Data Transfer Rate Converter — bps, Kbps, Mbps, Gbps, MB/s, GB/s

Our free data transfer rate converter instantly converts between all network and storage speed units — from bits per second (bps) all the way to terabits per second (Tbps), and from bytes per second (B/s) to gigabytes per second (GB/s). Stop getting confused by Mbps vs MB/s — get the right number instantly.

The Critical Difference: Bits vs Bytes in Speed Units

The single most important thing to understand about data rates is that network speeds use bits (b) while file sizes and disk speeds use bytes (B). One byte = 8 bits. Your 1 Gbps internet connection transfers data at approximately 125 MB/s — not 1,000 MB/s. This 8× difference catches out students, IT professionals and consumers alike when comparing speeds across different contexts.

Real-World Speed Reference

• USB 2.0: 480 Mbps = 60 MB/s theoretical (30–40 MB/s real-world)
• USB 3.0: 5 Gbps = 625 MB/s theoretical
• SATA III SSD: 6 Gbps = 750 MB/s theoretical (500–550 MB/s real-world)
• NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4: 32 Gbps = 4 GB/s theoretical (3.5 GB/s real-world)
• NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4: 64 Gbps = 8 GB/s theoretical (7 GB/s real-world)
• 10GbE network: 10 Gbps = 1.25 GB/s
• 100GbE data centre: 100 Gbps = 12.5 GB/s

Storage vs Network Speed Units

Storage manufacturers typically rate drive speeds in MB/s (megabytes per second) because the numbers are more impressive — "3,500 MB/s" sounds better than "28 Gbps". Networking equipment is rated in Mbps or Gbps (megabits/gigabits per second). When comparing storage performance to network throughput (e.g. planning a network-attached storage solution), always convert to the same unit before comparing.