What is a data storage converter?

A data storage converter is an online tool that allows you to convert between different digital storage units such as bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and petabytes. It also supports binary units like KiB, MiB.

Which units can I convert with this tool?

You can convert decimal units (bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB) and binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB), as well as bits, nibbles, words, and legacy storage media such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks.

Is this converter accurate?

Yes, the conversions are scientifically precise. Decimal units follow powers of 10, and binary units follow powers of 2. Always double-check for legal or critical calculations.

Why does my hard drive show less capacity than advertised?

Manufacturers use decimal units (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes), while operating systems display storage in binary units (1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). This difference causes the apparent discrepancy.

Can I convert bits to bytes or bytes to bits?

Yes, the converter supports converting between bits and bytes. Remember that 1 byte = 8 bits.

Can I use it for very large storage units like petabytes or exabytes?

Yes, the tool supports conversions up to exabytes and can handle both binary and decimal representations for extremely large data volumes.

Does this tool support legacy storage media conversions?

Yes, it includes conversions for legacy media such as floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, and Zip drives, making it useful for historical or archival data calculations.

Can I use it on mobile devices?

Yes, the converter is fully responsive and works on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Data Storage Converter

Convert between byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte, petabyte, exabyte, and many other data storage capacity units with scientific precision.

From Value Enter a number (e.g., 100 or 1.23e-4)

From Unit

To Result Result updates automatically

Copied!

To Unit

Data Storage Units Explained

Byte (B)

Standard unit of digital information, consisting of 8 bits. Capable of representing 256 different values (0-255).

Common uses: File sizes, storage capacity, memory specifications, bandwidth measurements.

Bit (b)

Smallest unit of digital information, representing a binary digit (0 or 1). 1 byte = 8 bits.

Common uses: Network speeds (Mbps = megabits per second), binary data, checksums.

Kilobyte (kB)

Binary: 1 kB = 1024 bytes (used by operating systems). Decimal: 1 kB = 1000 bytes (metric standard, used by manufacturers).

Common uses: Small files, text documents, compressed images.

Megabyte (MB)

Binary: 1 MB = 1024² bytes = 1,048,576 bytes. Decimal: 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes.

Common uses: Images, audio files, documents, download speeds.

Gigabyte (GB)

Binary: 1 GB = 1024³ bytes ≈ 1.074 billion bytes. Decimal: 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. This difference causes the "missing" storage on devices.

Common uses: Hard drives, RAM, movies, game installations, storage devices.

Terabyte (TB)

Binary: 1 TB = 1024⁴ bytes ≈ 1.1 trillion bytes. Decimal: 1 TB = 10¹² bytes = 1 trillion bytes.

Common uses: Large hard drives, data centers, cloud storage, server capacity.

Petabyte (PB)

Binary: 1 PB = 1024⁵ bytes. Decimal: 1 PB = 10¹⁵ bytes. Extremely large units used in enterprise and scientific computing.

Common uses: Data centers, big data analytics, scientific research, enterprise storage.

Exabyte (EB)

Binary: 1 EB = 1024⁶ bytes. Decimal: 1 EB = 10¹⁸ bytes. Internet-scale storage unit.

Common uses: Global data storage, scientific databases, internet scale computing.

Legacy Storage Media

Floppy disk (3.5"): DD (720 KB), HD (1.44 MB), ED (2.88 MB)
Floppy disk (5.25"): DD (~360 KB), HD (~1.2 MB)
Zip disk: 100 MB or 250 MB capacity
Jaz drive: 1 GB or 2 GB capacity
CD: 650-700 MB (74-80 minutes of audio)
DVD: 4.7 GB (1 layer, 1 side) to 17 GB (2 layer, 2 side)

Storage Capacity Conversions Quick Reference

1 Kilobyte: ~1 small text document, 1 low-res icon
1 Megabyte: ~4 high-quality photos, 1 minute of audio
1 Gigabyte: ~200 songs, 1 movie (low quality), 1000 high-res photos
1 Terabyte: ~200,000 songs, 300 movies, 1 million high-res photos
Typical hard drive: 1-4 TB
Typical SSD: 256 GB - 2 TB
USB flash drive: 32 GB - 256 GB
Smartphone storage: 64 GB - 512 GB
Cloud storage tier: 100 GB - 2 TB

Important: Binary (1024) vs Decimal (1000) Definition

Binary: 1 KB = 1024 bytes (computer standard, IEC definition)
Decimal: 1 KB = 1000 bytes (metric standard, SI definition, manufacturing)
The Storage Discrepancy: A 1 TB hard drive is 10¹² bytes, but Windows shows it as ~931 GB (1,000,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 = 931.32 GB)
Solution: Use binary units (1024-based) for OS calculations, decimal for specifications
Terminology: Modern standard uses KiB, MiB, GiB for binary; KB, MB, GB for decimal (but often misused)
Bandwidth: Internet speeds always use decimal (Mbps = megabits per second = 1,000,000 bits)
File sizes: Operating systems use binary (1 GB = 1024³ bytes)
Manufacturers: Hard drives, SSDs, storage use decimal to show larger capacity numbers

Data Measurement in Different Contexts

File size: Bytes (B) - what your OS shows
Network speed: Bits per second (bps, Mbps, Gbps) - always decimal
Storage capacity: Bytes (B) - manufacturer uses decimal, OS uses binary
RAM: Bytes (B) - always binary (1024-based)
Video bitrate: Megabits per second (Mbps) - decimal
Download speed: Megabytes per second (MB/s) or megabits (Mbps) - varies
Bandwidth: Bits per second (Gbps, Tbps) - decimal, always
Cloud storage: Gigabytes or terabytes - usually decimal

Estimating Storage Needs

Photos: 2-5 MB each (quality dependent)
Videos: 100 MB - 2 GB per minute (quality dependent)
Music: 3-10 MB per song (128 kbps - 320 kbps)
Documents: 10 KB - 1 MB each
Emails: 50 KB - 5 MB each (with attachments)
Full HD movie: 4-8 GB (2 hours)
4K movie: 15-50 GB (2 hours)
Game install: 30 GB - 150 GB (modern AAA titles)
Operating system: 20-40 GB (Windows/MacOS)
Applications: 500 MB - 5 GB each