How the data storage converter works
Storage labels are confusing because decimal and binary prefixes are often mixed in everyday software. This converter keeps them distinct: KB through TB use powers of 1000, while KiB through TiB use powers of 1024.
Method and behaviour
Every source value is first converted to bytes. Decimal factors are 1,000 for KB, 1,000,000 for MB, 1,000,000,000 for GB, and 1,000,000,000,000 for TB. Binary factors are 1,024 for KiB and continue as exact powers of 1,024 through TiB.
The input is parsed exactly as a decimal, with up to 18 fractional places and a maximum of 10^18 in the selected unit. Grouping separators, exponent notation and negative values are rejected. Exact integer factors produce a rational result. Converted results round half up to ten decimal places; same-unit conversions retain all accepted digits. Positive values below display resolution show a less-than threshold. This converts nominal quantities only; formatted capacity, file-system overhead, reserved space, compression, and vendor reporting can change what a device or operating system shows.
Worked example
1 GB is exactly 1,000 MB and equals about 0.9313225746 GiB. Conversely, 1 GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes and about 1.073741824 GB.
Useful for
- Comparing a drive label with an operating-system display
- Translating cloud quotas and transfer limits
- Checking decimal versus binary memory figures
- Preparing precise unit labels in technical documentation
Important limitations
- The tool does not calculate usable formatted capacity
- Bit-rate units such as Mb/s are not included
- Converted results can be rounded; same-unit conversion preserves the accepted value
Questions specific to this tool
Why does a drive appear smaller in some software?
Manufacturers commonly label decimal GB or TB, while some software reports binary quantities using similar words. Formatting and reserved space can reduce the usable amount further.
Is MB the same as MiB?
No. One MB is 1,000,000 bytes; one MiB is 1,048,576 bytes.
Does a lowercase b mean bytes?
Conventionally uppercase B means bytes and lowercase b means bits. This tool converts bytes and byte-based units only.
Publisher: Sitrucanaid Inc. · Implementation updated: 2026-10-17 · Tool version 1.1.0