Data Storage Converter
Convert bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB and TB.
Convert bits, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes. Handy for file sizes, storage planning and understanding data caps.
Formula / method
Examples
1,000 MB
1 B
Bits, bytes and the powers
Digital storage starts with the bit, and eight bits make one byte. From there, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes each step up by roughly a thousand. This converter lets you translate a file size or bandwidth figure between any of these units.
Bits (lowercase b) are mainly used for network speeds, while bytes (uppercase B) describe file sizes, which is why a '100 Mbps' connection downloads at about 12.5 megabytes per second, not 100.
Decimal versus binary sizes
There are two conventions for the prefixes. Storage marketers and this tool typically use decimal units where 1 KB is 1,000 bytes, while operating systems often use binary units where 1 KiB is 1,024 bytes. That gap is why a '1 TB' drive shows as roughly 931 GB in Windows.
Knowing which convention a figure follows explains most 'missing space' confusion. The difference grows with size, reaching about seven percent at the terabyte level.
Where it's used
- Working out how many photos, songs, or videos fit on a drive or SD card
- Converting a network speed in megabits to real download megabytes per second
- Planning cloud storage or backup capacity
- Understanding why a 1 TB drive shows less usable space in the operating system
- Estimating mobile data usage against a monthly cap
Real-world examples
- A 100 Mbps connection converts to about 12.5 MB/s, so a 1 GB file downloads in roughly 80 seconds.
- A 64 GB phone equals 64,000 MB in decimal units, enough for thousands of photos.
- A 1 TB drive is 1,000 GB in decimal but displays as about 931 GiB in Windows, which counts in binary.
A bit of history
The term byte was coined by Werner Buchholz at IBM in June 1956 during work on the Stretch supercomputer, as a deliberate respelling of bite to avoid it mutating into bit.
Did you know?
A byte settled on 8 bits, enough for 256 distinct values, only with the IBM System/360 in the mid-1960s. Earlier machines used bytes of 6 or 7 bits.
FAQ
Why is 1 GB shown as 1,000 MB and not 1,024?
This converter uses decimal (SI) units, where 1 KB = 1,000 bytes — the convention used by storage manufacturers. Binary units (1 KiB = 1,024 bytes) are a separate standard.