Data Storage Converter
About the Data
This data storage converter converts between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and petabytes — the units you deal with whenever you buy a hard drive, check a download size, or manage files. Digital storage units trip people up more than almost any other measurement, because of the genuine conflict between two different systems. The binary system, used by your operating system, counts in powers of 1024: 1 KB = 1024 bytes, 1 MB = 1024 KB, 1 GB = 1024 MB, 1 TB = 1024 GB. The decimal or SI system, used by storage manufacturers, counts in powers of 1000: 1 KB = 1000 bytes, 1 MB = 1000 KB, 1 GB = 1000 MB. This is why a "500 GB" hard drive appears in your operating system as roughly 465 GB — the manufacturer advertises decimal gigabytes (500,000,000,000 bytes) while the OS reports binary gigabytes (each of 1,073,741,824 bytes). No drive is "missing" space; the units are simply different. The prefix MiB (mebibyte), GiB (gibibyte) exist to remove this confusion by explicitly naming the binary units: 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes while 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes. In practice, most software still prints "MB" and "GB" while meaning binary units, which is the source of the apparent discrepancy you see. To convert, choose the units and the tool handles the binary conversions for you. Understanding whether you are working in decimal or binary makes a big difference when planning storage: a video file of "4 GB" might actually be 4 decimal gigabytes or binary. Use this converter to figure out how many files fit on a drive, compare storage, and make sense of all the numbers.
How to use this tool
- Select the storage unit to convert from in the "From" dropdown.
- Select the unit to convert to in the "To" dropdown.
- Type the value and the result updates instantly.
Common uses
- Understanding why a hard drive shows less space than advertised
- Working out how many photos or videos fit on a storage card
- Comparing file sizes and data transfer quotas
- Converting binary units for capacity planning
Frequently asked questions
How many MB in a GB?
1 GB = 1024 MB (binary definition). In decimal/SI units (used by storage manufacturers), 1 GB = 1000 MB. This can cause confusion — a 500 GB hard drive shows as ~465 GB in your operating system because the OS uses binary units.
What is the difference between MB and MiB?
MB (megabyte) in SI units = 1,000,000 bytes. MiB (mebibyte) = 1,048,576 bytes (1024²). Operating systems often display MiB as MB, causing the apparent missing space on storage devices.
How many bytes in a kilobyte?
In binary, 1 KB = 1024 bytes. In decimal/SI, 1 KB = 1000 bytes. Operating systems typically use the binary 1024 definition.