Data Storage Converter
Convert digital storage units between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many megabytes are in a gigabyte?
One gigabyte (GB) equals 1,024 megabytes (MB) in binary terms, or exactly 1,000 megabytes in the decimal system used by hard drive manufacturers. This discrepancy is why a 500 GB hard drive appears smaller when connected to a computer — the OS uses binary, showing about 465 GB. Understanding both definitions helps when comparing storage capacities of drives, USB sticks, and cloud services, where manufacturers and operating systems can report different values for the same device.
What is the difference between a kilobit and a kilobyte?
A kilobyte (KB) contains 8 kilobits (Kb). Internet speed is typically measured in megabits per second (Mbps), while file sizes are measured in megabytes (MB). This is why a 100 Mbps internet connection downloads a 100 MB file in about 8 seconds, not 1 second — you must divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s. Confusing bits and bytes is a common mistake when estimating download times or comparing internet plan speeds.
How large is a terabyte compared to everyday files?
One terabyte (TB) equals 1,024 gigabytes. To put that in perspective, a terabyte can hold approximately 250,000 photos (at 4 MB each), about 500 hours of HD video, or millions of text documents. Modern hard drives and cloud storage plans are often sold in terabyte increments. As media files grow larger with higher resolutions like 4K and 8K video, terabyte-scale storage has become commonplace for both consumers and professional content creators managing large libraries.