Data

Data Size Converter

Details

How to use Data Size Converter

What the tool does, how to run it, and what to expect from the result.

How to convert data sizes between decimal and binary units

Enter a size, pick the unit it is in, and pick the unit you want. The decimal units (KB, MB, GB, TB) and the binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) sit in the same list, so converting between the two ladders is a single step rather than a mental exercise in powers of 1024.

The byte is the internal base and the bit is 0.125 bytes, which means bits, decimal bytes and binary bytes are all reconciled through one exact value. The full table shows all ten units at once, so you can see the size of the decimal/binary gap for yourself.

  • Type the size in the Value box, for example 1.
  • Choose the unit your source used, for example Terabyte (TB) for a drive as sold.
  • Choose the unit your system reports in, for example Gibibyte (GiB) for Windows.
  • Read the result, 931.322574615 GiB, and the full table for the other units.
  • Divide by 8 (or select Bit) whenever you cross from file sizes into network speeds.
Tips

Getting a better result out of Data Size Converter

Specific settings and thresholds, not general advice.

  • A drive sold as 1 TB holds exactly 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, which Windows reports as 931.322574615 GiB. That 6.87% gap is the whole reason a new drive looks smaller than the box promised.
  • This converter carries both ladders. KB is 1000 bytes and KiB is 1024 bytes, and the gap compounds with each step: 2.4% at kilo, 4.86% at mega, 7.37% at giga, and 9.95% at tera.
  • Drive makers, macOS and networking all count in decimal (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 B). Windows, Linux tooling and RAM count in powers of two but usually print the decimal label, which is where the confusion starts.
  • A bit is 0.125 bytes. Network speeds are quoted in bits and file sizes in bytes, so a 100 Mbps line moves at most 12.5 MB/s, and a 5 GB download takes 400 seconds at line rate.
  • RAM is always binary. A 16 GB stick really is 16 GiB, 17,179,869,184 bytes, while a 16 GB SSD is 16,000,000,000 bytes, a difference of over 1.1 GB.
Limits

What Data Size Converter does not do

The honest boundary, so you do not lose time finding it yourself.

  • The ladder stops at TB and TiB. There is no PB, EB, PiB, or EiB.
  • No transfer-rate units. It converts sizes, not Mbps, MB/s, or time to download.
  • It does not read a file to tell you its size. You supply the number.
  • It cannot read a file to tell you its size, you type the number yourself.
At a glance

Who Data Size Converter is for

A quick way to understand who this helps, what it solves, and where it connects next.

Best fit

Students, engineers, developers, makers, and anyone who needs a quick, accurate data storage conversion.

Ideal for

Fast, reliable data storage conversions without installing an app or trusting a server with your numbers.

FAQ

Common questions

Short answers for the questions people usually have before trying a utility like this.

Does my data get uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything runs locally in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.

Is this free to use?

Yes. It is completely free, with no account, no signup, and no usage limits.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The page runs in any modern mobile browser, on iPhone and Android alike, with no app to install.

Why does my 1 TB drive show as 931 GB in Windows?

The drive really does hold 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, which is 1 TB in decimal units. Windows divides by 1024 three times, giving 931.32, but still writes the label as GB instead of GiB. Nothing is missing, the two are counting in different bases.

How many megabytes are in a gigabyte?

1000 MB in a GB, and 1024 MiB in a GiB. The mixed case is the one that surprises people: 1 GiB is 1073.741824 MB. Pick the row that matches the ladder your source is using.

How long does a 5 GB download take on a 100 Mbps connection?

5 GB is 5,000,000,000 bytes, which is 40,000 megabits, so at a full 100 Mbps it takes 400 seconds, about 6 minutes 40 seconds. Real throughput is lower because of protocol overhead, but the factor of 8 between bits and bytes is where most estimates go wrong.

Will a huge byte count print in full?

Yes. A terabyte shows as 1000000000000 bytes rather than in exponential notation, so you can read it and paste it into a spreadsheet. Only genuinely extreme values, above a quadrillion, switch to exponential form.

Should I write KB or KiB in a spec?

Use KiB, MiB and GiB when you mean powers of two, and KB, MB and GB when you mean powers of ten. The IEC binary prefixes exist precisely to remove the ambiguity, and both sets are in this converter so you can state exactly which one you mean.

Is a megabit the same as a megabyte?

No. A megabit is 1,000,000 bits, which is 125,000 bytes, so a megabyte is 8 times bigger. ISPs advertise in megabits because the number is larger, and this converter includes the bit so you can do the divide by 8 without thinking about it.

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