Free Instagram tool
Instagram Story Size Checker
A Story card holds 3 to 60 seconds of video in a file of up to 100 MB, and fills the screen at 1080 x 1920. Drop a video or an image in and see whether it fits one card.
Last updated: 2026-10-25
A Story is one full screen card at a time. Instagram wants 1080 x 1920 at 9:16, and a video card runs from 3 to 60 seconds in a file of up to 100 MB. Those are the numbers in the publishing API that scheduling tools use.
The 60 second limit behaves differently depending on how you post. The app splits a longer clip into 60 second cards for you. A scheduled upload is rejected instead, so a long clip has to be cut into cards before it goes in the queue.
Stills work too: an image posted to a Story is displayed for 5 seconds and does not need to be turned into a video. Drop either kind of file in below and it is measured in your browser, without uploading anything.
Your file never leaves your browser. The dimensions are read on your device and nothing is uploaded to us.
Pick a file and every Instagram format is checked against it at once.
The full spec sheet is below, so you can read the numbers without uploading anything.
Instagram video and image specs
Every Instagram surface with its own limits, in one place. These are the platform ceilings, so an upload that clears them still has to clear whatever your publishing tool allows.
Instagram Feed image
| Max file size | 8 MB |
|---|---|
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1350 |
| Minimum size | 320 pixels wide |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 recommended, 1:1.25 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| File types | JPG, PNG |
- Portrait 4:5 takes the most vertical space in the feed, which is why it beats square for reach on the same image.
- Instagram re-compresses every upload to 1080 pixels wide, so exporting at 4K only makes the upload slower.
- The Instagram app itself now accepts portraits up to 3:4 (1080 x 1440). The publishing API that scheduling tools use still stops at 4:5.
Instagram Reel
| Max file size | 300 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 20 minutes |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 |
| Minimum size | 720 pixels wide |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, 1:1.78 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| Bitrate | Up to 25 Mbps |
| File types | MP4, MOV |
- A Reel can run up to 20 minutes in the app, but Instagram only recommends Reels of 3 minutes or less to new audiences. The publishing API that scheduling tools use stops at 15 minutes.
- 300 MB is the file ceiling in the publishing API that scheduling tools use, so compress anything heavier before you queue it.
- Meta's ads guidance keeps text and logos out of the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent of each side, because the interface covers those areas.
Instagram Story
| Max file size | 100 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 60 seconds |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, 1:10 to 10:1 accepted |
| Bitrate | Up to 25 Mbps |
| File types | MP4, MOV, JPG, PNG |
- The app splits a longer clip into 60 second cards for you. Scheduled uploads are rejected instead, so cut them first.
- A still image posted to a Story is displayed for 5 seconds and does not need to be a video.
Instagram Carousel
| Max file size | 300 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 60 seconds |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1350 |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 recommended, 1:1.25 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| File types | JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV |
- Between 2 and 20 slides per carousel, and images and video can be mixed freely.
- Images inside a carousel still follow the 8 MB feed image cap. The larger ceiling applies to the video slides.
- Every slide is cropped to the aspect ratio of the first one, so export the whole set at the same size.
Specs verified 2026-07-31. Networks adjust these without announcing them, so re-check anything you are about to build a whole shoot around.
Instagram export tips
- Cut long clips into 60 second pieces yourself before scheduling them. Each piece becomes its own card, in the order you post them.
- Export at 1080 x 1920 rather than reusing a 4:5 feed file. Instagram accepts almost any shape on a Story, but anything other than 9:16 leaves bars or gets cropped.
- Keep text and stickers away from the edges. Meta's published guidance for Stories ads keeps the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent of each side clear, and the app itself can differ by device and app version.
Frequently asked questions
How long can an Instagram Story be?
60 seconds per card, with a 3 second minimum for video, and a still image is shown for 5 seconds. Longer clips are split into cards when you post from the app and rejected when they are scheduled.
What size should an Instagram Story be?
1080 x 1920 pixels at 9:16. Instagram accepts a very wide range of shapes, from 1:10 to 10:1, but only 9:16 fills the screen without bars or a crop.
What is the file size limit for a Story?
100 MB for a Story video, as MP4 or MOV, in the publishing API that scheduling tools use. A 60 second card at 1080 x 1920 rarely gets close to it.
Does this tool upload my file?
No. The file is read in your browser through a temporary link, the same way a local player opens it. Nothing reaches Postify or anyone else.
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