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Data Storage Converter

Convert between bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB and binary equivalents (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB)

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Decimal (Base 10)

Binary (Base 2)

KB vs KiB Explained

Decimal: KB = 1,000 B, MB = 1,000 KB, GB = 1,000 MB
Binary: KiB = 1,024 B, MiB = 1,024 KiB, GiB = 1,024 MiB

Storage manufacturers use decimal (KB, GB), while operating systems often report in binary (KiB, GiB). This is why a "500 GB" drive shows as ~465 GiB on your computer.

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How Data Storage Conversion Works

Digital data is measured in bytes. There are two systems for larger units: decimal (powers of 1000) and binary (powers of 1024).

Decimal (SI) Units

KB (1,000 B), MB (1,000,000 B), GB (10⁹ B), TB (10¹² B), PB (10¹⁵ B). Used by storage manufacturers and network speeds.

Binary (IEC) Units

KiB (1,024 B), MiB (1,048,576 B), GiB (1,073,741,824 B), TiB. Used by operating systems and RAM specifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between KB and KiB?
KB (kilobyte) = 1,000 bytes (decimal). KiB (kibibyte) = 1,024 bytes (binary). Storage companies use KB; OS often uses KiB.
How many GB are in a TB?
Decimal: 1 TB = 1,000 GB. Binary: 1 TiB = 1,024 GiB.
Why does my hard drive show less space than advertised?
Manufacturers use decimal (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes) but your OS displays binary (1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). A 500 GB drive shows as ~465 GiB.
What is a petabyte?
A petabyte (PB) is 1,000 terabytes or 1,000,000 gigabytes. Used for measuring data center storage.