File Size Converter
Convert between bytes, KB, MB, GB and TB — including the binary KiB, MiB and GiB units that explain 'missing' drive space.
Your converted file size
1 GB
from 1 Gigabytes (GB, 1000)
- Bytes
- 1,000,000,000
- Bits
- 8,000,000,000
- Megabytes (MB)
- 1,000
- Mebibytes (MiB)
- 953.67
- Gigabytes (GB)
- 1
- Gibibytes (GiB)
- 0.931323
How it works
File sizes are quietly confusing because two different counting systems share almost the same names. Storage manufacturers count in thousands; operating systems and memory count in 1,024s. This converter shows both at once so you can see exactly where the missing gigabytes went.
How it works
Bytes = value × bytes per unit, then divided into every other unit.- Decimal units step by 1,000:
1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. - Binary units step by 1,024:
1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. - Bits convert at
1 byte = 8 bits.
A worked example
A "2 TB" external drive holds 2,000,000,000,000 bytes. Windows divides that by 1,024 three times and displays 1,862 GB — about 7% less than the box promised. Nothing has been lost; the two systems are measuring the same bytes with different rulers. The gap widens as capacity grows, reaching around 10% at the petabyte scale.
How to interpret your result
Use decimal units when talking about storage capacity, downloads and cloud quotas, and binary units when you're checking what an operating system reports. If a number in a support ticket doesn't add up, converting it both ways usually explains the discrepancy in seconds.
Common real-world uses
- Working out why a new drive shows less capacity than advertised.
- Checking whether a file will fit an email or upload limit.
- Planning memory card capacity for a photo or video shoot.
- Converting network speeds in megabits to download sizes in megabytes.
- Sizing cloud storage, backups and database volumes.
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