Video Conference Bandwidth Calculator
Estimate the upload and download bandwidth each participant and the whole meeting needs for a video call at a chosen quality.
How it works
upload per user = quality (+ screen share) · download per user = (participants − 1) × quality (+ share) · total upstream = participants × upload per user
In a full-mesh or selective-forwarding meeting each participant sends one video stream up and receives everyone else’s streams down, so upload stays roughly flat while download grows with the number of people on screen. That asymmetry is why large gallery-view calls stress the download side and often trigger clients to drop to a lower resolution. A screen share adds one more stream in each relevant direction. These are steady-state estimates; real clients adapt quality to the network, so bandwidth is a ceiling, not a fixed draw.
Worked example
A 5-person HD 720p call at 1.2 Mbps per stream: each person uploads their 1.2 Mbps and downloads the other four at 4 × 1.2 = 4.8 Mbps. Across all five, the service relays 5 × 1.2 = 6 Mbps upstream.
Frequently asked questions
Why does download grow but upload stays flat?
You always send just your own camera stream (upload), but you receive a stream from every other participant (download). Adding people multiplies the download side while your upload barely changes.
Do platforms really use this much?
This is an upper estimate. Most services use a selective forwarding unit and adaptive bitrate — they lower resolution for off-screen or many-participant views, so actual usage is often well below the gallery-view maximum.
How much does screen sharing add?
Roughly 1–3 Mbps for a shared screen depending on motion and resolution. Static slides use little; sharing full-motion video can use as much as a camera stream.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.