What is the difference between binary and decimal data units?

Decimal units use powers of 1,000 (1 KB = 1,000 bytes). Binary units use powers of 1,024 (1 KiB = 1,024 bytes). Storage manufacturers use decimal; operating systems use binary.

Why do storage devices show less space than advertised?

Manufacturers label in decimal GB while your OS displays in binary GiB. A 1 TB decimal drive shows as ~931 GiB in binary.

Is 1 byte always 8 bits?

Yes. In modern computing 1 byte = 8 bits in both binary and decimal systems.

How do I convert Mbps to MB/s?

Divide Mbps by 8. A 100 Mbps connection downloads at 12.5 MB/s because 1 byte = 8 bits.

What is the difference between KB and KiB?

KB officially = 1,000 bytes (decimal/SI). KiB = 1,024 bytes (binary/IEC). In everyday usage KB is often used for both — the Binary toggle in the converter lets you choose.

Converters

Convert bytes, KB, MB, GB and data rates instantly

Switch between binary (1024-based) and decimal (1000-based) systems, convert digital storage units from bits to petabytes, and calculate data transfer rates — all in one converter.

Bits to petabytes Binary & decimal systems Data transfer rates Swap units instantly All-units result table Live conversion

Data Unit Converter

Bytes, KB–PB and transfer rates

Data Unit Converter — Bits, Bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB & Transfer Rates

This free data unit converter handles everything from individual bits to petabytes, plus data transfer rates from Kbps to Gbps. It supports both the binary system (powers of 1024, used by operating systems) and the decimal system (powers of 1000, used by storage manufacturers), so you can work with the standard that matches your use case.

After converting, the result card shows the value in all available units simultaneously — so you can see that 1 GB equals 1,024 MB (binary) or 1,000 MB (decimal), 1,073,741,824 bytes, or 8,589,934,592 bits, all at a glance.

Binary vs Decimal: Why the Difference Matters

The binary/decimal distinction is the source of widespread confusion when comparing advertised storage sizes with what your operating system shows. Here's the exact breakdown:

Binary (IEC standard) Used by: Windows, Linux, macOS RAM reports

1 KiB	=	1,024 bytes
1 MiB	=	1,048,576 bytes
1 GiB	=	1,073,741,824 bytes
1 TiB	=	1,099,511,627,776 bytes

Decimal (SI standard) Used by: HDD/SSD manufacturers, network speeds

1 KB	=	1,000 bytes
1 MB	=	1,000,000 bytes
1 GB	=	1,000,000,000 bytes
1 TB	=	1,000,000,000,000 bytes

A "1 TB" hard drive from a manufacturer (decimal) contains 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. When Windows reads it in binary, that equals approximately 931 GiB — which is what it shows in File Explorer. The drive isn't broken; the two systems just count differently.

Data Unit Quick Reference

Unit	Abbreviation	Decimal (bytes)	Binary (bytes)
Bit	b	0.125	0.125
Byte	B	1	1
Kilobyte	KB	1,000	1,024
Megabyte	MB	1,000,000	1,048,576
Gigabyte	GB	1,000,000,000	1,073,741,824
Terabyte	TB	1,000,000,000,000	1,099,511,627,776
Petabyte	PB	10¹⁵	2⁵⁰ bytes

Data Transfer Rate Units Explained

Data transfer rates are always measured in bits per second (not bytes), which is why downloading a 100 MB file over a 100 Mbps connection takes about 8 seconds — 100 MB × 8 bits/byte = 800 megabits ÷ 100 Mbps = 8 seconds.

Kbps

Kilobits per second 1,000 bits/s. Typical for dial-up modems and low-bandwidth IoT sensors.

Mbps

Megabits per second 1,000,000 bits/s. Standard for home broadband (25–1,000 Mbps). Netflix HD needs 5 Mbps.

Gbps

Gigabits per second 1,000,000,000 bits/s. Gigabit Ethernet, fiber connections. 1 Gbps = 125 MB/s actual throughput.

Tbps

Terabits per second 1,000,000,000,000 bits/s. Backbone internet infrastructure and data centre interconnects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Decimal units are based on powers of 1,000 — 1 KB = 1,000 bytes. Binary units are based on powers of 1,024 — 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes. Storage manufacturers use decimal to report larger numbers; operating systems use binary, which makes drives appear smaller than advertised.

Manufacturers label drives using decimal GB (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes). Your OS reports in binary GiB (1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). A 1 TB decimal drive = ~931 GiB binary. The bytes are identical — only the unit interpretation differs.

Yes, in modern computing 1 byte = 8 bits universally. This is true in both binary and decimal systems. Historically some systems used 6- or 7-bit bytes, but these are obsolete.

Network speeds use bits per second (Mbps) because early telecommunications standards measured signal transmission in bits. File sizes use bytes because storage naturally groups data in 8-bit units. To convert: divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s download speed.

KB (kilobyte) officially means 1,000 bytes in the SI/decimal system. KiB (kibibyte) means exactly 1,024 bytes in the IEC binary standard. In casual usage, "KB" is often used to mean 1,024 bytes — toggle the Binary switch in the calculator to choose which definition to use.

Divide Mbps by 8. A 100 Mbps connection downloads at 12.5 MB/s. This is because 1 byte = 8 bits. Use the Data Transfer category in the converter to switch between bit-rate and byte-rate units.

1 petabyte (decimal) = 1,000 terabytes = 1,000,000 gigabytes. In practical terms: roughly 500 billion pages of standard printed text, 200,000 hours of HD video, or 20 million four-drawer filing cabinets filled with text.

The converter currently handles bits through petabytes (and Kbps through Tbps for transfer rates). Exabytes (EB), zettabytes (ZB), and yottabytes (YB) are used primarily for global internet traffic estimates and data centre totals — their use in everyday computing is minimal.

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