Free digital storage unit converter
Data Storage Converter
Convert bits, nibbles, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and larger data units instantly. Compare decimal storage with binary IEC units such as KiB, MiB, and GiB without confusing the two systems.
Convert Data Storage Instantly
Type a value in either box and choose the units. Results update immediately.
1 GB equals 1,000 MB
Popular data storage conversions
Unit system: kB, MB and GB use 1,000-based decimal prefixes. KiB, MiB and GiB use 1,024-based binary prefixes. A lowercase b means bits; uppercase B means bytes.
How it works
How to Use the Data Storage Converter
Enter your amount
Type a number in the From or To field. Decimals and scientific notation are accepted.
Choose your units
Select bits, bytes, or the decimal and binary units named in the dropdown.
Check the answer
Read the result, conversion factor, live chart and formula. Copy the value if needed.
Data Storage Conversion Formula
Each unit has a fixed number of bytes. To convert one storage unit to another, first find the amount in bytes, then divide by the number of bytes in the destination unit. This also works for bits and nibbles.
Result = Input × (bytes per source unit ÷ bytes per destination unit)Example: 5 GB to MB. A decimal gigabyte equals 1,000 megabytes, so 5 GB = 5,000 MB.
Example: 1 GB to GiB. 1,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 = about 0.9313225746 GiB.
Current selection example: 5 GB × 1,000 = 5,000 MB.
All calculations use fixed unit factors; visible output may be rounded for readability. Scientific notation is used where a normal decimal would be difficult to read.
Data Storage Conversion Table
This reference table changes automatically to match your selected From and To units.
| Gigabytes (GB) | Megabytes (MB) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 2,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 25 | 25,000 |
| 50 | 50,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 |
Samples use 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 1,000 source units. The table updates when either unit changes.
Data Storage Units Explained
Data storage uses bits and bytes, sometimes with larger decimal or binary prefixes. The list below shows what each familiar label means.
Bits, nibbles and decimal storage
| Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 bit | 0.125 B |
| 1 nibble | 0.5 B |
| 1 byte | 8 b |
| 1 kilobit (kb) | 1,000 b |
| 1 megabit (Mb) | 1,000,000 b |
| 1 kilobyte (kB) | 1,000 B |
| 1 megabyte (MB) | 1,000,000 B |
| 1 gigabyte (GB) | 1,000,000,000 B |
| 1 terabyte (TB) | 1,000,000,000,000 B |
| 1 petabyte (PB) | 10¹⁵ B |
| 1 exabyte (EB) | 10¹⁸ B |
Binary storage: KiB, MiB, GiB and more
IEC binary prefixes make base-1,024 storage units explicit. The names are different from decimal kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and so on.
| Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 kibibyte (KiB) | 1,024 B |
| 1 mebibyte (MiB) | 1,048,576 B |
| 1 gibibyte (GiB) | 1,073,741,824 B |
| 1 tebibyte (TiB) | 1,099,511,627,776 B |
| 1 pebibyte (PiB) | 2⁵⁰ B |
| 1 exbibyte (EiB) | 2⁶⁰ B |
Decimal vs. Binary: What’s the Difference?
Decimal storage (base 1,000)
Decimal prefixes are common on storage-device specifications. One kilobyte is 1,000 bytes, one megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes, and one gigabyte is 1,000,000,000 bytes.
Use kB, MB, GB, TB, PB, or EB for this system.
Binary storage (base 1,024)
Binary prefixes are common when discussing memory and operating-system measurements. One kibibyte is 1,024 bytes, and one gibibyte is 1,073,741,824 bytes.
Use KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB, PiB, or EiB for this system.
Important: MB is a megabyte, while Mb is a megabit. These are not the same. 1 MB = 8 Mb, but megabits per second (Mb/s) are a data-transfer rate, not a storage amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bits are in one byte?
One byte equals 8 bits. That relationship is fixed for the units used in this calculator.
What is a nibble?
A nibble is 4 bits, or half a byte. Two nibbles make one byte.
What is the difference between Mb and MB?
Mb means megabits and MB means megabytes. Because a byte contains eight bits, 1 MB equals 8 Mb when both use decimal prefixes.
Is one kilobyte 1,000 or 1,024 bytes?
One decimal kilobyte (kB) is 1,000 bytes. One kibibyte (KiB) is 1,024 bytes. This calculator lists both so they cannot be confused.
How many megabytes are in a gigabyte?
With decimal units, 1 GB equals 1,000 MB. Binary storage uses different names: 1 GiB equals 1,024 MiB.
Why does a 1 TB drive show less than 1 TB in some systems?
Manufacturers commonly state storage in decimal TB, while some operating systems count in powers of 1024. For example, 1 TB equals about 0.9095 TiB. Formatting and reserved space can reduce available capacity further.
Can I convert GB to GiB?
Yes. Choose Gigabytes (GB) as the source and Gibibytes (GiB) as the destination. One GB is approximately 0.9313225746 GiB.
Does this calculator convert internet speed?
No. It converts amounts of information, not rates. Mbps and MB/s measure information transferred per second and belong in a Data Transfer Rate Converter.
Can I enter small decimal values or scientific notation?
Yes. Values such as 0.25, 1e-9 and 2.5e6 are supported. Results may display in scientific notation to preserve very small or very large values.
Are kilobits and kilobytes capitalized the same way?
No. The lowercase b represents a bit, while uppercase B represents a byte. Prefix capitalization also matters: kb, Mb, Gb versus kB, MB, GB.
Related Conversion Tools
Need another kind of measurement? Browse the converter directory for length, time, power, volume and other tools. Data transfer rates, such as Mb/s, require a separate speed-per-second converter.
Measurement References
Decimal and binary definitions follow the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). For the official distinction, see NIST’s binary-prefix reference. Always check which convention your software or storage product uses.