Digital Storage Converter

Convert between bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB and the binary KiB, MiB, GiB — and finally clear up why a '1 TB' drive shows less.

Digital Storage

bytes, KB, MB, KiB, MiB

From

Result

0.125

1 b = 0.125 B

Popular conversions

What Is a Digital Storage Converter?

A digital storage converter translates data sizes between units — bytes to megabytes, gigabytes to terabytes, and crucially between the decimal (KB, MB, GB) and binary (KiB, MiB, GiB) systems. Storage is measured in bytes (eight bits), but two competing conventions exist: decimal units scale by 1,000, while binary units scale by 1,024. That single difference is why a '1 TB' drive shows up as about 931 GiB in your operating system.

This converter routes through the byte and keeps the two systems distinct. Drive makers and networks use decimal (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes); operating systems often report binary (1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes) while labelling it 'MB'. Understanding and converting between them explains the 'missing' storage and prevents capacity-planning mistakes.

This is one category of the full Unit Converter — pair it with our percentage calculator or scientific calculator for related everyday maths.

How Storage Conversion Works

Everything routes through the byte

Each unit has a fixed byte count. The converter normalises to bytes, then projects to both decimal and binary multiples.

Decimal units scale by 1,000

1 KB = 1,000 bytes, 1 MB = 1,000 KB, 1 GB = 1,000 MB. The SI convention used by drive and network manufacturers.

Binary units scale by 1,024

1 KiB = 1,024 bytes, 1 MiB = 1,024 KiB, 1 GiB = 1,024 MiB. The IEC convention reflecting how memory addressing works.

The gap grows with size

At kilobytes the two differ by 2.4%; at terabytes by nearly 10%. That widening gap is the 'missing' capacity on big drives.

Core Storage Conversion Factors

Decimal multiplies by 1,000 per step; binary by 1,024. A byte is always 8 bits.

Byte → bit

× 8

One byte is 8 bits. File sizes use bytes; network speeds use bits.

Decimal step

× 1000

1 KB = 1,000 B, 1 MB = 1,000 KB, 1 GB = 1,000 MB — the SI / manufacturer convention.

Binary step

× 1024

1 KiB = 1,024 B, 1 MiB = 1,024 KiB — the IEC / operating-system convention.

How to Use the Storage Converter

1
Enter the data size
Type the size you want to convert — a file size, a drive capacity, a memory amount.
2
Choose the 'from' unit
Pick bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB (decimal) or KiB, MiB, GiB (binary). Mind which system.
3
Choose the 'to' unit
Select the target unit, or swap the two to reverse direction.
4
Read every unit at once
The all-units table shows the size in both decimal and binary multiples, exposing the difference directly.

Key Storage Concepts

Bit and byte

A bit is a single 0 or 1; a byte is 8 bits. File and storage sizes use bytes; data rates use bits — an 8× difference.

Decimal (SI) units

KB, MB, GB, TB scaling by 1,000. Used by drive and network manufacturers, so a '1 TB' drive is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes.

Binary (IEC) units

KiB, MiB, GiB scaling by 1,024. Reflects binary memory addressing; operating systems often use these while labelling them MB/GB.

The capacity discrepancy

A 1 TB (decimal) drive is about 931 GiB (binary). No storage is lost — it's the same bytes counted two ways.

Real-World Storage Conversions

💾

The 'missing' drive space

A 1 TB drive (1 trillion bytes) shows as ~931 GiB in Windows. Same bytes, binary counting — not a defect.

📁

File sizes

A 4.7 GB DVD holds 4,700,000,000 bytes (decimal). RAM, by contrast, is sold in binary GiB labelled GB.

🧠

RAM modules

An '8 GB' RAM stick is truly 8 GiB (8,589,934,592 bytes). Memory uses binary sizing throughout.

🎬

Video files

A 25 GB Blu-ray, a 100 GB archive — large media exposes the decimal/binary gap most clearly at GB and TB scale.

☁️

Cloud quotas

Cloud storage is usually decimal GB. Comparing it to a binary-reporting OS needs the conversion to match expectations.

📷

Memory cards

A '64 GB' card is 64 billion bytes (decimal), formatting to ~59.6 GiB usable. The conversion explains the smaller figure.

Best Practices for Storage Conversion

✓Know decimal vs binary. Drive/network makers use decimal (×1,000); operating systems and RAM use binary (×1,024). The mismatch is the source of most 'missing space' confusion.
✓Use KiB/MiB/GiB for binary. When you mean 1,024-based units, use the IEC names (KiB, MiB, GiB) to remove ambiguity, even if your OS labels them KB/MB/GB.
✓Mind bits vs bytes. Storage is bytes; network speed is bits. A '100 Mbps' link transfers about 12.5 MB/s — divide by 8.
✓Plan capacity in the maker's units. A 1 TB drive provides 1 trillion bytes. Expect ~931 GiB usable in a binary-reporting OS — plan around the real figure.
✓State the system in documentation. When precision matters, specify decimal or binary explicitly so a 'GB' isn't misread by a factor that grows with size.

Common Storage Conversion Mistakes

Assuming 1 GB = 1,024 MB always

That's the binary value (GiB). In decimal, 1 GB = 1,000 MB. Mixing the two is the root of capacity confusion.

Confusing bits and bytes

8 bits make a byte. Reading a Mbps network speed as MB/s overstates transfer 8-fold.

Thinking storage is 'lost'

A drive showing less than its label isn't faulty — it's binary counting of the same bytes. Nothing is missing.

Mixing decimal and binary in a calculation

Adding a decimal GB figure to a binary GiB figure without converting introduces a growing error.

Why Storage Conversion Matters

Digital storage is unique in measurement for having two living conventions — decimal (×1,000) and binary (×1,024) — that share the same MB/GB labels, producing the endlessly asked 'why does my 1 TB drive show 931 GB?' question. Getting the conversion right explains the discrepancy, prevents over-buying or under-provisioning, and clears up bits-versus-bytes confusion with network speeds.

As files, drives, and clouds scale into terabytes, the decimal/binary gap widens to nearly 10%, making the distinction increasingly consequential for capacity planning and backups. A converter that routes through the byte and shows both systems side by side turns a perennial source of confusion into a clear, checkable number.

Built for IT staff, developers, content creators, and anyone wondering why a drive shows less than its label — converting across bytes, GB, and GiB.

Linear unit factors follow the BIPM SI brochure, the NIST Guide to the SI, and ISO 80000. Currency rates load live from open.er-api.com; crypto prices from CoinGecko. See our methodology and editorial policy. Educational only — not certified for regulated trading, settlement, medical, or aerospace use.

Digital Storage Converter FAQs

Because the drive maker counts in decimal (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes) while your operating system counts in binary, where 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Dividing the drive's bytes by the binary value gives about 931 — which the OS labels 'GB' but is really GiB. No storage is missing; it's the same bytes counted two ways.

A megabyte (MB) is decimal: 1,000,000 bytes (1,000 KB). A mebibyte (MiB) is binary: 1,048,576 bytes (1,024 KiB). They differ by about 4.9%. Drive and network makers use MB; operating systems and RAM use MiB but often label it 'MB', which is the source of much confusion.

In decimal (SI) units, 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes (10⁹). In binary (IEC) units, 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (2³⁰). The two differ by about 7.4%, and the gap grows with each larger unit — nearly 10% by the terabyte.

A byte is 8 bits. File and storage sizes are measured in bytes (and use a capital B, as in MB), while data-transfer speeds are measured in bits (lowercase b, as in Mbps). So a 100 Mbps connection transfers about 12.5 megabytes per second — you divide the bit rate by 8.

Use decimal (GB, TB) when matching manufacturer drive and cloud capacities, and binary (GiB, TiB) when matching what your operating system or RAM reports. For precision, use the explicit IEC names (KiB, MiB, GiB) for binary so there's no ambiguity about which system you mean.

It uses exact definitions (1 byte = 8 bits, decimal steps of 1,000, binary steps of 1,024) and routes every conversion through the byte at full precision, so the result is exact — including the precise decimal-versus-binary difference.