Data storage converter

Convert bytes, MB, GB and TB, decimal and binary

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

How it works

There are two ways to count data. Decimal units go up in thousands, so 1 GB is 1,000 MB. Binary units go up in 1,024s, so 1 GiB is 1,024 MiB. That’s why a 1 TB drive can show as about 931 GB on a computer, even though nothing is missing.

result = value × bytes in first unit ÷ bytes in second unit

Drive makers and networks use decimal units. Some operating systems count in binary, but still label it GB, which causes the confusion.

Worked example. A 1 TB drive holds 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Divide by 1,024³ and that’s about 931.32 GiB, which is why it can show as 931 GB.

Examples

From	To
1 Gigabytes	1,000 Megabytes
1 Gibibytes (binary)	1,024 Mebibytes (binary)
1 Terabytes	1,000 Gigabytes
1 Terabytes	≈ 931.32 Gibibytes (binary)

What this tool doesn’t cover

Real free space is also reduced by the file system.
Results show up to two decimal places.

Questions

Why does my 1 TB drive show 931 GB?

The drive holds a trillion bytes. Counted in binary units, that’s about 931 GiB.

What is the difference between MB and MiB?

An MB is 1,000,000 bytes. An MiB is 1,048,576 bytes.

Is a megabit the same as a megabyte?

No. A byte is 8 bits, so an internet speed of 80 Mbps moves about 10 MB a second.

How many MB are in a GB?

1,000 MB in the decimal system that drive makers use, or 1,024 MiB in the binary system that some computers show.

How long will a download take?

Change your speed from megabits to megabytes by dividing by 8. At 100 Mbps, you get about 12.5 MB each second.

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Sources: NIST: Prefixes for binary multiples (opens in a new tab)