Data Storage Conversions

Convert between bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB and their binary counterparts (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB, PiB). This tool is built for engineers, sysadmins and power users who need precise, transparent storage conversions.

Includes both decimal (SI) and binary (IEC) prefixes, with clear explanations of why your disk, OS and cloud provider sometimes seem to “disagree” about how big a terabyte really is.

Universal data storage converter

Decimal + Binary

Result

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Enter a value and select units to convert the data size.

Exact value in bytes:
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Exact value in bits:
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Decimal prefixes: k, M, G, T, P = powers of 10. Binary prefixes: Ki, Mi, Gi, Ti, Pi = powers of 2.

Common data storage sizes (quick reference)

Use this table to quickly compare decimal and binary units for the most common capacities. Values are exact in bytes and rounded for bits and higher units for readability.

Label Bytes Approx. bits Approx. GB Approx. GiB

Reminder: 1 byte = 8 bits. 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Understanding data storage units

A data storage unit indicates how much digital information a device can hold or a file occupies. The byte is the fundamental unit used by operating systems, databases and file systems to report sizes. Above the byte, we have larger units such as kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes.

Bit vs byte

1 byte (B) = 8 bits (b)

A bit can be either 0 or 1; a byte is typically the smallest addressable unit of memory in modern computers.

Decimal vs binary prefixes (KB vs KiB)

Confusion often comes from the fact that there are two different prefix systems in use:

  • Decimal (SI) prefixes – powers of 10:
    1 KB = 1,000 bytes, 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes, 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes, etc.
  • Binary (IEC) prefixes – powers of 2:
    1 KiB = 1,024 bytes, 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes (220), 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (230), etc.

Hardware vendors generally prefer decimal units (because they look larger), while many operating systems still report capacities using binary units. The calculator on this page makes the distinction explicit and converts between both worlds.

Conversion formulas used by the calculator

All conversions are performed via a neutral base unit: the byte. Each supported unit has a factor that expresses how many bytes it contains.

General conversion logic

Let v be the original value, kfrom the byte factor of the source unit, and kto the byte factor of the target unit.

bytes = v × k_from
result = bytes ÷ k_to

Typical factors (decimal)

  • 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 PB = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes

Typical factors (binary)

  • 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes
  • 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes (220)
  • 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (230)
  • 1 TiB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (240)
  • 1 PiB = 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes (250)

Practical examples

Example 1 – Convert 500 GB to GiB

  1. Express 500 GB in bytes: 500 × 1,000,000,000 = 500,000,000,000 bytes.
  2. Divide by 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.
  3. 500,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 ≈ 465.66 GiB.

This is why a “500 GB” disk often shows as around 466 GiB in your operating system.

Example 2 – Convert 32 GiB to GB

  1. Express 32 GiB in bytes: 32 × 1,073,741,824 ≈ 34,359,738,368 bytes.
  2. Divide by 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes.
  3. 34,359,738,368 ÷ 1,000,000,000 ≈ 34.36 GB.

Good practices when working with data storage

  • Always check whether a document uses decimal or binary prefixes.
  • When sizing storage systems, specify both the unit and the convention (for example “10 TiB (binary)”).
  • For SLAs and contracts, use exact byte counts as well as human-readable units to avoid ambiguity.
  • When comparing hardware from different vendors, normalize all capacities to the same representation using a tool like this converter.

Frequently asked questions about data storage conversions

How can I quickly tell if a number is in decimal or binary units? ▾
If the prefixes use a trailing “i” (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB, PiB), the value is in binary units. If they are simply KB, MB, GB, TB or PB, they are usually decimal. Documentation from vendors or standards bodies should also specify which convention is being used.
Why is 1 TB not equal to 1 TiB? ▾
1 TB is 1012 bytes, while 1 TiB is 240 bytes. The ratio between them is about 1.0995, so 1 TiB is roughly 9.95% larger than 1 TB. This difference becomes more visible as capacities grow.
Can I use this tool to convert network bandwidth values? ▾
This page focuses on stored data sizes. For bandwidth and transfer rate conversions (Mbps, MB/s, etc.), use the dedicated data transfer rate converter, which also estimates file transfer times from link speed and file size.
Is it safe to round values when planning storage capacity? ▾
For early-stage sizing, rounding to one or two decimal places is usually acceptable, as long as you maintain a reasonable safety margin. For final designs and critical systems, work with exact byte counts and include buffer capacity for growth and overhead.