Data Storage Converter
Convert bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, and binary KiB, MiB, GiB.
What it does
Storage math confuses because two ladders share names. Decimal kilobytes step by 1000 and match SI prefixes on boxes and bills. Binary kibibytes step by 1024 and match how memory addresses actually work. Same word, different stairs.
The tool above converts across both ladders plus bits: pick source and target, enter the value, and read the answer with all equivalents below.
Bits versus bytes cause the classic speed puzzle. Providers sell megabits per second while browsers show megabytes per second, and eight bits make each byte. A 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12.5 MB/s before overhead.
The missing disk space mystery resolves the same way. A 1 TB drive holds one trillion bytes, which computers report as 931 GiB. Nothing vanished; the ruler changed.
How to use
- Enter the value in the source unit.
- Pick source and target, watching KB versus KiB.
- Read the converted line for the answer.
- For download times, convert file MB to Mb first, then divide by speed.
Formula
- 1000 steps
- Decimal SI ladder used by drives, labels, and most bills.
- 1024 steps
- Binary IEC ladder used by operating systems and RAM.
- 8 bits
- Bits per byte. Speeds quote bits, sizes quote bytes.
IEC created KiB, MiB, and GiB in 1998 to end the ambiguity, but everyday language still says KB for both. This page keeps both ladders side by side so either reading converts cleanly.
Worked example
Example: 1 GiB to MB
Value 1, from gibibytes, to decimal megabytes.
- To bytes: 1 x 1073741824 = 1073741824 B.
- To MB: 1073741824 / 1000000 = 1073.741824 MB.
- Result: 1 GiB = 1073.7418 MB.
- Same unit check: 1 GiB = 1024 MiB exactly.
Reference table
| Label | Bytes | Computer shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1 KB file | 1,000 | 0.98 KiB |
| 1 MB photo set | 1,000,000 | 0.95 MiB |
| 1 GB video | 1,000,000,000 | 0.93 GiB |
| 1 TB drive | 1,000,000,000,000 | 931 GiB |
| 100 Mbps line | 12,500,000 B/s | about 11.9 MiB/s |
Limits
- Nominal units. File systems reserve overhead on top.
- Download speeds lose about 10% to protocol overhead.
- RAM uses binary only. Decimal never applies to memory sticks.
- Marketing rounds. Boxes print the friendlier ladder.
Common mistakes
- Comparing Mbps to MB/s directly without dividing by 8.
- Reading KB as KiB on mixed labels, a 2.4% drift per step.
- Calling the missing drive space a defect. It is unit math.
- Forgetting overhead on real downloads and disks.
- Sizing backups in GB while the tool reports GiB.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
800 MB file on a 100 Mbps line. Seconds?
800 MB = 6400 Mb. 6400 / 100 = 64 s before overhead.
2 TB in GiB?
2 x 10^12 / 2^30 = 1862.65 GiB.
Questions
KB or KiB: which is right?
KB steps by 1000, KiB by 1024. Drives print KB, systems show KiB.
Why is my drive smaller than labeled?
Unit ladders. One trillion bytes is 1 TB decimal but 931 GiB binary.
Bits or bytes for internet speed?
Bits, almost always. Divide by 8 for the bytes per second your browser shows.
How big is a photo or song?
Phone photos run 2 to 8 MB, songs 3 to 10 MB, HD movies 3 to 6 GB.
What is a kibibyte?
1024 bytes, the binary kilo. The i in KiB marks the 1024 ladder.
How long to download 1 GB at 100 Mbps?
About 80 seconds plus overhead: 8000 Mb / 100 Mbps.