Online Data Size Converter

Our free online Data Size Converter allows you to convert between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and more. Perfect for IT professionals, developers, storage planning, and understanding file sizes. Supports both decimal (KB, MB, GB) and binary (KiB, MiB, GiB) standards.

Features:

• Decimal Units (SI): KB, MB, GB, TB, PB - based on powers of 1000 (used by storage manufacturers).
• Binary Units (IEC): KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB - based on powers of 1024 (used by operating systems).
• Bit & Byte: Convert between bits (b) and bytes (B) - 8 bits = 1 byte.
• Real-time Conversion: Instant results as you type.
• High Precision: Accurate for storage planning and calculations.

1. Understanding Data Size Units

Decimal (SI Standard): Uses base-1000. 1 KB = 1,000 bytes, 1 MB = 1,000 KB, etc. Used by hard drive manufacturers and network speeds.
Binary (IEC Standard): Uses base-1024. 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes, 1 MiB = 1,024 KiB, etc. Used by operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) for RAM and disk space.
The Confusion: A 500 GB hard drive shows as ~465 GiB in Windows because manufacturers use decimal, but OS uses binary!

2. Common Data Size Conversions

KB to MB (Decimal): Divide by 1,000 (e.g., 5,000 KB = 5 MB)
MB to GB (Decimal): Divide by 1,000 (e.g., 2,500 MB = 2.5 GB)
KiB to MiB (Binary): Divide by 1,024 (e.g., 2,048 KiB = 2 MiB)
GB to GiB: 1 GB = 0.931 GiB (because 1000³ ÷ 1024³)

3. Practical Applications

• Storage Planning: Calculate disk space, cloud storage needs, backup requirements
• File Management: Understanding file sizes, compression ratios, downloads
• Network Speed: Internet speeds (Mbps = megabits/sec), download time estimates
• Software Development: Memory allocation, database sizes, API limits
• System Administration: Server capacity, RAM requirements, log file sizes

4. Common File Sizes

• Text Document: 10-100 KB
• MP3 Song (3 min): 3-5 MB
• High-Res Photo: 5-10 MB
• HD Movie (2 hours): 4-8 GB
• 4K Movie (2 hours): 25-50 GB
• Video Game: 20-150 GB
• Operating System: 20-30 GB

5. Data Size Tips & Facts

• 8 bits = 1 byte: A bit is the smallest unit (0 or 1)
• Network speeds use bits: 100 Mbps = 12.5 MB/s (divide by 8)
• Storage confusion: 1 TB drive ≈ 931 GiB in Windows (1000 vs 1024 difference)
• RAM is binary: 8 GB RAM = 8 GiB exactly (manufacturers now use binary)
• Quick estimate: 1 GB ≈ 1 billion bytes, 1 TB ≈ 1 trillion bytes
• Compression: Actual file sizes vary based on compression (ZIP, JPEG, MP4)