Use this free storage converter to instantly convert between any digital storage unit. Essential for IT pros comparing drive sizes, calculating cloud storage costs, or verifying backup capacity.
QUICK REFERENCE
1 KB = 1,000 bytes (SI) or 1,024 bytes (binary/KiB). Hard drive manufacturers use SI units; operating systems typically report binary. A 1 TB drive shows as ~931 GiB in Windows.
Free Online Storage Unit Converter — KB, MB, GB, TB, PB and Beyond
Our storage converter instantly converts between every digital storage unit — from bits and bytes all the way up to zettabytes. Whether you're comparing hard drive sizes, calculating cloud storage costs, planning a backup strategy or verifying server capacity, this tool gives you accurate conversions in real time with no rounding errors.
How Digital Storage Units Are Calculated
All digital storage is ultimately measured in bits — the smallest unit of data, a single 0 or 1. Eight bits make one byte. From there, two systems exist:
- Decimal (SI) units — used by hard drive manufacturers: 1 KB = 1,000 bytes, 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes, 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes
- Binary (IEC) units — used by operating systems: 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes, 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes, 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes
This is why a hard drive advertised as 1 TB shows as approximately 931 GiB in Windows — the drive manufacturer uses decimal, but Windows reports binary. Our converter supports both systems so you always get the right answer.
Common Storage Conversion Reference
- 1 GB = 1,000 MB (decimal) or 1,024 MiB (binary)
- 1 TB = 1,000 GB = 1,000,000 MB
- 1 PB (petabyte) = 1,000 TB — used for large data centres and cloud storage
- 1 EB (exabyte) = 1,000 PB — used by major cloud providers like AWS and Google
- 1 ZB (zettabyte) = 1,000 EB — the total of all internet data is measured in zettabytes
Who Uses a Storage Converter?
This tool is used daily by system administrators calculating RAID array sizes, DevOps engineers sizing cloud volumes, network engineers planning backup windows, IT managers reporting storage utilisation, and students studying for CompTIA A+, Network+ and other IT certifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between MB and MiB? A megabyte (MB) is exactly 1,000,000 bytes in the SI standard. A mebibyte (MiB) is 1,048,576 bytes. Operating systems like Linux and Windows use MiB when they display "MB" — which causes the apparent size difference.
How many GB is 1 TB? 1 TB = 1,000 GB in decimal (SI). In binary, 1 TiB = 1,024 GiB.
What comes after petabyte? The order is: KB → MB → GB → TB → PB → EB (exabyte) → ZB (zettabyte) → YB (yottabyte).