Technology

Data Storage Converter

Convert between data storage units — bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB plus binary KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB — instantly with this free data storage converter.

Data Storage Converter

Value

From unit

To unit

Method

How this calculator works

Convert the input to a common base in bytes (bit = 0.125 B, KB = 1,000 B, KiB = 1,024 B, MB = 1e6 B, MiB = 1,048,576 B, and so on), then divide by the target unit's byte value: result = (value × bytesPerFromUnit) ÷ bytesPerToUnit.

Enter the numeric value you want to convert in the Value field.
Choose the unit you are converting from in the 'From' dropdown.
Choose the unit you want the result in using the 'To' dropdown.
Read the converted value, plus a quick reference table showing the same amount in several common units.

Examples

Worked examples

Real numbers, end-to-end results.

500 GB → GiB

= 465.6613 GiB

500 × 1,000,000,000 bytes ÷ 1,073,741,824 bytes per GiB.

1 TiB → GB

= 1099.5116 GB

1 × 1,099,511,627,776 bytes ÷ 1,000,000,000 bytes per GB.

8 bit → byte

= 1 B

8 bits ÷ 8 = 1 byte.

Use cases

When to use it

Compare advertised drive capacity (decimal) against what your OS reports (binary).
Convert network or file sizes between bits and bytes for bandwidth math.
Estimate how many photos or videos fit on a memory card.
Translate cloud storage quotas between GB and GiB for accurate billing.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between KB and KiB?

KB (kilobyte) is a decimal unit equal to 1,000 bytes, while KiB (kibibyte) is a binary unit equal to 1,024 bytes. Storage manufacturers use decimal units, while operating systems often report binary units, which is why a '1 TB' drive shows as roughly 931 GiB.

How many bytes are in a bit?

A byte contains 8 bits, so a single bit is one-eighth (0.125) of a byte. To convert bits to bytes, divide by 8; to convert bytes to bits, multiply by 8.

Why does my hard drive show less space than advertised?

Drive makers advertise capacity using decimal units (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes), but Windows reports using binary units (1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes). The same physical bytes therefore appear as a smaller number, about 7% less.

Is a megabyte (MB) the same as a mebibyte (MiB)?

No. A megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes (decimal), while a mebibyte is 1,048,576 bytes (binary). They differ by about 4.9%, and the gap widens for larger units.

How does this converter calculate results?

Every unit is first converted to a common base in bytes, then divided by the target unit's byte value. This single-base method keeps conversions between decimal and binary units perfectly consistent.