Why 1024 instead of 1000?

Computers use binary, so 1 KB = 1024 bytes by convention.

Why does a 1TB drive show as 931GB?

Manufacturers label 1 TB = 10¹² B, but the OS calculates in 1,024 steps: 10¹² ÷ 1,024³ ≈ 931 GB.

Is Mbps the same as MB/s?

No — lowercase b means bits, uppercase B means bytes (8× difference). A 100 Mbps line tops out at 12.5 MB/s.

💾 Data Storage Converter

Convert KB, MB, GB, TB and more instantly.

How it works

Type a value in the left field.
Pick the units to convert from and to.
The result updates instantly, with a full reference table below.

Key units & conversion basis

Data storage is converted through bytes (B) using binary steps (1 KB = 1,024 B) per computing convention. Manufacturers label in decimal (1 KB = 1,000 B), which is why drives look smaller than advertised.

Unit	Symbol	In bytes	Common use
Bit	bit	0.125 B	network speeds
Byte	B	1 B	single character
Kilobyte	KB	1,024 B	small files
Megabyte	MB	1,048,576 B	photos, music
Gigabyte	GB	1,073,741,824 B	videos, apps
Terabyte	TB	1,099,511,627,776 B	drives

🧮 How the conversion is calculated

Example: 5 GB to MB → 5 × 1,073,741,824 = 5,368,709,120 B → ÷ 1,048,576 = 5,120 MB.

🎯 When to use this

Convert file sizes (MB, GB) between units
Compare cloud storage plan capacities
Check mobile data plan usage
Distinguish network speed (Mbps, bits) from file size (MB, bytes) when calculating

📖 Guide: Why MB-to-GB Math Never Adds Up — 1000 vs 1024 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many MB is 1 GB?: 1,024 MB (binary base).
Why 1024 instead of 1000?: Computers use binary, so 1 KB = 1024 bytes by convention.
Why does a 1TB drive show as 931GB?: Manufacturers label 1 TB = 10¹² B, but the OS calculates in 1,024 steps: 10¹² ÷ 1,024³ ≈ 931 GB.
Is Mbps the same as MB/s?: No — lowercase b means bits, uppercase B means bytes (8× difference). A 100 Mbps line tops out at 12.5 MB/s.