WordPress has two completely separate upload-limit systems, and which one applies depends on who runs the server. Self-hosted WordPress reads its limit out of PHP. WordPress.com reads it out of your plan. A number that is true on one side tells you nothing about the other.
Self-hosted: the number lives in php.ini
WordPress core does not store an upload limit anywhere. The Media Add New documentation says the number in the admin is not yours: "You will also see a message displayed at the bottom of your view that indicates maximum upload size for files, as set by your hosting provider."
Go looking for a setting to change and there isn't one. The Settings Media screen documentation lists exactly one item under "Uploading Files" — the checkbox for organising uploads into month- and year-based folders. No size field exists.
So where does the number come from? wp_max_upload_size() is documented as: "Determines the maximum upload size allowed in php.ini." Its body reads two PHP directives — upload_max_filesize and post_max_size — converts both to bytes, and returns the smaller of the two via min(), after passing it through the upload_size_limit filter.
Three consequences:
- Raising one directive alone may do nothing. If
upload_max_filesizeis generous butpost_max_sizeis not, the smaller value wins. - The value is read from php.ini, not the WordPress database. Nothing in wp-admin overrides it.
- Code on the site can still override it, because the result passes through the
upload_size_limitfilter before it is returned.
The PHP Optimization handbook covers both directives. On the first: "The limit on the size of individual file uploads can be configured using the upload_max_filesize php.ini directive." On the second: "The value for post_max_size must be greater than or equal to the value for upload_max_filesize. PHP will not process requests larger in size than the value for post_max_size."
Note the exact relationship: greater than or equal to, not strictly greater. The handbook also warns that post_max_size "applies to every PHP request and not only uploads," so it is not a media-only knob. And the caveat that decides this for most people: "Bear in mind that on shared hosting accounts, those limits are usually set on a server level and you may not be able to modify them or increase them above a certain value."
Time and memory are separate ceilings
Size is not the only way a big video dies. The handbook is specific about which timeout governs uploads: max_input_time "is usually used to limit the amount of time allowed to upload files. It's important to note that the amount of time is separate from max_execution_time." Memory splits too: WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT covers the backend and defaults to 256 MB, and the handbook explains why it is separate — "This is mainly required for media uploads."
Multisite adds a second, much lower ceiling
Networks stack another limit on top. The Network Admin Settings documentation lists a "Site upload space" option — "Limit total size of files uploaded to [ 50 ] MB" — and a "Max upload file size" whose "Default is [ 1500 ] KB." That is roughly 1.5 MB, far below anything you would set in php.ini; official docs don't state how the two interact. Details in our Multisite max upload file size write-up.
One number WordPress.org never publishes: a default upload size. The official pages say only "as set by your hosting provider."
WordPress.com: the number lives in your plan
You cannot touch PHP here, so none of the above applies. The Accepted file types page gives the practical ceiling: "You can reliably upload files up to 2 GB to your WordPress.com site." Read reliably literally — that is a reliability statement, not a published hard cap, and the page explains why: "A larger file can fail partway through the upload. The larger the file, the longer it takes, and many networks end an upload that runs for too long."
A second ceiling sits underneath: "Your site's available storage also limits file size. You cannot upload a file that is larger than the storage space remaining on your site. Each plan includes a different amount of storage."
| Plan | Storage |
|---|---|
| Free sites (no plan) | 1 GB |
| Personal | 6 GB |
| Premium | 13 GB |
| Business or Commerce | 50 GB |
| Pro (legacy) | 50 GB |
Three official footnotes apply: free sites created before 31 March 2022 include 3 GB; Business or Commerce plans bought before 20 July 2023 include 200 GB; those bought before 1 August 2019 without hosting access activated include unlimited storage. Add-ons "start at 50 GB up to 350 GB in 50 GB increments." More in storage space per plan.
Video has a plan gate that files in general do not
Audio needs only "any paid plan on WordPress.com," per the Working with audio page. Video is gated higher, and the gate depends on the block — three official pages, three framings:
- Video block — "The Video block is available on the Premium plan and above."
- Accepted file types, Video section — "This section of the guide applies to sites with our WordPress.com Premium, Business, and Commerce plans."
- VideoPress — "This feature is available on sites with the WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans. For free sites and sites on the Personal and Premium plans, upgrade your plan to access this feature."
This matters because the same Accepted file types page, for a file that is too big, suggests without qualification: "Add videos with the VideoPress block, which supports files up to 6 GB." On a Premium site that advice is unusable — VideoPress is Business and Commerce only. VideoPress "includes 250 GB of dedicated video storage," separate from the table above; videos "longer than three hours are converted to standard resolution" (the docs don't say what resolution that is); and "Failed attempts don't count against your storage space limit."
What to do when you hit either ceiling
WordPress.com's list of remedies is short: "Compress the file to reduce its size, then upload it again," add it with VideoPress, or on Business and Commerce transfer it with SFTP. For an unsupported format, the troubleshooting page says to "convert them to a valid file type before uploading." Compress or convert — the official answer on both sides, and the one that still works on shared hosting, where the handbook warns "you may not be able to modify" the PHP limits at all.
Try it right here
Runs in your browser. Your file is not uploaded anywhere.
This runs inside your browser tab — the file is re-encoded on your own machine, never uploaded to a server, so you are not paying an upload twice to fix an upload problem. For a QuickTime file off a Mac or iPhone, MOV to MP4 handles the conversion step; the full set of browser-based tools is at all Clapr tools.
The format lists differ too
The two sides don't accept the same files. Core's wp_get_mime_types() table includes webm and mkv. WordPress.com's Accepted file types page names .webm among extensions "not listed on this page" that need a plugin, and doesn't mention .mkv at all. Its video list: .mp4, .m4v, .mpg, .mov, .avi, .ogv, .wmv, .3gp, .3g2, plus .vtt for captions.
Captions split the same way. The WordPress.com media list allows only ".vtt (text captions for video)" and the self-hosted Video block states "The tracks are formatted in WebVTT format," but the VideoPress subtitle manager accepts eleven formats including .srt. Whether your SRT works depends on the route — SRT to VTT removes the question. More in the guides hub.
FAQ
Is the upload limit the same on WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress?
No. Self-hosted limits come from upload_max_filesize and post_max_size in php.ini, set by your host. WordPress.com limits come from plan storage plus its "reliably upload files up to 2 GB" guidance.
What is WordPress's default maximum upload size? The official documentation does not publish one. It says the admin message shows the maximum "as set by your hosting provider." Any specific default you see quoted is a host's setting, not WordPress's.
Can I raise the limit on WordPress.com?
Not through php.ini — upload_max_filesize and post_max_size are host-level directives, and WordPress.com's own documentation never points you at them. The levers here are plan storage, add-ons, VideoPress, and SFTP on Business and Commerce plans.
Which plan do I need to upload video to WordPress.com? It depends on the block. Official pages state the Video block is "available on the Premium plan and above," while VideoPress is "available on sites with the WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans." Audio uploads need only any paid plan.
Why does my upload fail even though the file is under the limit?
Size is one of several ceilings on a self-hosted site: max_input_time governs how long an upload may take, backend memory is capped separately, and Multisite adds a network "Max upload file size" defaulting to 1500 KB. See video file too large to upload.
Quotations checked 16 September 2026 against WordPress.org, developer.WordPress.org and the WordPress.com support centre. Plan storage and block availability change — verify there first.
