Video Compressor

Compress video to 5 MB

The size is already set to 5 MB. Add your video and get an MP4 that comes in just under it.

Getting a video under 5 MB

5 MB is one of the most common attachment caps on job applications, school and government portals, and help desks. It’s also a safe size for work email, where company mail servers often stop well below Gmail’s 25 MB.

It’s small for a phone video, which can pass 5 MB in three seconds. A short clip keeps its full HD picture; a minute or so fits at a lower resolution. Check the portal’s small print: if it says 5 MB, this page gets you just under it.

We aim a little under 5 MB so the file is sure to fit, since most sites reject anything even slightly over. Sizes are in decimal megabytes (1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes), so the result also fits a limit that counts megabytes the binary way. Your video is encoded once at the bitrate that lands on 5 MB; when it’s compressed in your browser, the result is measured and done again if it came out too big.

How long a video fits in 5 MB

The longest video that keeps each resolution, for a typical 30 fps video with sound. At 60 fps, expect about half as long.

ResolutionLongest video
1080p
720p
480p
360p

Longer than 1:30? Even 360p would look too rough, so the page asks for a bigger size. Trim the video first or choose a bigger size.

Where you’ll run into 5 MB

  • Job applications

    Many hiring portals take each file up to 5 MB, and some ask for a short video introduction. Say who you are and why you’re applying in the first few seconds, and keep it brief: the table above shows the resolution each length keeps.

  • School and government portals

    Admissions, visa and benefits sites often cap every document at a few megabytes. Most of them accept MP4, which is what you download here. If the portal also limits the length, trim the video first so it keeps more of its resolution.

  • Help desk tickets

    Many ticket systems allow 5 MB per attachment. Show the bug in a short screen recording, and cut the loading and waiting so the steps keep a sharp picture.

How to compress a video to 5 MB

  1. 01

    Add your video

    Drop it on the page, or pick it from your files, photo library or camera roll.

  2. 02

    Check the size

    5 MB is already filled in. Change it if you need another size, or pick a preset instead.

  3. 03

    Download the MP4

    It comes out just under 5 MB. Compare it with the original, then save it.

Questions

Can’t find your answer? Write to feedback@videocompressor.xyz.

Will the video be exactly 5 MB?

Just under it. We aim a few percent below 5 MB so it’s certain to fit, since sites and apps reject a file that is even slightly over.

What if my video is already under 5 MB?

Then it already fits, and the page tells you so. You can send it as it is, or still make it smaller with a preset.

Will my video look worse at 5 MB?

That depends on its length. A short video keeps its full resolution; a longer one is scaled down, to 720p or lower, so the picture stays clean instead of blocky. The table above shows where each step starts. The sound keeps its quality unless the size is very small for the length.

What if my video is too long for 5 MB?

Past 1:30 there aren’t enough bits for a watchable picture, even at 360p, and the page asks for a bigger size. Trim the video with our video cutter first, or choose a bigger size.

Can I email a 5 MB video from work?

Almost always. Even strict company limits are usually 10 MB or more for the whole email, and 5 MB leaves room for the encoding that makes attachments about a third bigger.

How do I get a one-minute video under 5 MB?

Add it here with 5 MB set: nearly a minute fits at 480p, and a minute and a half at 360p. If the result looks too soft, cut the parts you don’t need with our video cutter, so the rest keeps a higher resolution.

What if the 5 MB limit covers all my files together?

Then the video shares it with your other files. Add up their sizes, take that away from 5 MB, and type what’s left into the Target size box here.

Should I choose H.264 or H.265 for 5 MB?

H.265 keeps more detail in the same 5 MB, so a longer video can keep a higher resolution. Choose it when the people you send it to have newer devices; H.264 plays everywhere.

Is my video uploaded to compress it?

Not when your browser can handle it: then it’s compressed on your device. Otherwise it goes to our server over an encrypted connection and is deleted 2 hours after compressing.

More ways to compress video

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