ToolPetal
Discord tools
Discord rejects files that are a few kilobytes over a limit, and the limits differ for every place you can put a GIF. These tools aim at the exact number for each spot and keep as much quality as they can.
There are 3 live Discord tools below. Under them: quick links that open each tool with the right limit picked, the full limits table (checked against Discord's own pages in October 2026), and why Discord sometimes says "too large" when a file looks small enough.
Back to the Discord section on the homepage · All ToolPetal tools
Discord emoji maker
Turn a picture or GIF into a 128 x 128 emoji under 256 KB. Square crop, name check, dark and light previews.
Discord GIF compressor
Shrink a GIF for emoji, stickers, avatars, banners, or 20 MB uploads. Best quality that fits, with a trimmer.
Discord soundboard maker
Turn audio or video into a soundboard MP3. Trim to 5 seconds, boost or normalize volume, add fades.
What are you making?
Each link opens the right tool with the right Discord limit already picked.
- An emoji, still or animatedPicture or GIF cropped square, 128 × 128, under 256 KB, name checked
- A stickerExactly 320 × 320, under 512 KB, first 5 seconds
- A GIF to post in chatUnder 20 MB free, 50 MB Nitro Basic, 1 GB Nitro
- An animated avatarSquare GIF under 10 MB (animated avatars need Nitro)
- A profile bannerAt least 680 × 240, under 10 MB (needs Nitro)
- A server bannerAt least 960 × 540, 16:9 (animated at Boost Level 3)
- A soundboard soundMP3, 5 seconds, under 512 KB, from any audio or video
- A static emoji from a WebPConvert to PNG first, then upload it as is
Discord file limits (as of October 2026)
Checked on October 16, 2026 (soundboard rows on October 17). Limits change, so each row links to the Discord page it comes from.
| What | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chat upload, free | 20 MB per file (was 10 MB until August 2026) | File Attachments FAQ |
| Chat upload, Nitro Basic | 50 MB | File Attachments FAQ |
| Chat upload, Nitro | 1 GB | File Attachments FAQ |
| Boosted server uploads | Level 2: 50 MB, Level 3: 100 MB for everyone in the server | Server Boosting FAQ |
| Custom emoji | Under 256 KB, up to 128 × 128; JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, AVIF | Adding custom emoji, developer docs |
| Emoji slots | 50 / 100 / 150 / 250 by Boost level | Server Boosting FAQ |
| Sticker | Exactly 320 × 320, under 512 KB, animated up to 5 seconds | Sticker tips, developer docs |
| Sticker slots | 5 / 15 / 30 / 60 by Boost level | Custom Stickers FAQ |
| Soundboard sound | MP3, up to 512 KB and 5 seconds (developer docs: 5.2 seconds, MP3 or Ogg) | Discord blog, developer docs |
| Soundboard slots | 8 / 24 / 36 / 48 by Boost level | Soundboard guide |
| Avatar | PNG or GIF under 10 MB; animated needs Nitro | Custom Profiles |
| Per-server avatar | Up to 8 MB | Per-Server Profiles |
| Profile banner | At least 680 × 240, under 10 MB; needs Nitro | Custom Profiles |
| Server banner | At least 960 × 540 (16:9); static at Boost Level 2, animated at Level 3 | Server Banners |
| Role icon | 64 × 64, under 256 KB, static only; Boost Level 2 | Custom Role Icons FAQ |
Two things Discord does not publish: a file size cap for server icons and banners, and a size at which GIFs stop autoplaying. Numbers you see elsewhere for those are guesses. Discord also says it is experimenting with upload limits, so a few accounts may see different numbers; the upload dialog is the final word.
Why Discord says "too large" when the file looks small enough
Discord's developer docs give the emoji cap as 256 KiB and the sticker cap as 512 KiB. A KiB is 1,024 bytes, so the real limits are 262,144 bytes for an emoji and 524,288 bytes for a sticker. Different apps count file sizes differently:
- Windows File Explorer counts 1 KB as 1,024 bytes, the same way Discord does. If Explorer says 255 KB, the emoji fits.
- macOS Finder counts 1 KB as 1,000 bytes. A file Finder shows as 260 KB is about 254 KiB and still fits; one Finder shows as 265 KB is about 259 KiB and does not.
- Phones vary by app. When in doubt, check the size in bytes, or run the file through the GIF compressor, which counts the same way Discord does and shows a green check when it fits.
Dimensions are a separate check. An emoji at 256 × 256 is rejected or resized by Discord even if it is tiny in bytes, and a sticker has to be exactly 320 × 320, not 300 × 300 or 512 × 512.
Getting a GIF to fit without making it ugly
- Trim first. File size grows with every frame. Cutting a 4 second loop down to its best 1.5 seconds saves more than any compression setting, and short loops read better as emoji anyway.
- Crop before you shrink. Emoji, stickers, and avatars are square. Cropping a wide GIF to the subject means fewer pixels to store and a bigger subject on screen.
- Flat art shrinks well, film grain does not. Cartoon and pixel art GIFs often fit an emoji with no visible loss. Clips from videos with noise or gradients need a smaller size or fewer frames.
- Solid backgrounds can go. If your GIF sits on one flat color, the compressor's Make background transparent switch removes it, which looks better in both light and dark mode.
ToolPetal is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Discord. Discord is a trademark of Discord Inc.
FAQ
What is Discord's file size limit in October 2026?
Discord's File Attachments FAQ says free accounts can upload files up to 20 MB, Nitro Basic up to 50 MB, and Nitro up to 1 GB. The free limit was raised from 10 MB in August 2026.
What size should a Discord emoji or sticker be?
Emoji: up to 128 x 128 and under 256 KB. Stickers: exactly 320 x 320 and under 512 KB, with animated stickers up to 5 seconds.
Why does Discord say my emoji is too big when it is under 256 KB?
Discord's cap is 256 KiB, which is 262,144 bytes. macOS Finder counts 1 KB as 1,000 bytes, so sizes there look bigger than Discord counts them, while other apps may round. Also check the dimensions: emoji go up to 128 x 128, and a larger image can be refused even when the file is small.
Can an animated Discord sticker be a GIF?
Discord's help page lists PNG and APNG for stickers, while its developer docs also list GIF. If the uploader refuses your GIF sticker, convert the 320 x 320 result to APNG. Either way it must be under 512 KB and no longer than 5 seconds.
Is ToolPetal part of Discord?
No. ToolPetal is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Discord. We link to Discord's own help pages for every limit so you can check them.
