Precision unit conversion
Digital storage conversions confuse people because storage manufacturers, operating systems and file managers don't all use the same base — this converter uses the traditional binary scale (1 KB = 1,024 bytes) that most software and file browsers still display.
In the binary convention, each step up multiplies by 1,024 (2¹⁰), not 1,000: 1 kilobyte = 1,024 bytes, 1 megabyte = 1,024 kilobytes, and so on. This is different from the decimal (SI) convention some hard drive manufacturers use, where 1 GB is defined as exactly 1,000,000,000 bytes — which is why a "1 TB" hard drive often shows as roughly 931 GB in Windows or macOS.
| Convert | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 byte | 8 bits |
| 1 kilobyte (KB) | 1,024 bytes |
| 1 megabyte (MB) | 1,024 KB (1,048,576 bytes) |
| 1 gigabyte (GB) | 1,024 MB |
| 1 terabyte (TB) | 1,024 GB |
The full converter moves between bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB and TB using the binary (1,024-based) scale that file explorers and most operating systems use.
Open Data Storage converter →Drive manufacturers usually advertise capacity using the decimal definition (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes), while your operating system reports it using the binary definition (1 TB = 1,024⁴ bytes), which is a larger number of bytes per "TB" — so the same physical drive shows a smaller number, typically around 931 GB.
1,024 MB make up 1 GB on the binary scale used by this converter.
There are 8 bits in a byte.