Data Storage Converter

Instantly convert between Bytes, Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes, and Terabytes

Understanding Data Storage Units

Digital storage is measured in bytes, with each larger unit representing an exponential increase in capacity. Here's a breakdown of common storage units:

Byte (B)

The basic unit of digital information storage. One byte equals 8 bits.

Example: A single character of text
Kilobyte (KB)

1 KB = 1,024 bytes. Used for small files like text documents or simple images.

Example: A short email without attachments
Megabyte (MB)

1 MB = 1,024 KB = 1,048,576 bytes. Common for photos, songs, and documents.

Example: A 3-minute MP3 song or a high-resolution photo
Gigabyte (GB)

1 GB = 1,024 MB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Used for movies, software, and storage devices.

Example: A DVD-quality movie or 250 MP3 songs
Terabyte (TB)

1 TB = 1,024 GB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes. Used for large storage systems and data centers.

Example: 250,000 photos or 500 hours of HD video

Binary vs Decimal Interpretation

There are two ways to interpret storage units:

This difference can lead to apparent discrepancies between advertised and actual storage capacity.

Real-World Storage Examples

To help visualize these units, here are some common digital storage examples:

Text & Documents

  • 1 page of plain text: ~2 KB
  • Average Word document: 25-100 KB
  • Ebook (no images): 200-500 KB
  • 1000-page textbook (PDF): ~5 MB

Images

  • Web banner (728x90px): ~30 KB
  • Smartphone photo (12MP): 3-5 MB
  • DSLR RAW photo: 25-50 MB
  • High-res scan (300dpi): 5-10 MB

Audio

  • 1 minute of phone-quality audio: ~500 KB
  • 3-minute MP3 song (128kbps): ~3 MB
  • 3-minute MP3 song (320kbps): ~7 MB
  • 1 hour of CD-quality audio: ~600 MB

Video

  • 1 minute of 480p video: ~10 MB
  • 1 minute of 1080p video: ~100 MB
  • 1 minute of 4K video: ~350 MB
  • 2-hour HD movie: 4-8 GB

Conversion Tips & Tricks

Use these strategies to quickly estimate storage conversions:

Quick Approximation

For rough estimates, you can use 1,000 instead of 1,024 for each step (KB to MB, MB to GB, etc.). This gives results within about 5% of the exact value.

Memory Shortcut

Remember these common conversions:

  • 1 MB = 1,000 KB (approximate)
  • 1 GB = 1,000 MB = 1 million KB
  • 1 TB = 1,000 GB = 1 million MB

Device Storage

When checking device storage, use this tool to convert advertised capacity (often in decimal) to binary units for a more accurate representation of usable space.