Storage Unit Converter
Convert between bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB and PB, including binary units like GiB and TiB. See every unit at once. Free, fast and private.
Result
| Unit | Symbol | Type | Value |
|---|
Decimal units (KB, MB, GB, TB) use 1,000 and are what drive makers and phone makers advertise. Binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) use 1,024 and are what many operating systems show. Lowercase b means bits, capital B means bytes.
What Is a Storage Unit Converter?
A storage unit converter changes an amount of digital data from one unit to another, for example from gigabytes (GB) to megabytes (MB), from terabytes (TB) to gigabytes, or from bytes to bits. It is useful whenever a file size, a drive capacity or a data plan is given in one unit but you need it in another.
Our free tool supports 18 units: bits, bytes, the decimal units from KB to EB, the binary units from KiB to EiB, and the bit units Kb, Mb, Gb and Tb. Type an amount, pick two units, and the answer appears instantly, together with a table showing the same amount in every other unit.
How to Use the Storage Unit Converter
- Type the amount you want to convert in the Amount box. Commas are fine, so 1,024 works.
- Choose the unit you have in the From list.
- Choose the unit you want in the To list. The result updates as you type.
- Use Swap to reverse the two units, and Copy to copy the result.
- Check the table below the result to see the same amount in every unit. The two units you picked are highlighted.
Bits, Bytes and the Basic Storage Units
Computers store everything as bits. A bit is a single 0 or 1. Eight bits make one byte, and larger units are built from bytes. Here are the units you will see most often.
| Unit | Symbol | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Bit | bit or b | The smallest unit: a single 0 or 1 |
| Byte | B | 8 bits, enough for one letter or digit |
| Kilobyte | KB | 1,000 bytes |
| Megabyte | MB | 1,000 KB, or 1,000,000 bytes |
| Gigabyte | GB | 1,000 MB, or 1,000,000,000 bytes |
| Terabyte | TB | 1,000 GB |
| Petabyte | PB | 1,000 TB |
| Exabyte | EB | 1,000 PB |
Decimal (KB, MB, GB) vs Binary (KiB, MiB, GiB) Units
There are two ways to count storage. The decimal system, used by the International System of Units (SI), counts in thousands, so 1 KB is 1,000 bytes. The binary system counts in powers of 2, because computer memory is built that way, so 1 KiB is 1,024 bytes. To tell them apart, the IEC introduced the names kibibyte (KiB), mebibyte (MiB), gibibyte (GiB) and so on.
The gap grows with every step, which is why a large drive looks noticeably smaller in binary units.
| Decimal unit | Binary unit | Binary is larger by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 KB = 1,000 bytes | 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes | 2.4% |
| 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes | 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes | 4.86% |
| 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes | 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes | 7.37% |
| 1 TB = 1,000 GB | 1 TiB = 1,024 GiB | 9.95% |
| 1 PB = 1,000 TB | 1 PiB = 1,024 TiB | 12.59% |
| 1 EB = 1,000 PB | 1 EiB = 1,024 PiB | 15.29% |
Why Your Drive Shows Less Space Than Advertised
Hard drive, SSD, USB drive and phone makers use decimal units, so a 500 GB drive holds exactly 500,000,000,000 bytes. Windows counts the same bytes in binary units but still writes the label “GB”. That is why your 1 TB drive appears as about 931 GB. Nothing is missing. It is the same space written in a different unit. macOS and many phones show decimal units, so the numbers match the box there.
| Advertised size | Shown by Windows | Real amount in bytes |
|---|---|---|
| 128 GB | 119.21 GB (GiB) | 128,000,000,000 |
| 256 GB | 238.42 GB (GiB) | 256,000,000,000 |
| 512 GB | 476.84 GB (GiB) | 512,000,000,000 |
| 500 GB | 465.66 GB (GiB) | 500,000,000,000 |
| 1 TB | 931.32 GB (GiB) | 1,000,000,000,000 |
| 2 TB | 1.82 TB (TiB) | 2,000,000,000,000 |
Use the converter above with GB to GiB or TB to TiB to check any size yourself.
Bits vs Bytes: Internet Speed and Download Time
Internet speed is sold in bits per second (Mbps), while file sizes are shown in bytes (MB). Because 1 byte is 8 bits, divide the speed in Mbps by 8 to get the download speed in MB per second. A 100 Mbps connection can download at most about 12.5 MB every second.
To estimate a download time, convert the file size to megabits and divide by the speed. A 1 GB file is 8,000 megabits, so at 100 Mbps it takes about 80 seconds in ideal conditions. Real speeds are usually lower because of network overhead.
Common Storage Sizes in Everyday Life
These approximate sizes help you judge how much space you need. Real sizes vary with quality, format and compression.
| Item | Approximate size |
|---|---|
| A plain text message | Under 1 KB |
| A typical phone photo | 3 to 6 MB |
| A 3-minute MP3 song | 3 to 8 MB |
| A CD | 700 MB |
| A DVD | 4.7 GB |
| One hour of full HD video | 1.5 to 4 GB |
| A Blu-ray disc | 25 GB |
| A popular phone storage size | 128 GB or 256 GB |
Who Uses a Storage Unit Converter?
- Phone and laptop buyers comparing storage sizes before they buy.
- Students and teachers working on computer science and ICT lessons.
- IT staff and developers sizing servers, databases, backups and cloud storage plans.
- Video editors and photographers planning memory cards and disk space. A video compressor and other converters can help shrink files further.
- Anyone comparing internet plans, where speed is in bits and files are in bytes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many MB are in 1 GB?
In the decimal system used by drive and phone makers, 1 GB equals 1,000 MB. In the binary system, 1 GiB equals 1,024 MiB. The converter shows both.
What is the difference between GB and GiB?
A gigabyte (GB) is 1,000,000,000 bytes, while a gibibyte (GiB) is 1,073,741,824 bytes, which is about 7.4% larger. Windows shows GiB but labels it GB.
How many GB are in 1 TB?
There are 1,000 GB in 1 TB using decimal units. In binary units, 1 TiB equals 1,024 GiB.
Why does my 1 TB drive show only 931 GB?
The drive really holds 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Windows divides that by 1,073,741,824 and shows 931 GiB, but writes the label GB. The space is the same, only the unit is different.
How many bits are in a byte?
There are 8 bits in 1 byte. This is why internet speed in Mbps must be divided by 8 to get MB per second.
What is the difference between MB and Mb?
A capital B means bytes and a lowercase b means bits. So MB is a megabyte and Mb is a megabit, and 1 MB equals 8 Mb.
How do I convert Mbps to MB/s?
Divide the number of Mbps by 8. For example, 100 Mbps equals 12.5 MB/s.
Is this storage unit converter free and private?
Yes. It is free with no sign-up and no limit. All calculations run in your browser, so the numbers you type are not stored or sent to a server.