Data Storage Converter

Convert between bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, and PB with binary and decimal options.

How to Use Data Storage Converter

1

Enter a value

Type the storage amount you want to convert.
2

Select source unit

Choose the unit you are converting from, like gigabytes.
3

Choose target unit

Pick the target unit to see the converted value instantly.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What Data Storage Converter does, with a checked example

A storage quantity is meaningful only after its unit scale is fixed. Data Storage Converter takes an amount in bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, or PB and expresses the same quantity in another listed unit. Its decimal option uses powers of 1,000, while its binary option uses powers of 1,024. The common surprise is that changing modes changes the byte quantity represented by a unit such as GB; the mode is part of the measurement, not merely a display preference.

Worked example

A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.

Input

1024 bytes to KB, binary mode

Expected output

1 KB

In binary mode, one KB represents 1,024 bytes. Checking in reverse, 1 multiplied by 1,024 returns the original 1,024-byte amount.

How the result is produced

Decimal scaling

Decimal mode places each adjacent unit 1,000 times above the preceding unit. One KB is 1,000 bytes, one MB is 1,000,000 bytes, and the progression continues through PB. Converting to a larger unit divides by the applicable power of 1,000; converting to a smaller unit multiplies by it.

Binary scaling

Binary mode uses a factor of 1,024 between adjacent units. For example, one binary MB corresponds to 1,024 KB and 1,048,576 bytes. This scale is commonly associated with the unambiguous IEC names KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB, and PiB, although this tool's selectable labels are KB through PB.

Good uses

Translate a drive manufacturer's decimal capacity into the binary-scaled figure shown by some system utilities.
Convert an upload limit stated in raw bytes into MB or GB under a specified convention.
Check whether two reported file sizes differ because one uses decimal units and the other uses binary units.

Limits and checks

A label such as KB or GB is ambiguous when the decimal or binary mode is not recorded with the result.
The converter handles bytes, not bits. A byte value cannot be treated as the same numerical quantity in kilobits or megabits.
Unit conversion does not account for compression, filesystem metadata, reserved device space, or the storage occupied after formatting.

Common questions

Why does a storage device appear smaller than its advertised capacity?

Manufacturers commonly state capacity with decimal units, while some operating-system displays use binary scaling but retain familiar labels such as GB. Formatting, partitions, metadata, and reserved space can reduce the available amount further. This converter can isolate the difference caused by unit scaling, but no, it cannot predict the exact usable capacity of a particular device.

Is a binary KB the same thing as a KiB?

Numerically, yes when binary mode defines KB as 1,024 bytes: that quantity equals one KiB. The labels are not universally interchangeable, however. KiB explicitly identifies the IEC binary unit, while KB is often used for either 1,000 or 1,024 bytes. Include the selected mode whenever the distinction matters.

References and verification

The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.