Digital Storage Converter
Convert between bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, and TB instantly.
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About this digital storage converter
This tool converts between 6 common digital storage units, from a single bit up to terabytes. Pick any two units, enter a value, and the result updates instantly — every conversion happens with simple arithmetic directly in your browser, so there's no network request, no waiting, and it keeps working even if you lose your internet connection.
Why 1,024 and not 1,000?
This converter uses the binary convention (1 KB = 1,024 bytes, 1 MB = 1,024 KB, and so on) because that's what operating systems like Windows and macOS actually show you for file and drive sizes. Some contexts — notably hard drive manufacturers and networking speeds — use the decimal convention instead (1 KB = 1,000 bytes), which is why a drive labeled "1 TB" shows up as roughly 931 GB in your file explorer. Both are valid conventions; this tool consistently uses the binary one so every conversion here lines up with what you see on your own device.
Units covered
- Bit (bit) — the smallest unit of digital information, a single 0 or 1 — 8 bits make one byte.
- Byte (B) — the basic unit of digital storage, made up of 8 bits — enough to represent one character of text.
- Kilobyte (KB) — equal to 1,024 bytes (2¹⁰) using the binary convention this tool follows — a short text message is a few KB.
- Megabyte (MB) — equal to 1,024 kilobytes (2²⁰) — a typical smartphone photo runs roughly 2-5 MB.
- Gigabyte (GB) — equal to 1,024 megabytes (2³⁰) — common phone/laptop storage and monthly mobile data plans are measured in GB.
- Terabyte (TB) — equal to 1,024 gigabytes (2⁴⁰) — the typical size range for external hard drives and cloud storage plans.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a "1 TB" hard drive show up as about 931 GB on my computer?
Drive manufacturers label capacity using the decimal convention (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes), while your operating system reports it using the binary convention this converter uses (1 TB = 1,024⁴ bytes). Same physical drive, two different counting conventions — the number your OS shows is always going to look smaller.
Why binary (1,024) instead of decimal (1,000)?
Because that matches what Windows and macOS actually display for file and folder sizes — the goal is for conversions here to line up with what you see on your own device, not to pick a "more correct" convention.
What's the difference between a bit and a byte?
A byte is 8 bits. File sizes are almost always quoted in bytes and their multiples (KB, MB, GB); bits show up mainly in network and internet speeds (e.g. a "100 Mbps" connection is megabits per second, not megabytes — divide by 8 to get roughly 12.5 MB/s).
Does this work without an internet connection?
Yes — every conversion is simple arithmetic done directly in your browser, so it keeps working offline once the page has loaded.