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Compress video for Instagram

Format your video for Instagram Reels (vertical 9:16, ≤ 90 s) or Feed (square 1:1, ≤ 60 s) at 1080p - in your browser; the encoder never uploads.

  • Free to use
  • In your browser
  • No account
  • No watermark
A posted social-media card

Drop a video here

…or click to choose a file.

Why your video is too big

Instagram has two main video shapes. Reels are vertical 9:16 up to 90 seconds; Feed videos are square 1:1 up to 60 seconds. The platform accepts files up to 4 GB, but its uploader re-encodes everything to a target much smaller than that - pre-compressing to 100 MB at 1080p preserves quality and uploads dramatically faster than handing the platform a 500 MB phone clip to chew on.

The shape matters more than the size. A horizontal video letterboxed into a Reels slot wastes most of the screen; cropping to vertical first fills the phone display.

How to compress video for instagram in 4 steps

  1. Drop your video onto the page

    Drag a video file onto the drop zone. The encoder loads it from your disk into the browser tab - the encoder doesn't upload.

  2. Pick Reels or Feed

    Click "Or pick a platform" and choose Instagram Reels (vertical 9:16, 100 MB / 90 s) or Instagram Feed (square 1:1, 100 MB / 60 s) based on where the post will live.

  3. Crop to the right shape if needed

    If your source is horizontal, open Edit Mode and click "Vertical (9:16)" for Reels or "Square (1:1)" for Feed. The encoder center-crops the source; the preview shows what will be kept.

  4. Click Compress and upload via the Instagram app

    Output is standard MP4 (H.264 + AAC). Upload through the Instagram app or web uploader; the platform recognizes the dimensions automatically.

Common questions

Reels or Feed - which preset?

Reels for short, punchy vertical videos (the dominant Instagram format now). Feed for square videos that show full-frame in your profile grid. Both work; pick based on where the post will live.

Can I crop a horizontal video to vertical here?

Yes - Edit Mode has a one-click “Vertical (9:16)” crop. It center-crops the source to the right shape; the live preview shows what’ll be kept before you encode.

What about Stories?

Stories use the same vertical 9:16 shape as Reels and have a shorter length cap (60 s). Use the Reels preset and trim to 60 seconds with Edit Mode.

Will the quality hold up?

Yes - 1080p with the Reels (100 MB / 90 s) or Feed (100 MB / 60 s) presets gives every second a generous bitrate budget. Trimmed clips look cleaner than longer ones at the same size.

How private is this?

The encoder runs in your browser via ffmpeg-WebAssembly. Your video never reaches our servers. The one exception is the optional support-upload flow, which only runs when you use it. Full privacy story.

Related tools

encodevideos.com vs Cloud compressors

 encodevideos.comCloud compressors
Where your video goesStays on your device; the encoder never uploadsUploaded to a third-party server
Account requiredNo account, no email, no cardAccount or email signup typical
WatermarkNeverWatermarked output on free tiers
File-size capUp to 4 GB, limited only by your device's RAMHard caps tied to plan tier
PrivacyThe encoder runs in your browser; we don't see your fileProvider holds a copy at least temporarily