Data Size Converter
Convert bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, and binary units.
Data Size Converter translates digital storage sizes between decimal units (bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB) and binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) in your browser, clarifying the gap between advertised drive capacity and what your operating system reports.
How it works
Bytes serve as the base unit. Decimal units scale by powers of 1000 (KB = 1,000 B) while binary units scale by powers of 1024 (KiB = 1,024 B). Your input converts to bytes first, then to the target unit, keeping the decimal/binary distinction exact.
Benefits
- Covers both decimal (KB/MB/GB/TB) and binary (KiB/MiB/GiB/TiB) scales
- Explains why drives 'lose' capacity when viewed in an OS
- Exact power-of-1000 and power-of-1024 math, no approximations
- Fully client-side with instant results as you type
Use cases
- Check advertised drive capacity against OS-reported free space
- Convert file or download sizes between MB and GB
- Estimate cloud storage or bandwidth usage in consistent units
- Translate memory specs between binary and decimal notation
Best practices
- Use decimal units (KB, MB) for storage marketing and network speeds
- Use binary units (KiB, MiB) when matching OS file size displays
- Label results with the correct unit to avoid ambiguity downstream
- Double-check whether a spec sheet means bits or bytes before converting
Common mistakes
- Treating 1 GB as always equal to 1 GiB (they differ by about 7%)
- Confusing bits (b) with bytes (B) when reading network speeds
- Assuming every OS uses the same rounding for displayed file sizes
- Mixing decimal and binary units within the same calculation
Privacy
Conversion runs entirely client-side in your browser. ToolHub does not receive or store the values you enter unless you separately enable on-device history.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between KB and KiB?
- KB (kilobyte) uses the decimal definition of 1,000 bytes, common in storage marketing. KiB (kibibyte) uses the binary definition of 1,024 bytes, common in operating systems and memory. This tool supports both so you can convert precisely between them.
- Why does my hard drive show less space than advertised?
- Manufacturers advertise capacity in decimal units (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes), but operating systems often display it in binary units (TiB), which makes the same drive appear smaller—this converter shows exactly how much smaller.
- Which units are supported?
- Bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes (decimal, base 1000) and kibibytes, mebibytes, gibibytes, tebibytes (binary, base 1024).
- Can I convert fractional byte values?
- Yes. Enter decimals like 1.5 for 1.5 GB, and the tool converts precisely using exact powers of 1000 or 1024.
- Does this tool upload my file sizes?
- No. All math happens locally in your browser; nothing about your input is sent to ToolHub or any server.
- How do I convert bits to bytes?
- This tool converts byte-based units. To convert bits, divide or multiply your byte result by 8 separately, since 1 byte equals 8 bits.
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