Data Storage Converter
Decimal units use powers of 1000. Binary units such as KiB, MiB and GiB use powers of 1024.
Choose decimal or binary units
Enter the value, choose the starting data unit and choose the output unit. Common units include bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, KiB, MiB, GiB and TiB.
Use this for file sizes, storage devices, memory allocation, download estimates and technical specs. Pay close attention to lowercase b and uppercase B.
If you are converting network speed, use a speed or data rate tool. Storage size and transfer rate are related, but they are not the same kind of value.
File size in another unit
The result is the same amount of data expressed in another unit. A byte is 8 bits. That one fact explains many internet speed and file size surprises.
Decimal storage units use powers of 1000. Binary units use powers of 1024. MB and MiB are close, but they are not identical.
This is why a drive marketed as 1 TB may appear as about 931 GiB in some operating systems. The device and software may be using different unit systems.
Powers of 1000 and 1024
For bits to bytes, divide by 8. For bytes to bits, multiply by 8.
For decimal units, each step is 1000. One MB is 1000 KB, and one GB is 1000 MB. For binary units, each step is 1024. One MiB is 1024 KiB.
The calculator keeps the unit type explicit so MB and MiB do not silently collapse into the same label.
GB to GiB example
A 100 MB file contains about 800 megabits because one byte has 8 bits. That does not mean a 100 Mbps connection downloads it in exactly 8 seconds, because real networks have overhead.
A 1 GiB file is 1024 MiB. A 1 GB file is 1000 MB. The difference grows as the units get larger.
For a quick storage check, confirm whether the source uses decimal labels, binary labels or a mix of both.
KB and KiB are not the same
The most common mistake is confusing Mb with MB. Lowercase b means bit. Uppercase B means byte. One byte is 8 bits.
Another mistake is expecting advertised drive capacity and operating system display to use the same unit base.
Also do not confuse storage size with download speed. Mbps is a rate. MB is an amount.
Data Storage Converter FAQ
What is the difference between bits and bytes?
A bit is the smallest binary unit, either 0 or 1. A byte is 8 bits.
Lowercase b usually means bit. Uppercase B usually means byte.
This matters because 100 megabits is only 12.5 megabytes.
The difference is why internet speed numbers often look much larger than download app numbers.
Is MB the same as MiB?
No. MB usually means megabyte in decimal units, or 1,000,000 bytes. MiB means mebibyte, or 1,048,576 bytes.
They are close, but not equal.
The difference becomes more noticeable at GB, TB, GiB and TiB sizes.
Why does my 1 TB drive show about 931 GB or GiB?
Drive makers often use decimal terabytes. Some operating systems display capacity using binary units but may label them in a confusing way.
1 decimal TB is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. That equals about 931 GiB.
The missing space is usually a unit display difference, not a defect by itself.
How do I convert Mbps to MB/s?
Divide megabits per second by 8 to get megabytes per second before overhead. For example, 100 Mbps is 12.5 MB/s in simple unit terms.
Real downloads may be lower because of network overhead, server limits, Wi-Fi quality and other factors.
The conversion explains the unit difference, not every performance issue.
Why does capitalization matter in data units?
Because b and B mean different units. Mb is megabit. MB is megabyte. The byte value is 8 times the bit value.
In casual writing people often type these loosely, which creates confusion.
When comparing storage, speed or downloads, read the capitalization before doing the math.
If the source uses unclear capitalization, check the context. Internet plans usually use bits, while file sizes usually use bytes.