Data Storage Converter

In the traditional binary convention used by operating systems and this converter, one kilobyte (KB) equals 1,024 bytes. Some contexts use a decimal convention where 1 KB equals exactly 1,000 bytes (labeled kilobyte vs. kibibyte) — file sizes shown by an OS almost always use the 1,024 convention.

One gigabyte (GB) equals 1,024 megabytes (MB) under the binary convention. So 1 GB equals 1,024 × 1,024 = 1,048,576 kilobytes, or 1,073,741,824 bytes.

A bit is the smallest unit of digital data, representing a single 0 or 1. A byte is a group of 8 bits and is the standard unit for measuring file sizes, memory, and storage. Internet speeds are usually measured in bits per second (Mbps), while file sizes are usually measured in bytes (MB).

Storage manufacturers typically use the decimal convention (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes), while operating systems display capacity using the binary convention (1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). This mismatch means a drive advertised as 1 TB will show roughly 931 GB in your operating system, even though no data has actually been lost.

One terabyte (TB) equals 1,024 gigabytes (GB) under the binary convention used by this converter. A typical terabyte hard drive can store roughly 250,000 photos or 500 hours of HD video, though actual capacity varies by file size and format.

A comprehensive data storage converter supports bits, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and petabytes, letting you convert between file sizes, storage capacities, and data transfer amounts across the full range from a single bit to a petabyte.