How to compress a video
- Add your video. Click Upload files in the editor above and pick the video you want to make smaller. MP4 and MOV work best.
- Pick a size. The export window opens by itself with 16 MB · WhatsApp selected. Choose 25 MB · Email, or Custom to type any size in MB.
- Check the estimate. Snipply shows the resolution it will use and about how big the file will be.
- Click Export. When it finishes, Snipply tells you the final size and whether it is under your limit. Click Save video.
Want to trim the video first? Close the export window, drag the ends of the clip on the timeline, then click Export at the top. A shorter video can keep a higher quality at the same size.
Common size limits
| Where you are sending it | Size to pick |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp video | 16 MB |
| Gmail or Outlook attachment | 25 MB (Gmail) or Custom 20 MB (Outlook) |
| Discord without Nitro | Custom 10 MB |
| Most web forms and job applications | Custom, matching the limit they give |
How Snipply keeps small videos looking good
File size is roughly bitrate times length, so a target size gives a budget of data per second. Snipply splits that budget between sound and picture, then chooses the highest resolution that still gets enough data per pixel to look clean. For example, a one-minute video at 16 MB comes out as sharp 720p rather than blocky 1080p. When the budget is very tight, 60 fps footage is saved at 30 fps, which halves the frames to store without making motion look choppy.
Frequently asked questions
Is the video compressor free?
Yes. Snipply is free, adds no watermark and needs no account.
Is my video uploaded to a server?
No. The video is compressed inside your browser, so it never leaves your device. That also means there is no upload wait and no file size limit from a server.
Will the file really be under 16 MB?
Snipply aims about 7% under the size you pick and shows the expected size before you export. If a file ever comes out over, Snipply tells you, and the next export aims lower by itself.
Why did my video come out at a lower resolution?
A long video at a small size has little data to spend on each frame. A smaller, clean picture looks better than a full-size blocky one, so Snipply picks the highest resolution that stays sharp at your chosen size.
Does it keep the shape of my video?
Snipply uses the closest of four shapes: landscape 16:9, vertical 9:16, square 1:1 or 4:5. Videos already in one of those shapes keep it exactly. Other shapes, such as old 4:3 videos, get thin bars at the sides.