser
Clipwipe shrinks a video file on your device for free. Drop in an MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV, pick a quality and a resolution, or a size such as under 25 MB, and save a smaller video: an MP4, or a WebM if your browser can’t encode H.264. There is no signup and no watermark, and your video is never uploaded, because the compression runs in your browser.
What the video compressor does
It reads a video file from your disk, decodes the picture, and encodes it again at a lower bitrate, and at a lower resolution if you choose one. That happens inside your browser tab, using the video encoder your browser already has. The tool shows the size before and after, so you see exactly how much you saved, and you can watch the result on the page before you save it. If your clip came from Veo or Gemini, take the visible star off first, because compressing it won’t remove it. Have several clips? Merge them into one video first, then compress the result.
How to compress a video
- Drop your video on the tool above, or press Choose a video. On a phone, pick it from your files or gallery. It is read from your device and never uploaded.
- Choose a quality and a resolution. Balanced at the original resolution is the place to start; the table below shows the size each choice aims for. If the file must fit a limit, set Size to Under 10, 20 or 25 MB and leave Resolution on Auto.
- Press Start compressing and wait for the bar to finish. A longer video takes longer, and the tab has to stay open.
- Watch it, check the size, then press Download video. The file keeps your video’s name, with -compressed on the end. Not small enough? Change the settings and press Compress again.
Which quality and resolution should you choose?
Lowering the resolution saves the most. These are the sizes the tool aims for per minute of 16:9 video with a typical 128 kbps soundtrack. The encoder can land above or below them, and the tool shows you the real size when it finishes.
At every quality setting, the tool aims 720p at under half the size of 1080p.
| Resolution | Smaller | Balanced | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | About 15 MB | About 24 MB | About 46 MB |
| 720p | About 7 MB | About 11 MB | About 22 MB |
| 480p | About 4 MB | About 6 MB | About 11 MB |
- To send on a chat app or over mobile data: Smaller or Balanced at 480p or 720p. These apps set their own size limits and compress again; WhatsApp’s, Telegram’s and Gmail’s are below.
- To post on Instagram or YouTube: Balanced or Better at 1080p, because those sites compress your upload again and a weak source shows it. Instagram’s Reels and Stories limits are below.
- To keep or edit later: Better at the original resolution, and keep your original too.
Behind the table: at 1080p, Smaller, Balanced and Better aim the picture at about 1.8, 3 and 6 Mbps, and the sizes above are those bitrates worked out per minute for an MP4 (H.264) file. If your browser can’t encode H.264, the tool saves a WebM (VP9) instead and aims at 60% of those bitrates, so it aims for smaller files than the table shows.
The tool never makes a video bigger on purpose. It aims for at most 70% of your video’s current bitrate, never below 100 kbps for the picture, and choosing a resolution above your video’s own does nothing. A video that is already tightly compressed can still come out no smaller. The tool tells you when that happens, and your original is the one to keep.
How long a video fits in 25 MB
These lengths are 25 MB divided by the per-minute sizes in the table above, rounded down to the half minute. They are sums from that table, not test results.
At Balanced, 25 MB holds about 1 minute of 1080p, 2 of 720p, or 4 of 480p.
| Resolution | Smaller | Balanced | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 1.5 minutes | 1 minute | 0.5 minutes |
| 720p | 3.5 minutes | 2 minutes | 1 minute |
| 480p | 6 minutes | 4 minutes | 2 minutes |
For 100 MB, multiply by four. The encoder can land above or below its aim, so check the real size when it finishes. For 10, 20 or 25 MB you don’t need the sums: set Size and the tool works the bitrate out from your video’s length, as the next section shows.
Compress a video to under 10, 20 or 25 MB
Set Size to Under 10 MB, Under 20 MB or Under 25 MB when the file has to fit somewhere. Under 20 MB matches Discord’s free upload limit, which games.gg reported went up from 10 MB on 14 August 2026. The tool counts a megabyte as 1,000,000 bytes, a little less than apps that count in 1,048,576, so a file it calls under 20 MB fits either way.
With a size set, the tool works the bitrate out from your video’s length before it starts. It keeps 4% of the limit back for the file’s own overhead, spreads the rest over the length, and takes off what the sound uses: a soundtrack that is copied across is measured, and one that has to be re-encoded is set to 128 kbps. What is left is the most the picture may use. Your Quality choice still applies, so a short clip that fits easily is not padded up to the limit.
Worked example: a 2-minute 1080p video under 20 MB. 20 MB is 160 million bits; less 4% leaves 153.6 million. Over 120 seconds that is 1.28 Mbps, and after 128 kbps of sound, 1.15 Mbps for the picture. That is too little for 1080p at Smaller (1.8 Mbps) but enough for 720p (0.83 Mbps), so Auto picks 720p. At Balanced, 720p would aim at 1.39 Mbps, so the picture gets the 1.15 Mbps the limit allows.
On Auto, the tool picks the largest resolution, never above your video’s own, at which the limit still gives the picture at least Smaller’s bitrate; if none can, it uses 480p. For a 1080p 16:9 video with 128 kbps of sound, that works out as:
Under 20 MB, Auto keeps 1080p up to about 1 minute 19 seconds and takes up to 11 minutes at 480p.
| Size | 1080p up to | 720p up to | 480p at Smaller or better up to | Softer 480p up to, refused over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 MB | 39 seconds | 1 min 19 s | 2 min 29 s | 5 min 36 s |
| Under 20 MB | 1 min 19 s | 2 min 39 s | 4 min 58 s | 11 min 13 s |
| Under 25 MB | 1 min 39 s | 3 min 19 s | 6 min 13 s | 14 min 2 s |
That is longer than the 1 minute of 1080p that 25 MB holds at Balanced in the 25 MB table, because Auto keeps 1080p for as long as the picture still gets Smaller’s bitrate: 1 min 39 s is that table’s 1.5 minutes at Smaller, worked out to the second after the 4% held back.
These are sums from the tool’s own rules, not test results. Between the last two columns the 480p picture gets less than Smaller’s bitrate, down to the tool’s 100 kbps floor, so it looks softer the longer the video. A video too long for the limit even at the tool’s 100 kbps floor is refused before it starts, with its length and the most that fits, so you can pick a bigger size or trim it first.
Encoders don’t hit a bitrate exactly. If the first pass lands over the limit, the tool lowers the picture’s bitrate by how far over it was and encodes the video a second time. When it finishes it says Under or Over the limit next to the size. If it is still over, try a lower resolution or Smaller.
Video size limits on WhatsApp, Telegram and Gmail
The app you send to sets the limit, not the compressor. These are the limits each app’s own help page gives, read on 6 November 2026.
For WhatsApp, a video under 64 MB fits its default size limit on a fast or a slow connection.
| App | Stated limit | How to compress for it |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp, video in a chat | 100 MB and 720p on a faster connection; 64 MB and 480p on a slower one. WhatsApp calls these the default limits. | Set Resolution to 720p, or 480p on a slow connection, at Balanced. At Balanced, 64 MB holds about 5.5 minutes of 720p or 10.5 minutes of 480p. |
| WhatsApp, sent as a document | Up to 2 GB. | Compress only to save upload time or data. |
| WhatsApp Status | 90 seconds at most, a length rather than a size. WhatsApp says HD media isn’t currently available for status updates. | Trim the video to 90 seconds before you post it; compressing doesn’t shorten it. |
| Telegram | Files up to 2 GB each, or 4 GB with Premium. | Most videos fit as they are. Compress to send faster over mobile data. |
| Gmail, personal account | 25 MB. Work and school accounts follow the limit their administrator sets. | Set Size to Under 25 MB. Google suggests Google Drive for files over the limit, like videos. |
The minutes are sums from the first table on this page, not test results, and the encoder can land above or below its aim, so check the size the tool shows. Apps change their limits without notice and none of these pages shows a date, so check in the app if a send fails. Discord’s and Outlook.com’s help pages could not be read on 6 November 2026, so they are not in the table.
Instagram video size limits for Reels and Stories
Meta publishes these limits for Reels and Story videos in its Instagram Graph API reference (checked November 2026). They are the specs for videos posted through Meta’s API; Meta’s page does not say whether the Instagram app applies the same ones.
A Reel can be up to 300 MB and 15 minutes long, a Story video up to 100 MB and 60 seconds.
| Spec | Reels | Stories | How to compress for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| File size | 300 MB maximum | 100 MB maximum | At 1080p, 300 MB holds about 6.5 minutes at Better or 12.5 minutes at Balanced. A 60-second Story at Better aims at about 46 MB. |
| Length | 3 seconds to 15 minutes | 3 seconds to 60 seconds | Compressing doesn’t change the length, so trim a longer video first. |
| Width | 1,920 pixels at most (“maximum columns”) | For a 4K video, choose 1080p. A 9:16 video at 1080p is 1,080 pixels wide. | |
| Shape | Between 0.01:1 and 10:1; 9:16 recommended | Between 0.1:1 and 10:1; 9:16 recommended | The tool keeps your video’s shape, so a 9:16 clip stays 9:16. |
| Frame rate | 23 to 60 frames per second | The tool keeps your video’s frame rate; it can’t raise one below 23. | |
| File and codecs | MOV or MP4; HEVC or H.264 video; AAC audio, 48 kHz at most, mono or stereo | The tool saves an H.264 MP4. If your browser can’t encode H.264 it saves a WebM instead, which is not on Meta’s list, so use another browser. | |
| Video bitrate | 25 Mbps maximum (variable) | Better at 1080p aims at about 6 Mbps, well under it. | |
The minutes and sizes are sums from the first table on this page, not test results. Meta’s page shows no last-updated date and Instagram can change these limits, so check them if an upload fails.
Free limits of online video compressors (checked November 2026)
Clipwipe compresses on your device, so there is no upload and nothing for a service to keep. Of the 7 online compressors below, 6 upload your video first; the exception is VideoSmaller, which now says it compresses in your browser and uploads nothing. Their stated free file limits run from 500 MB (YouCompress and Clideo) to 1 GB (FreeConvert, VEED and VideoSmaller) and 2 GB in Kapwing’s editor, though Kapwing’s help article says 250 MB on the Free plan; 8mb.video states no input limit and instead lets you pick the output size, up to 200 MB. How long the uploaders keep the file ranges from 90 minutes (8mb.video) to 3 days (Kapwing), and VEED and Clideo state no period on the page we read. Watch the notes for watermarks too: Kapwing’s free exports carry one, and Clideo and VEED list watermark-free output as a paid feature.
| Tool | Uploads your file? | Free file limit | How long it keeps files | Account needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipwipe | No | No size set | Nothing to keep | No |
| FreeConvert | Yes | 1 GB | 8 hours | No |
| YouCompress | Yes | 500 MB | Not stated by the tool | No |
| VideoSmaller | No | 1 GB | Nothing to keep | No |
| 8mb.video | Yes | Not stated by the tool | 90 minutes | Not stated by the tool |
| VEED | Yes | 1 GB | Not stated by the tool | Not stated by the tool |
| Clideo | Yes | 500 MB | Not stated by the tool | No |
| Kapwing | Yes | 2 GB | 3 days | Not stated by the tool |
Every other tool’s figures are what the page linked in that cell said on 8 Nov 2026, and they can change, so check before you rely on one. “Not stated by the tool” means that page doesn’t give the fact, and we don’t fill it in from elsewhere. Spotted one that is wrong? Email nocodetalks@gmail.com.
Why compress in the browser instead of uploading?
Many online compressors send your whole video to a server first. A large file can take a long time to upload over mobile data, and it puts a private recording on someone else’s machine. Clipwipe loads once, then does the work on your device. The table above shows what seven named compressors say about the files they handle.
| Clipwipe | Many online compressors | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your browser (on-device) | Their server |
| Your video is uploaded | No, it never leaves your device | Yes |
| Price | Free, no account | Often capped or paid above a size limit |
| Waiting | No upload or queue; speed depends on your device | Upload, then processing, then a download |
| Needs the internet | Only to load the page and tool; your video never travels over it | Yes, to upload your video and fetch the result |
What Clipwipe handles
Video in: MP4, MOV, WebM and MKV, one file at a time, when your browser can decode them.
Video out: MP4 (H.264), or WebM (VP9) if your browser can’t encode H.264. The frame rate and shape stay the same.
Size limits: under 10, 20 or 25 MB, worked out from the video’s length.
Sound: in an MP4 result, AAC and MP3 soundtracks are copied across unchanged. A WebM result copies Opus and Vorbis, and re-encodes AAC and MP3 to Opus. Other soundtracks are re-encoded, and if your browser can’t do that, the tool stops rather than give you a silent video.
Left out: subtitles and any extra audio tracks. Only the main video and audio tracks are kept.
Not supported: web links, copy-protected (DRM) videos and AVI files.
Responsible use
Only compress videos you made or have the right to use. Compressing a video doesn’t change who owns it, and it doesn’t remove a visible watermark.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a video for free?
Drop the video on the tool on this page, choose a quality and a resolution, press Start compressing, and download the file. It is free, needs no account, and adds no watermark.
How do I compress MP4 files?
To compress MP4 files, drop one on the tool on this page, choose a quality and a resolution, or a size limit, and press Start compressing. You get an H.264 MP4 back with -compressed on the end of its name, or a WebM in a browser that can’t encode H.264. In an MP4 result, an AAC or MP3 soundtrack is copied across unchanged, so only the picture is re-encoded. An MP4 recorded in H.265 needs a browser that can decode it, and the tool tells you if yours can’t.
Is my video uploaded when I compress it?
No. Your file is read from your device and compressed in your browser tab, and neither the video nor the result is sent anywhere. To check, open your browser’s developer tools and watch the Network tab while it runs: no request carries your video. The connection only loads the page and the tool.
How big a file can I compress?
No check in the tool refuses a larger file. The real limit is your device’s memory, because the compressed video is held in memory until you save it. We have not yet tested how large a file it can finish, so a very long or 4K video may fail, especially on a phone.
Will compressing reduce the quality?
Yes, by some amount. Compressing means encoding the picture again with less data, and no tool can do that with no loss at all. Balanced at the original resolution is usually a good trade. Smaller and lower resolutions save more and show more. Watch the result on the page before you save it.
How do I reduce video size without losing quality?
Re-encoding always costs some quality, so the goal is to reduce video size while keeping that loss low. Choose Better at the original resolution: at 1080p it aims at about 6 Mbps, twice what Balanced uses, and at most 70% of the video’s current bitrate. Start from your original and compress it once, because every new encode loses a little more.
How do I compress a video to under 10 MB, 20 MB or 25 MB?
Drop the video on the tool, set Size to Under 10 MB, Under 20 MB or Under 25 MB, leave Resolution on Auto and press Start compressing. The tool works the bitrate out from the video’s length, picks the resolution the limit can carry, and says Under or Over the limit when it finishes. Under 20 MB fits Discord’s free upload limit.
How do I compress a video for WhatsApp?
Drop the video on the tool, set Resolution to 720p (480p if your connection is slow), choose Balanced and press Start compressing. A result under 64 MB fits WhatsApp’s default video limit on a fast or a slow connection. The WhatsApp rows of the app table above give each limit, how many minutes fit, and the document option for a longer video.
What happens if my video is too long for the size limit, or comes out over it?
A video too long for the limit is refused before it starts, with its length and the most that fits: under 10 MB that is about 5.5 minutes of video with 128 kbps sound. If the first pass lands over the limit, the tool encodes it a second time at a lower bitrate. If it is still over, it says so, and a lower resolution or Smaller will help.
How small will my video get?
It depends on the source. A phone recording at a high bitrate can shrink a lot, while a video that was already compressed for sharing has little left to give. The tool shows the before and after sizes, and tells you if the result is not smaller.
Will it keep the sound and the 9:16 framing?
Yes. The shape of the video stays the same, so a vertical clip stays vertical, and 720p on a vertical clip means 720 pixels wide. The soundtrack is kept. If your browser can’t process it, the tool stops and tells you instead of giving you a silent video.
How do I compress a Veo or Gemini clip for Instagram without losing much quality?
Choose Better or Balanced at 1080p, or at the original resolution if the clip is smaller than that. Instagram compresses uploads again, so a weak source shows it. If the clip carries the visible star, remove it first, and compress the clean file once rather than several times.
Why is it slow, or why did it stop on a large file?
The whole job runs on your device, so speed depends on its processor and memory. Close other tabs, keep this tab open, and use a laptop for long videos if you can. If it stops, try a shorter video. On a phone, a very large file may fail where it succeeds on a laptop.
Which video formats can I compress?
MP4, MOV, WebM and MKV, as long as your browser can decode the video inside. If it can’t, as can happen with H.265 from an iPhone in some browsers, the tool tells you. AVI is not supported. HDR video may come out with slightly different colours.
Can I compress several videos at once?
One at a time. When one finishes, press Compress another. Save each result first, because Clipwipe keeps no copy.
More free tools that run on your device
- Video to GIF: Turn up to 30 seconds of a video into a GIF, with trim and crop, without uploading it.
- Merge videos online: Join several clips into one continuous video, with transitions, without uploading them.
- Video to MP3: Save a video’s soundtrack as an MP3, without uploading the file.
- MP4 to MP3: Save an MP4 file’s soundtrack as an MP3 at 128, 192 or 320 kbps, without uploading the MP4.
- Veo watermark remover: Take the visible mark off Veo and Google Flow clips at full resolution, with the full walkthrough.