Magnetostriction, coupling between the mechanical and magnetic degrees of freedom, finds a variety of applications in magnetic actuation, transduction and sensing1,2. The discovery of two-dimensional layered magnetic materials3–8 presents a new platform to explore the magnetostriction effects in ultrathin solids. Here we demonstrate an exchange-driven magnetostriction effect in mechanical resonators made of two-dimensional antiferromagnetic CrI3. The mechanical resonance frequency is found to depend on the magnetic state of the material. We quantify the relative importance of the exchange and anisotropy magnetostriction by measuring the resonance frequency under a magnetic field parallel and perpendicular to the easy axis, respectively. Furthermore, we show efficient strain-tuning of the internal magnetic interactions in two-dimensional CrI3 as a result of inverse magnetostriction. Our results establish the basis for mechanical detection and control of magnetic states and magnetic phase transitions in two-dimensional layered materials. © 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.