Data Size Converter
Convert between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and petabytes. Supports both SI (decimal) and IEC (binary) prefixes.
Convert Data Size
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How to Use Data Size Converter
- 1Enter a data size value and select the unit.
- 2See all conversions for both SI and IEC standards.
- 3Copy any result.
- 4Understand the difference between MB and MiB.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between MB and MiB?▾
MB (megabyte) uses SI (decimal) prefixes: 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes (1000²). MiB (mebibyte) uses IEC (binary) prefixes: 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes (1024²). Similarly: 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes; 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Hard drive manufacturers use SI (so a "500 GB" drive has 500,000,000,000 bytes), but OSes often display in IEC (so it shows as ~465 GiB). This causes the common confusion of "missing" storage space.
Why does my 1TB hard drive show less space on my computer?▾
Hard drive manufacturers advertise using SI (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes). Windows traditionally reports in SI units but labels them as "GB". macOS 10.6+ uses SI (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes). Linux typically shows GiB. A "1 TB" drive contains 1,000,000,000,000 bytes = ~931 GiB. The gap widens at higher capacities — a "10 TB" drive shows ~9.09 TiB.
What is a byte?▾
A byte is the fundamental unit of digital storage, typically 8 bits. A bit is a single binary digit (0 or 1). One byte can represent 256 (2⁸) different values. In early computing, "byte" sometimes meant different bit widths, but 8-bit bytes became universal. ASCII characters fit in 7 bits; extended ASCII uses 8; Unicode code points require up to 4 bytes (UTF-8) or exactly 2 or 4 bytes (UTF-16/UTF-32).
How much data is a terabyte?▾
1 TB (SI) = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes = 1 trillion bytes. In practical terms: ~250,000 songs (at 4 MB each), ~200,000 photos (at 5 MB each), ~500 HD movies (at 2 GB each), or ~17,000 hours of Spotify at standard quality. As of 2024, consumer SSDs reach 4–8 TB; HDDs reach 20+ TB; enterprise tape reaches hundreds of TB per cartridge.
What are the IEC binary prefixes?▾
IEC 80000-13 introduced binary prefixes in 1998 to resolve ambiguity: kibi (Ki) = 2¹⁰ = 1,024; mebi (Mi) = 2²⁰ = 1,048,576; gibi (Gi) = 2³⁰; tebi (Ti) = 2⁴⁰; pebi (Pi) = 2⁵⁰; exbi (Ei) = 2⁶⁰. Usage is still inconsistent — Linux mostly uses IEC internally; Windows uses SI labels for IEC values; macOS 10.6+ switched to SI. Always specify which standard you are using.