Data Storage Converter
Convert file and storage sizes between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes. Choose Binary (1024-based, the way operating systems usually calculate) or Decimal (1000-based, the way manufacturers usually advertise).
How to Use the Data Storage Converter
- Pick Binary (1024-based, used internally by most operating systems) or Decimal (1000-based, commonly used on product packaging).
- Enter the value and choose which unit it currently represents.
- All other units — Bytes, KB/KiB, MB/MiB, GB/GiB, TB/TiB — update instantly.
Why Use This Tool?
Why are there two different systems?
Storage manufacturers typically advertise capacity using decimal (1000-based) units, so a "1 TB" drive is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Operating systems, however, often report file and drive sizes using binary (1024-based) units, so that same drive can appear as roughly 931 GiB in your file explorer. Neither number is wrong — they're just different definitions of the same prefixes, which is exactly why this mismatch confuses people and why this tool lets you pick either system explicitly.
What's the difference between MB and MiB?
MB (megabyte, decimal) = 1,000,000 bytes. MiB (mebibyte, binary) = 1,048,576 bytes. The "i" in KiB/MiB/GiB/TiB is the official IEC notation introduced specifically to distinguish binary units from decimal ones, though in casual conversation people often just say "MB" for both.
Which should I use?
Use Binary when working with values your operating system, RAM specifications or file manager reports (since computer memory is naturally organized in powers of 2). Use Decimal when comparing against a manufacturer's advertised drive capacity, network bandwidth (which is also typically decimal, e.g. a "100 Mbps" connection), or when you specifically need the IEC-standard number.
Is this calculated locally?
Yes, entirely in your browser using JavaScript — no data is uploaded or stored anywhere.