File upload size limits, by platform
Hit a "file too large" wall? Here are the real upload and attachment limits across the apps people run into most — and how to compress a file locally to slip under them, without uploading it anywhere.
Compress to fit — locally, by file type
Whatever the platform, the fix is the same: shrink the file for its type. FileHop does it on your own machine, so nothing is uploaded to a third-party site on the way.
Images & screenshots
Drop a too-large screenshot or photo under any limit by compressing or resizing it.
Compress an imageVideo
Re-encode at a lower bitrate or resolution — the fastest way under a 10–16 MB cap.
Compress a videoPDFs
PDFs usually shrink a lot with little visible change, since most weight is embedded images.
Compress a PDFAudio
Bring a recording or voice note under an attachment limit without re-recording.
Compress audioFrequently asked questions
Why do upload size limits exist?
Platforms cap file sizes to control storage costs, keep pages and feeds fast, and limit abuse. The limit you hit depends on the platform and the file type — images, video, and 'other files' often have different caps on the same service.
What's the lowest upload limit?
Among common platforms, Notion's free plan is the strictest at 5 MB per file. Discord (free) and GitHub issue images/videos sit at 10 MB, WhatsApp video at 16 MB, and email (Gmail/Outlook) around 20–25 MB. Jira Cloud and Slack are large enough (1 GB+) that compression usually isn't needed.
How do I make a file small enough to upload?
Compress it for its type: images and PDFs compress well with little visible loss; video shrinks most by lowering bitrate and resolution. In FileHop you pick the file, choose Compress, and dial the size or quality until it's under the limit — all on your own computer.
Is it safe to use a free online compressor?
For a public file, it's fine. For anything sensitive — work documents, unreleased media, internal screenshots — uploading it to a free online compressor hands the file to a third party. A local tool that compresses on your machine avoids that exposure entirely.
Will compressing ruin the quality?
It's a trade-off you control. To get under an upload limit the quality drop is usually invisible at normal viewing sizes. PDFs and images can often shrink dramatically with no noticeable change; video quality scales with the bitrate you choose.
What if the file is far too big to compress?
Compression helps when a file is somewhat over the limit. For something fundamentally large (a big dataset, a long 4K video, a disk image), use the platform's large-file path instead — Git LFS or Releases on GitHub, a cloud link in email, or a shared drive — rather than forcing it through an attachment limit.
Is FileHop free and offline?
Yes. FileHop is free for Mac and Windows and compresses images, video, PDFs, and audio entirely offline — nothing is uploaded, so it's safe for files you're about to share.