Data Storage Converter: Convert Bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, KiB, MiB and More

Data storage units appear everywhere in modern computing. You see them when checking a phone’s storage, downloading a file, buying an SSD, comparing cloud storage plans, looking at memory usage, or checking the size of a database.

The problem is that terms such as KB, MB, GB, KiB, MiB, and GiB are often used interchangeably even though they do not always represent the same amount of data.

The CalculatorKits Data Storage Converter makes these conversions easier. You can enter a storage value, choose the starting unit, select the unit you need, and get the converted result instantly.

The tool supports more than 15 data storage units, including bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, KiB, MiB, GiB, and TiB. It uses bytes as the underlying reference for conversions and provides live results in the browser.

The most important thing to understand before converting data is this:

Decimal storage units use powers of 1,000.

Binary storage units use powers of 1,024.

That distinction explains why 1 GB is 1,000 MB, while 1 GiB is 1,024 MiB. NIST and BIPM recommend using the SI prefixes kilo, mega, giga, and tera for decimal powers and kibi, mebi, gibi, and tebi for binary powers.

Quick Answer

Here are some of the most common data storage conversions.

Conversion	Result
1 byte	8 bits
1 KB	1,000 bytes
1 MB	1,000,000 bytes
1 GB	1,000,000,000 bytes
1 TB	1,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 KiB	1,024 bytes
1 MiB	1,048,576 bytes
1 GiB	1,073,741,824 bytes
1 TiB	1,099,511,627,776 bytes
1 GB	0.931323 GiB
1 GiB	1.073742 GB
1 TB	0.909495 TiB
1 TiB	1.099512 TB

The key difference is that GB and GiB are not the same unit.

What Is a Data Storage Converter?

A Data Storage Converter changes a data size from one storage unit into another.

For example, you might have a file that is:

5 GB

but need to know its approximate size in:

MB

or:

MiB

The numerical answer depends on which definition you are using.

Using decimal SI units:

5 GB = 5,000 MB

Using binary units:

5 GiB = 5,120 MiB

These are different conversions because GB and GiB are different units.

The CalculatorKits Data Storage Converter is designed to handle these different storage measurements through a single From and To workflow.

Use the CalculatorKits Data Storage Converter

For a quick conversion, open the Data Storage Converter.

The basic process is simple.

1. Enter the data value.
2. Select the original storage unit.
3. Select the target storage unit.
4. Read the converted result.
5. Copy the result if you need to use it elsewhere.

The tool includes commonly searched conversions such as GB to MB, MB to GB, GB to GiB, GiB to GB, TB to GB, and GB to TB. It also provides a unit search field for finding supported storage units.

What Is a Bit?

A bit is the smallest commonly used unit of digital information.

A bit can have one of two values:

0

or:

1

The word bit comes from binary digit.

Bits are commonly represented with a lowercase b.

For example:

8 bits = 1 byte

This distinction becomes important when comparing internet connection speeds with file sizes.

Internet speeds are commonly expressed in bits per second, such as Mbps, while file sizes are commonly expressed in bytes, such as MB.

What Is a Byte?

A byte consists of:

8 bits

The standard symbol is:

B

So:

1 B = 8 b

The difference between lowercase b and uppercase B matters.

For example:

100 Mbps

means 100 megabits per second.

It is not the same as:

100 MB

which means 100 megabytes.

Because one byte contains eight bits:

100 MB = 800 Mb

when both are expressed using the same decimal prefix.

Decimal Storage Units

Decimal storage units are based on powers of 10.

The common sequence is:

1 kB = 1,000 B

1 MB = 1,000 kB

1 GB = 1,000 MB

1 TB = 1,000 GB

1 PB = 1,000 TB

This follows the SI prefix system.

BIPM defines kilo as 10³, mega as 10⁶, giga as 10⁹, tera as 10¹², and peta as 10¹⁵.

Decimal Storage Table

Unit	Bytes
1 kB	1,000
1 MB	1,000,000
1 GB	1,000,000,000
1 TB	1,000,000,000,000
1 PB	1,000,000,000,000,000
1 EB	1,000,000,000,000,000,000

These are decimal quantities.

This distinction is particularly important when looking at storage capacity advertised by hardware manufacturers.

Binary Storage Units

Binary storage units are based on powers of 2.

The standardized binary prefixes are:

KiB = 2¹⁰ bytes

MiB = 2²⁰ bytes

GiB = 2³⁰ bytes

TiB = 2⁴⁰ bytes

PiB = 2⁵⁰ bytes

EiB = 2⁶⁰ bytes

NIST identifies kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, pebi, and exbi as binary prefixes adopted for data processing and data transmission.

Binary Storage Table

Unit	Bytes
1 KiB	1,024
1 MiB	1,048,576
1 GiB	1,073,741,824
1 TiB	1,099,511,627,776
1 PiB	1,125,899,906,842,624
1 EiB	1,152,921,504,606,846,976

The difference becomes larger as the units increase.

GB vs GiB

This is probably the most important distinction in data storage conversion.

GB means gigabyte using the SI decimal prefix.

GiB means gibibyte using the binary prefix.

Therefore:

1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

while:

1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

So:

1 GiB ≈ 1.07374 GB

and:

1 GB ≈ 0.931323 GiB

NIST specifically warns against using kilo, mega, or giga to represent powers of 2. The standardized binary prefixes are kibi, mebi, gibi, and so on.

MB vs MiB

The same distinction applies to megabytes.

A decimal megabyte is:

1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes

A binary mebibyte is:

1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes

Therefore:

1 MiB ≈ 1.048576 MB

and:

1 MB ≈ 0.953674 MiB

This is why a file reported as a certain number of MiB may appear slightly different when another application reports its size in MB.

KB vs KiB

Similarly:

1 KB = 1,000 bytes

while:

1 KiB = 1,024 bytes

Therefore:

1 KiB = 1.024 KB

and:

1 KB ≈ 0.976563 KiB

The difference is small at this level, but it becomes more noticeable with GB and TB.

TB vs TiB

A decimal terabyte is:

1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes

A binary tebibyte is:

1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes

Therefore:

1 TiB ≈ 1.099512 TB

and:

1 TB ≈ 0.909495 TiB

This difference is one reason a storage device advertised as 1 TB may not appear as exactly 1 TiB when viewed through software that reports binary quantities.

How to Convert GB to MB

Under the decimal SI system:

1 GB = 1,000 MB

Therefore:

GB to MB = GB × 1,000

For example:

5 GB × 1,000 = 5,000 MB

So:

5 GB = 5,000 MB

Common GB to MB Conversions

GB	MB
1	1,000
2	2,000
5	5,000
10	10,000
20	20,000
50	50,000
100	100,000
500	500,000
1,000	1,000,000

These are decimal conversions.

If you are actually working with GiB and MiB, the relationship is:

1 GiB = 1,024 MiB

Do not mix the two systems.

How to Convert MB to GB

Using decimal units:

GB = MB ÷ 1,000

For example:

5,000 MB ÷ 1,000 = 5 GB

Therefore:

5,000 MB = 5 GB

Another example:

750 MB ÷ 1,000 = 0.75 GB

So:

750 MB = 0.75 GB

How to Convert GB to GiB

This conversion requires going through bytes.

One decimal gigabyte contains:

1,000,000,000 bytes

One gibibyte contains:

1,073,741,824 bytes

Therefore:

GB to GiB = GB × 1,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824

For example:

1 GB ≈ 0.931323 GiB

So:

10 GB ≈ 9.31323 GiB

This is a common conversion when comparing advertised storage capacity with software that reports binary quantities.

How to Convert GiB to GB

The reverse relationship is:

GB = GiB × 1,073,741,824 ÷ 1,000,000,000

Therefore:

1 GiB ≈ 1.073742 GB

For example:

8 GiB ≈ 8.58993 GB

This does not mean the data has increased. Only the unit used to describe the same number of bytes has changed.

How to Convert TB to GB

Using decimal units:

1 TB = 1,000 GB

Therefore:

TB to GB = TB × 1,000

For example:

2 TB = 2,000 GB

5 TB = 5,000 GB

10 TB = 10,000 GB

This follows the SI decimal prefixes defined by BIPM.

How to Convert GB to TB

The reverse calculation is:

TB = GB ÷ 1,000

For example:

2,500 GB ÷ 1,000 = 2.5 TB

Therefore:

2,500 GB = 2.5 TB

How to Convert Bytes to MB

For decimal megabytes:

MB = Bytes ÷ 1,000,000

For example:

5,000,000 bytes ÷ 1,000,000 = 5 MB

Therefore:

5,000,000 bytes = 5 MB

For binary mebibytes:

MiB = Bytes ÷ 1,048,576

So:

5,242,880 bytes = 5 MiB

The correct answer depends on whether the target unit is MB or MiB.

How to Convert MB to Bytes

For decimal megabytes:

Bytes = MB × 1,000,000

Therefore:

10 MB = 10,000,000 bytes

For binary mebibytes:

Bytes = MiB × 1,048,576

Therefore:

10 MiB = 10,485,760 bytes

This is another example of why the unit name matters.

How to Convert Bytes to GB

For decimal gigabytes:

GB = Bytes ÷ 1,000,000,000

For example:

2,000,000,000 bytes ÷ 1,000,000,000 = 2 GB

Therefore:

2,000,000,000 bytes = 2 GB

For binary gibibytes:

GiB = Bytes ÷ 1,073,741,824

So:

2,147,483,648 bytes = 2 GiB

How to Convert Bits to Bytes

The relationship is:

1 byte = 8 bits

Therefore:

Bytes = Bits ÷ 8

For example:

8,000 bits ÷ 8 = 1,000 bytes

So:

8,000 bits = 1,000 bytes

And:

1,000 bytes = 8,000 bits

This is particularly important when converting between network transfer rates and file sizes.

Bits vs Bytes

One of the easiest mistakes to make is confusing bits and bytes.

The symbols are:

bit = b

byte = B

For example:

100 Mbps

means:

100 megabits per second

while:

100 MB

means:

100 megabytes

A byte contains eight bits, so:

100 MB = 800 Mb

assuming both use decimal prefixes.

This is why a 100 Mbps internet connection does not theoretically download 100 MB of data every second.

Ignoring protocol overhead and other real world factors:

100 Mbps ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s

So a 100 Mbps connection has a theoretical maximum of approximately 12.5 MB per second when expressed in decimal megabytes.

Why a 1 TB Drive Does Not Show 1 TB in Some Systems

Suppose you buy a storage device advertised as:

1 TB

Under the decimal SI definition, that means:

1,000,000,000,000 bytes

If software reports capacity using tebibytes, the same number of bytes is:

≈ 0.909495 TiB

Nothing has disappeared.

The difference comes from the unit definitions.

Hardware manufacturers commonly use decimal storage capacity, while some software environments have historically displayed binary based quantities using familiar decimal names.

The standardized terminology avoids this ambiguity:

TB = 10¹² bytes

TiB = 2⁴⁰ bytes

NIST recommends keeping decimal SI prefixes separate from binary prefixes for exactly this reason.

Data Storage Conversion Formula

The CalculatorKits converter uses bytes as its underlying base.

The general conversion method is:

Result = (Input × From Factor) ÷ To Factor

For example, if converting decimal GB to decimal MB:

1 GB × 1,000,000,000 ÷ 1,000,000

= 1,000 MB

The same base unit approach can be used to convert between decimal and binary units.

For example:

1 GB × 1,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824

≈ 0.931323 GiB

The CalculatorKits page describes bytes as the base unit for its conversion system.

Data Storage Conversion Table

The following table uses standardized decimal and binary definitions.

Unit	Bytes
1 bit	0.125 B
1 byte	1 B
1 KB	1,000 B
1 KiB	1,024 B
1 MB	1,000,000 B
1 MiB	1,048,576 B
1 GB	1,000,000,000 B
1 GiB	1,073,741,824 B
1 TB	1,000,000,000,000 B
1 TiB	1,099,511,627,776 B

Common Data Storage Conversions

Conversion	Result
1 KB to bytes	1,000 B
1 KiB to bytes	1,024 B
1 MB to bytes	1,000,000 B
1 MiB to bytes	1,048,576 B
1 GB to MB	1,000 MB
1 GiB to MiB	1,024 MiB
1 TB to GB	1,000 GB
1 TiB to GiB	1,024 GiB
1 GB to GiB	0.931323 GiB
1 GiB to GB	1.073742 GB
1 TB to TiB	0.909495 TiB
1 TiB to TB	1.099512 TB

Real World Data Storage Examples

Understanding storage units becomes easier when you connect them to everyday files and devices.

Text Files

Simple text files are often relatively small.

A plain text document might occupy only a few KB, although the actual size depends on the content and encoding.

Photos

A modern photograph can occupy several MB depending on resolution, image format, compression, and camera settings.

For example, a photo might be:

5 MB

Ten such photos would be approximately:

50 MB

under decimal measurement.

Music

A compressed audio file might be several MB.

For example:

4 MB per song × 100 songs = 400 MB

This is only an example because actual file sizes vary by format, bitrate, duration, and encoding.

Videos

Video files are generally much larger.

A high definition video could occupy hundreds of MB or several GB depending on resolution, duration, frame rate, codec, and compression.

Games and Applications

Modern software can require tens or hundreds of GB.

This makes the difference between GB and GiB more noticeable when comparing large storage capacities.

Cloud Storage

Cloud services commonly advertise plans using GB or TB.

Always check the provider’s stated unit definitions when comparing storage plans.

Why File Sizes Can Differ

Two files containing similar content can have very different sizes.

File size can depend on:

1. File format
2. Compression
3. Resolution
4. Bitrate
5. Encoding method
6. Metadata
7. Number of files
8. Software used to create the file

For example, two photographs of the same scene can have different sizes if one is stored as a compressed JPEG and another as an uncompressed or lightly compressed image.

A storage converter changes the unit. It does not predict the size of a particular file.

Storage Capacity vs File Size

Storage capacity describes how much data a device or service can hold.

File size describes how much space a particular file requires.

For example:

Device capacity: 1 TB

File size: 5 GB

Using decimal units:

1 TB = 1,000 GB

So, ignoring formatting and system overhead:

1,000 GB ÷ 5 GB = 200

A theoretical 1 TB capacity could therefore hold about 200 files of 5 GB each.

Actual usable capacity will usually be lower because storage systems require space for formatting, file systems, operating system data, reserved areas, and other overhead.

Storage Units in Computing

Data storage units are important in several areas of technology.

Computer Storage

SSD and HDD capacities are commonly expressed in GB and TB.

RAM and Memory

Memory measurements can involve bytes and binary quantities, depending on the system and software.

Cloud Computing

Cloud storage, databases, backups, and object storage all depend on accurate data size calculations.

Networking

Network speeds are commonly expressed in bits per second, while downloaded files are normally measured in bytes.

Programming

Developers frequently work with bytes, bits, hexadecimal values, memory sizes, and binary data.

Data Science

Large datasets can quickly reach GB, TB, or larger scales.

Common Data Storage Conversion Mistakes

1. Assuming 1 GB always equals 1,024 MB

This is the most common mistake.

Under SI:

1 GB = 1,000 MB

Under binary terminology:

1 GiB = 1,024 MiB

NIST explicitly recommends using binary prefixes for powers of 2.

2. Confusing MB with MiB

They are not identical.

MB = 1,000,000 bytes

MiB = 1,048,576 bytes

3. Confusing GB with GiB

Similarly:

GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

4. Confusing bits with bytes

Remember:

8 bits = 1 byte

The lowercase and uppercase symbols matter.

5. Assuming storage manufacturers and software use the same convention

A drive manufacturer may advertise capacity in decimal units while software may display binary quantities.

6. Forgetting that file size is not the same as storage capacity

A 5 GB file does not mean a 5 GB drive will always have exactly 5 GB of usable free space.

7. Mixing decimal and binary units in one calculation

Do not calculate part of a problem using GB and another part using GiB without converting them properly.

How Accurate Is the CalculatorKits Data Storage Converter?

The CalculatorKits page states that the tool uses SI and IEC standards, performs calculations in the browser, and delays rounding until the displayed result. It also states that the converter uses IEEE 754 floating point calculations and supports high decimal precision.

For ordinary file size comparisons, storage planning, computing education, and technical calculations, an online converter is convenient and fast.

For standards based documentation, regulated technical work, or situations where the exact unit definition matters, always identify whether the value is decimal or binary and verify the applicable standard.

NIST and BIPM provide the authoritative distinction between SI decimal prefixes and binary prefixes.

Who Should Use a Data Storage Converter?

A data storage converter can be useful for:

1. Students learning computer fundamentals.
2. Programmers working with bytes and memory.
3. IT professionals managing storage systems.
4. System administrators comparing disk capacity.
5. Developers working with files and databases.
6. Cloud users comparing storage plans.
7. People buying SSDs, HDDs, memory cards, or USB drives.
8. Anyone comparing file sizes across different applications.
9. Researchers working with large datasets.
10. Users converting between bits, bytes, decimal units, and binary units.

The tool is particularly useful when a specification uses a unit you do not normally work with.

Four Related CalculatorKits Tools

These four CalculatorKits tools are useful alongside the Data Storage Converter:

1. Numbers Converter for converting binary, decimal, octal, hexadecimal, Roman numerals, and other number systems.
2. Speed Converter for converting km/h, mph, m/s, knots, ft/s, and other speed units.
3. Energy Converter for converting joules, kilowatt hours, calories, BTU, and other energy measurements.
4. Length Converter for converting meters, kilometers, feet, miles, inches, and other length units.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many MB are in 1 GB?

Under the SI decimal definition:

1 GB = 1,000 MB

This is the correct relationship when both units use decimal SI prefixes. BIPM defines kilo as 10³, mega as 10⁶, and giga as 10⁹.

Is 1 GB 1,024 MB?

Not when using standardized SI terminology.

1 GB = 1,000 MB

The 1,024 relationship applies to binary units:

1 GiB = 1,024 MiB

NIST recommends using the binary prefixes KiB, MiB, GiB, and TiB for powers of 2.

How many MB are in 1 GiB?

1 GiB = 1,073.741824 MB

because:

1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

and:

1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes

How many MiB are in 1 GB?

1 GB ≈ 953.674316 MiB

because:

1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

and:

1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes

How many bytes are in 1 GB?

1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

How many bytes are in 1 GiB?

1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

How many bytes are in 1 TB?

1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes

How many GB are in 1 TB?

Using decimal units:

1 TB = 1,000 GB

How many GiB are in 1 TiB?

1 TiB = 1,024 GiB

What is the difference between GB and GiB?

GB is a decimal unit based on powers of 1,000.

GiB is a binary unit based on powers of 1,024.

1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

What is the difference between MB and MiB?

1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes

1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes

What is the difference between KB and KiB?

1 KB = 1,000 bytes

1 KiB = 1,024 bytes

How many bits are in one byte?

1 byte = 8 bits

Is MB bigger than MiB?

Yes.

One MB contains 1,000,000 bytes, while one MiB contains 1,048,576 bytes.

Therefore:

1 MiB ≈ 1.048576 MB

Why does my 1 TB drive show less than 1 TB?

The drive may be advertised using decimal TB, while your operating system may report the capacity using a binary based unit.

A 1 TB decimal drive contains:

1,000,000,000,000 bytes

That is approximately:

0.909495 TiB

The difference is a unit definition rather than missing storage.

Why are internet speeds measured in bits?

Network speeds are commonly expressed in bits per second, while file sizes are commonly expressed in bytes.

Because:

8 bits = 1 byte

a 100 Mbps connection has a theoretical decimal rate of:

100 ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s

before accounting for protocol overhead and other real world limitations.

Is 1 MB always exactly 1,000 KB?

When using decimal SI units:

1 MB = 1,000 KB

When using binary units:

1 MiB = 1,024 KiB

The unit symbols tell you which system is being used.

Does the CalculatorKits Data Storage Converter support binary units?

Yes. The tool supports binary units such as KiB, MiB, GiB, and TiB alongside decimal storage units.

Does the Data Storage Converter support bits and bytes?

Yes. The CalculatorKits tool includes bits and bytes among its supported storage units.

Can I convert GB to GiB?

Yes. Enter the value in GB, select GB as the source unit, and GiB as the target unit in the Data Storage Converter.

For example:

1 GB ≈ 0.931323 GiB

Can I convert GiB to GB?

Yes.

For example:

1 GiB ≈ 1.073742 GB

Does the Data Storage Converter store my conversion data?

The CalculatorKits page states that calculations are performed locally in the browser and that no data is uploaded or stored.

Is the Data Storage Converter free?

Yes. The CalculatorKits Data Storage Converter is available for free online use and does not require registration.

Key Takeaways

Data storage conversion becomes much easier once you understand the difference between decimal and binary units.

The most important relationships are:

1 byte = 8 bits

1 KB = 1,000 bytes

1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes

1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes

1 KiB = 1,024 bytes

1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes

1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes

The most important terminology rule is:

KB, MB, GB, and TB are decimal SI units.

KiB, MiB, GiB, and TiB are binary units.

So:

1 GB = 1,000 MB

while:

1 GiB = 1,024 MiB

This distinction is important when comparing storage devices, operating system reports, cloud storage, file sizes, memory, and network data.

For quick conversions, the CalculatorKits Data Storage Converter provides a convenient way to move between common decimal and binary storage units.

When accuracy matters, do not simply ask whether a value is “GB” or “MB.” Check the exact unit definition first. A clear distinction between decimal and binary units prevents many of the storage calculation errors that otherwise seem mysterious.

References

1. BIPM, SI Prefixes
2. BIPM, The International System of Units, SI Brochure
3. NIST, Definitions of the SI Units: Binary Prefixes
4. NIST, Guide to the SI, Chapter 4: SI Prefixes
5. NIST, SI Base Units and SI Prefixes

• Written and reviewed by the CalculatorKits Editorial Team
• Last Updated: September 10, 2026