How do I convert between storage units?

Enter a value and its unit; the converter shows the equivalent in every other unit — bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB — instantly, using the base you select (decimal 1000 or binary 1024).

What's the difference between KB and KiB (1000 vs 1024)?

Decimal units (KB, MB, GB) use powers of 1000; binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB) use powers of 1024. Storage makers advertise in decimal (a '1 TB' drive = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes), while operating systems often display in binary — which is why your 1 TB drive shows as ~931 GiB.

Why does my hard drive show less space than advertised?

Not lost space — a units mismatch. The manufacturer's 1 TB (10¹² bytes, decimal) is measured by the OS in binary GiB: 10¹² ÷ 1024³ ≈ 931. The bytes are all there; the labels differ. This converter shows both.

Which base should I use?

Use decimal (1000) for storage marketing, data transfer, and most everyday contexts; use binary (1024) when matching what an operating system reports for RAM and disk usage. The tool does both side by side.

Can it convert bandwidth or file sizes too?

Yes — any digital quantity in bytes converts across units; for data-rate work, note bits vs bytes (8 bits = 1 byte), which the tool accounts for when you select bit units.

Data Storage Converter — Bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, Free

Remove Ads

Value

From

To

Uses binary units (1 KB = 1024 bytes).

Remove Ads

Result

Share on Social Media:

Data Storage Converter — With the 1000-vs-1024 Truth

Convert any digital storage amount across bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, and PB instantly — and finally understand why your "1 TB" drive shows as 931 GB. This free converter handles both decimal (1000-based) and binary (1024-based) units correctly and side by side, so specs, OS readouts, and your mental math finally agree. In-browser, no signup.

The Confusion Explained Once and For All

Decimal (SI)	Binary (IEC)	Difference
1 KB = 1,000 bytes	1 KiB = 1,024 bytes	2.4%
1 MB = 1,000 KB	1 MiB = 1,024 KiB	4.9%
1 GB = 1,000 MB	1 GiB = 1,024 MiB	7.4%
1 TB = 1,000 GB	1 TiB = 1,024 GiB	10.0%

The gap compounds: negligible at KB, a full 10% by TB. That 10% is exactly why a 1 TB drive (1,000,000,000,000 bytes, as the box promises) shows in Windows as ~931 GB — the OS is dividing by 1024³ and calling the result "GB" while meaning GiB. No space is missing; two different definitions of "GB" are colliding.

Worked Example

Advertised drive: 2 TB (decimal) = 2,000,000,000,000 bytes
OS display (binary): 2,000,000,000,000 ÷ 1024³
                   = 1,862 GiB ≈ "1.82 TB" in the OS
The 138 GB "missing" is pure unit mismatch.

Which Base to Use When

Decimal (1000) — drive marketing, network speeds, data caps, and most human-facing figures.
Binary (1024) — RAM (always binary), OS-reported disk/file sizes, and low-level memory work.

Because the converter shows both simultaneously, you never have to remember which context you're in — read the number from the column that matches your source.

Everyday Uses

Sizing backups and cloud storage, planning drive purchases against real usable space, reconciling a spec sheet with what your system reports, converting file sizes for documentation, and estimating transfer times. Anywhere digital sizes need translating, this removes the guesswork — and the "where did my gigabytes go?" panic.

Free and Instant

All conversions computed locally across every unit and both bases — no upload, no account, no limits.

Data Storage Converter

Result