What's the difference between binary and decimal systems?

Binary system (1024-based) is used by operating systems: 1 KB = 1024 B, 1 MB = 1024 KB. Decimal system (1000-based) is used by storage manufacturers and the SI standard: 1 KB = 1000 B, 1 MB = 1000 KB. This is why a 1 TB hard drive shows only 931 GB in Windows.

Why do storage manufacturers use the decimal system?

Using the decimal system makes the advertised capacity appear larger. A 1 TB drive has 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (decimal), which equals only 931 GB in binary (1,000,000,000,000 / 1024³). This is a common marketing practice.

Which system should I use?

Use binary (1024) when working with operating systems, file sizes, or RAM. Use decimal (1000) when reading storage device labels, network bandwidth, or following SI standards. When in doubt, use binary for software and decimal for hardware.

What units are supported?

Byte (B), Kilobyte (KB), Megabyte (MB), Gigabyte (GB), Terabyte (TB), Petabyte (PB), and Exabyte (EB). This covers the full range from individual bytes to exabyte-scale storage systems.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. All calculations happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your input values are never transmitted over the network. The tool works offline after the page loads.

Tools

System

Enter value

From

1 GB1024 MB

1 Gigabyte equals 1024 Megabyte

Data Storage Converter — Bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB

Convert between data storage units: bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and petabytes. Supports both binary (1024) and decimal (1000) systems. Understand the difference between OS and manufacturer capacity.

Features

✓Convert between data storage units: B, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB, EB
✓Support for both binary (1024-based) and decimal (1000-based) systems
✓Binary system: Used by operating systems (Windows, Linux) — 1 KB = 1024 B
✓Decimal system: Used by storage manufacturers and SI standard — 1 KB = 1000 B
✓Instant conversion as you type
✓Automatic best unit detection for easy reading
✓Precise calculations with up to 6 significant figures
✓Copy results to clipboard

How to Use

1Enter a value in the input field. The result updates instantly.
2Choose the source unit and target unit using the dropdowns.
3Select the system: Binary (1024) for OS, Decimal (1000) for manufacturers.
4Click the swap button (⇄) to reverse the conversion direction.
5Click the copy button to copy the result to your clipboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

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