This data storage converter converts bits, bytes, kilobytes through terabytes — in both counting systems, decimal (MB/GB/TB) and binary (MiB/GiB/TiB) — because the difference is exactly where your “missing” storage went.
The 1000 vs 1024 Schism, Explained at Last
Storage manufacturers count in decimal: 1 GB = 1,000³ bytes, because SI prefixes mean powers of ten everywhere else in science. Operating systems historically counted in binary: 1 "GB" = 1,024³ bytes — now properly named the gibibyte (GiB). The gap grows with size (2.4% at KB, 7.4% at GB, 10% at TB) and explains the eternal complaint: your "1 TB" drive (10¹² bytes, honestly sold) shows as 931 GiB in an OS that labels GiB as "GB". Nobody lied; two dialects did. Networking's subnetting lives on the binary side too — see our Subnet Calculator. Part of our Conversion Calculators collection.
Quick Reference
| Decimal (drive labels) | Bytes | Binary (OS reports) | Bytes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 KB | 1,000 | 1 KiB | 1,024 |
| 1 MB | 1,000,000 | 1 MiB | 1,048,576 |
| 1 GB | 1,000,000,000 | 1 GiB | 1,073,741,824 |
| 1 TB | 1,000,000,000,000 | 1 TiB | 1,099,511,627,776 |
Worked Examples (Verified)
- The 1 TB drive: 10¹² bytes ÷ 2³⁰ = 931.3 GiB usable on the label's terms (before formatting) — this conversion is the answer to a million one-star reviews
- A 5 GB video file = 5,000 MB decimal = 4,768 MiB binary
- Download math: a 100 Mb/s connection (megabits!) delivers at most 12.5 MB/s — bits vs bytes (×8) is the other great unit ambush, and why a 50 GB game takes ~67 minutes at line rate
Related Tools
- Subnet Calculator — binary's other home
- Binary Converter — the numerals themselves
- Conversion Calculators — the full collection
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my 1 TB hard drive only show 931 GB?
Because the drive's TB is decimal (10¹² bytes) and your OS divides by 1,024³ (binary) while labeling it GB — really GiB. 10¹² ÷ 2³⁰ = 931.3. The capacity is real; the units were mixed.
How many MB are in a GB?
1,000 MB in the decimal system (drive/network specs), 1,024 MiB in the binary system (OS memory/file reporting). This converter carries both, labeled.
What is the difference between MB and Mb?
MB = megabytes (storage), Mb = megabits (network speeds) — a factor of 8. A 800 Mb file downloads in 8 seconds on a perfect 100 Mb/s link, not 1.
How many bytes are in a terabyte?
1,000,000,000,000 (decimal TB) or 1,099,511,627,776 (binary TiB) — a 10% spread at this scale, which is why data-center people specify units pedantically.
Which system should I use?
Match your context: manufacturer specs, cloud storage pricing and network plans speak decimal; operating-system file sizes and RAM speak binary (GiB/MiB under the hood, whatever the label says).
Is this data storage converter free?
Yes — free, instant, no sign-up.