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Screen recording size calculator

Find out how big a screen recording will be before you record it. Set the length, the resolution, the frame rate and the format, and see the file size, the megabytes per minute and whether it fits on X, Reels, TikTok or in an email.

Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type, click, film or say is uploaded or saved.

Recording Size
Length
Frame rate
Format
Estimated size488 MB97.5 MB a minute · about 13.0 Mbps
Pixels
1920 × 1080
100 GB holds
17 hours

Where it fits

  • XOver 2:20
  • Instagram ReelsOver 3:00
  • YouTube ShortsOver 3:00
  • TikTokFits
  • LinkedInFits
  • Email (Gmail)Over 25 MB

What bitrate fits a size?

Export at about 0.51 Mbps to fit 5:00

An estimate from typical bitrates, the same rule Clacky’s Studio uses before an export. A still screen usually comes out smaller, fast motion close to this. GIFs are estimated at up to 720 px wide and 30 seconds. Upload limits as of October 2026.

How the estimate works

A video file is roughly bitrate × length. The bitrate here is the same rule of thumb Clacky’s own Studio export uses: about 13 Mbps for H.264 and 10 Mbps for HEVC at 1080p and 30 fps, about 160 Mbps for ProRes 422, scaled by the number of pixels, and about 45% more at 60 fps (ProRes doubles).

Why your real file can be smaller

Video encoders spend bits on what changes. A mostly still screen (a slide, a document you type into) compresses far better than a fast scroll or a game, so real recordings of calm screens often come out several times smaller than this estimate, and busy ones close to it. I measured both, with real numbers, in How big is a screen recording on a Mac?

How to make a recording smaller

  1. Record an area or one window instead of the whole Retina screen.
  2. Record at 30 fps unless the motion needs 60.
  3. Export as HEVC (H.265) instead of H.264: about a quarter smaller at the same quality.
  4. Trim the start and the end. Every second counts the same.
  5. Need a hard limit, like 25 MB for an email? Use What bitrate fits a size? below and export at that bitrate.

Private by design

It’s arithmetic in your browser. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.

Questions

How many MB is a 1-minute screen recording?

At 1080p and 30 fps, about 98 MB as H.264 and 75 MB as HEVC by this estimate, and about 1.2 GB as ProRes 422. A full Retina screen has more pixels, so it is several times bigger. Calm screens often come out much smaller.

Why is my Mac screen recording so big?

Usually three things: the whole Retina screen is recorded (millions of pixels), at 60 fps, in a high-bitrate format. Record an area at 30 fps and export HEVC, and the same minute is a fraction of the size.

Is HEVC smaller than H.264?

Yes, at the same quality HEVC (H.265) needs fewer bits, roughly 25% fewer in this estimate. Every Mac from the last several years plays it, and X, YouTube and most apps accept it.

How accurate is it?

It is an estimate from typical bitrates, the same one Clacky shows before an export. Real files depend on what is on screen: still screens come out smaller, fast motion close to the estimate. ProRes is the most predictable.

Is anything uploaded?

No. Nothing is recorded or sent. It’s a calculator that runs in your browser.

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