Data Storage Converter
Convert bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB and TB — in both decimal (×1000) and binary (×1024) systems — and see exactly why the two give different answers.
Result
How It Works
Digital storage is measured from the bit — a single 0 or 1 — and the byte, which is 8 bits. Above that, two counting systems run side by side. The decimal system steps by 1,000: 1 KB is 1,000 bytes, 1 MB is 1,000,000 bytes, and 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes. The binary system steps by 1,024 (which is 2^10): 1 KiB is 1,024 bytes, 1 MiB is 1,048,576 bytes, and 1 GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes.
The two systems are the reason a new drive never holds quite what the box says. Manufacturers label drives in decimal gigabytes, while operating systems report sizes in binary gibibytes — so a drive sold as 1 TB (1,000,000,000,000 bytes) shows up as about 931 GiB, because 1,000,000,000,000 / 1,073,741,824 = 931.32. Nothing is missing; the same bytes are just being counted in bigger units.
Worked examples: 1 GB = 1,000 MB = 1,000,000,000 bytes = 8,000,000,000 bits, but only 0.9313 GiB. 1 GiB = 1,024 MiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes = 8,589,934,592 bits.
How to Use This Converter
Enter an amount, pick the units, and the answer updates live — with both systems shown in the table underneath.
- Enter the amount — any non-negative number, including decimals.
- Pick the "From" and "To" units — bits, bytes, or any decimal or binary unit in either box.
- Read the result — the headline shows your chosen conversion, and the table shows the same amount in every unit, decimal and binary side by side.
The Reset button restores the example (1 GB to GiB) so you can start over.
Tips and Practical Advice
Storage numbers are confusing because the same letters mean different things in different places — knowing which system a number uses is half the battle.
- Check which system a figure uses. Drive boxes and phone specs use decimal GB; Windows and most apps report binary GiB (often labelled "GB" anyway). A 7% gap at the GB level grows to nearly 10% at the TB level.
- Do not mix bits and bytes. Internet speeds are quoted in megabits per second (Mbps), but downloads are measured in megabytes (MB) — divide by 8 to go from bits to bytes.
- Use binary units for memory. RAM and file sizes are counted in powers of 2, so KiB, MiB and GiB are the honest units there.
- Estimate the gap quickly. Binary units run about 2.4% bigger per step than decimal ones, compounding to about 7.4% at giga and 10% at tera — so knock roughly a tenth off a TB figure to guess its TiB value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my 1 TB drive show as 931 GB?
The drive holds 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (decimal TB). Your operating system counts in binary units, and 1,000,000,000,000 bytes is 931.32 GiB — the same bytes, counted in bigger units.
What is the difference between GB and GiB?
1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes (decimal, ×1000 steps). 1 GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes (binary, ×1024 steps). 1 GB equals 0.9313 GiB.
How many bits are in a byte?
8 bits make 1 byte. So 1 GB is 8,000,000,000 bits and 1 GiB is 8,589,934,592 bits.
Is 1 KB 1,000 or 1,024 bytes?
Strictly, 1 KB is 1,000 bytes (decimal) and 1 KiB is 1,024 bytes (binary). In casual use the two are often mixed up, which is why this converter labels both systems clearly.
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