Data Storage Converter 💾
Convert between data storage units: bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB. Binary and decimal units.
About the Data Storage Converter
The Data Storage Converter runs entirely in your browser. Enter a value, pick the unit, and toggle between decimal (1 KB = 1000 bytes) and binary (1 KiB = 1024 bytes) units. The converter shows the equivalent value across all units. Nothing is uploaded to a server — everything happens locally with JavaScript on your device.
Decimal vs binary units
Storage manufacturers and most operating systems historically used decimal units (KB, MB, GB) where each step is multiplied by 1000. Memory and many file sizes use binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB) where each step is multiplied by 1024. This is why a "500 GB" hard drive shows up as roughly 465 GiB in your file explorer.
How to use the converter
- Enter the numeric value you want to convert.
- Select the source unit from the dropdown.
- Toggle the binary checkbox if you want KiB/MiB/GiB (1024-based) instead of KB/MB/GB (1000-based).
- All equivalent values are shown in the results below.
Frequently asked questions
Why do hard drive capacities look smaller in the OS? Drive manufacturers use decimal units (1 GB = 10⁹ bytes), while operating systems typically report in binary units (1 GiB = 2³⁰ bytes ≈ 1.074 × 10⁹ bytes). A 500 GB drive therefore shows as ~465 GiB.
What's the difference between KB and KiB? KB = 1000 bytes (decimal), KiB = 1024 bytes (binary). The binary naming was introduced by the IEC to remove the long-standing ambiguity.
Does this tool upload anything? No. All conversion happens locally in your browser. Your inputs never leave your device.
How precise are the results? Values are shown with up to 6 significant digits, which is more than enough for any practical use.