Data Storage Converter
Convert between bits, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, petabytes, and binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB). Uses 1 KB = 1,024 bytes (binary standard).
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Bit (b) | 8388608000 |
| Byte (B) | 1048576000 |
| Kilobyte (KB) | 1024000 |
| Megabyte (MB) | 1000 |
| Gigabyte (GB) | 0.976563 |
| Terabyte (TB) | 0.000954 |
| Petabyte (PB) | 9.3132e-7 |
| Kibibyte (KiB) | 1024000 |
| Mebibyte (MiB) | 1000 |
| Gibibyte (GiB) | 0.976563 |
How Data Storage Units Work
Data is ultimately stored as bits — binary digits, each a 0 or a 1. Eight bits make one byte, which can represent 256 distinct values (2&sup8;). All larger units — kilobytes, megabytes, and so on — are defined as powers of either 1,000 (decimal/SI) or 1,024 (binary) bytes, and the choice between these two definitions causes the well-known confusion between advertised and reported storage sizes.
Binary vs. Decimal Definitions
There are two competing standards for defining storage units above the byte:
| Unit | Decimal (SI, storage manufacturers) | Binary (IEC, operating systems) |
|---|---|---|
| Kilobyte (KB / KiB) | 1,000 bytes | 1,024 bytes |
| Megabyte (MB / MiB) | 1,000,000 bytes | 1,048,576 bytes |
| Gigabyte (GB / GiB) | 1,000,000,000 bytes | 1,073,741,824 bytes |
| Terabyte (TB / TiB) | 1,000,000,000,000 bytes | 1,099,511,627,776 bytes |
The IEC introduced the "binary prefix" names in 1998 to resolve this ambiguity: kibibyte (KiB), mebibyte (MiB), gibibyte (GiB), tebibyte (TiB). These always mean powers of 1,024. This converter uses the binary standard (1 KB = 1,024 bytes), which is how Windows, Linux, and macOS report file and partition sizes.
Data Storage Hierarchy
| Unit | Bytes (binary) | Approx. capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Bit | 0.125 | A single binary value: 0 or 1 |
| 1 Byte | 1 | One character of ASCII text |
| 1 Kilobyte (KB) | 1,024 | A short text document |
| 1 Megabyte (MB) | 1,048,576 | One compressed photo (JPEG) |
| 1 Gigabyte (GB) | 1,073,741,824 | ~230 MP3 songs at 128 kbps |
| 1 Terabyte (TB) | 1,099,511,627,776 | ~500 hours of HD video |
| 1 Petabyte (PB) | 1.126 × 10¹&sup5; | ~100 copies of the Library of Congress |
Network Speed vs. File Size
A common source of confusion: internet speeds are quoted in megabits per second (Mbps), while file sizes use megabytes (MB). Since 1 byte = 8 bits, a 100 Mbps connection downloads at 100 / 8 = 12.5 MB/s.
Download speed (MB/s) = Connection speed (Mbps) ÷ 8
| Connection speed | Download speed | Time to download 1 GB |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 1.25 MB/s | ~14 minutes |
| 50 Mbps | 6.25 MB/s | ~2.8 minutes |
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s | ~1.4 minutes |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 MB/s | ~17 seconds |
| 1 Gbps | 125 MB/s | ~8.5 seconds |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many megabytes are in a gigabyte?
Using the binary standard: 1 GB = 1,024 MB = 1,048,576 KB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Using the decimal standard (SI): 1 GB = 1,000 MB. Operating systems and hardware manufacturers sometimes use these differently — see the KB vs. KiB question below.
What is the difference between KB and KiB?
KB (kilobyte) can mean either 1,000 bytes (SI/decimal, used by storage manufacturers) or 1,024 bytes (binary, used by operating systems). KiB (kibibyte) is unambiguous: always 1,024 bytes. This converter uses 1 KB = 1,024 bytes (binary standard), consistent with how operating systems like Windows and Linux report file sizes.
Why does my 1 TB hard drive show less space in Windows?
Hard drive manufacturers use the decimal definition: 1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. But Windows reports size using binary: 1 TB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes. So a "1 TB" drive = 1,000,000,000,000 ÷ 1,099,511,627,776 ≈ 0.909 TiB ≈ 931 GB as shown in Windows. This is not missing space — it is a unit definition difference.
How many bits are in a byte?
Exactly 8 bits = 1 byte. This is the universal standard in computing. A bit is a binary digit (0 or 1) — the smallest unit of data. Network speeds are often quoted in bits per second (Mbps), while file sizes use bytes (MB).
How large is a petabyte?
1 petabyte (PB) = 1,024 terabytes = 1,048,576 gigabytes = about 1.126 × 10¹⁵ bytes. In practical terms: the Library of Congress is estimated at 10 terabytes. 1 petabyte could hold about 100 copies of the Library of Congress, or approximately 200,000 DVDs worth of data.
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