The Complete Guide to Data storage Conversions

Consider this the master page for data storage conversions. Below you'll find every supported unit explained, the precise factors connecting them, and computed tables you can rely on for homework, work or travel.

Prefer a calculator? Every conversion on this page has an instant, free tool — start at the tools hub or use the links under each unit below.

The units at a glance

Byte (B)

The byte — 8 bits — is the fundamental unit of digital storage, enough to encode a single character of text.

• 1 B = 0.00097656 kilobytes (KB) — Byte to Kilobyte converter
• 1 B = 0.00000095 megabytes (MB) — Byte to Megabyte converter
• 1 B = 0 gigabytes (GB) — Byte to Gigabyte converter
• 1 B = 0 terabytes (TB) — Byte to Terabyte converter

Kilobyte (KB)

The kilobyte here follows the binary convention of 1,024 bytes used by operating systems — a page of plain text is a few kilobytes.

• 1 KB = 1,024 bytes (B) — Kilobyte to Byte converter
• 1 KB = 0.00097656 megabytes (MB) — Kilobyte to Megabyte converter
• 1 KB = 0.00000095 gigabytes (GB) — Kilobyte to Gigabyte converter
• 1 KB = 0 terabytes (TB) — Kilobyte to Terabyte converter

Megabyte (MB)

The megabyte (1,024 KB) is the scale of photos and songs: a smartphone photo runs 2–5 MB, an MP3 about 1 MB per minute.

• 1 MB = 1,048,576 bytes (B) — Megabyte to Byte converter
• 1 MB = 1,024 kilobytes (KB) — Megabyte to Kilobyte converter
• 1 MB = 0.00097656 gigabytes (GB) — Megabyte to Gigabyte converter
• 1 MB = 0.00000095 terabytes (TB) — Megabyte to Terabyte converter

Gigabyte (GB)

The gigabyte (1,024 MB) is the everyday unit of phone storage and data plans; an hour of HD video streaming uses roughly 3 GB.

• 1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (B) — Gigabyte to Byte converter
• 1 GB = 1,048,576 kilobytes (KB) — Gigabyte to Kilobyte converter
• 1 GB = 1,024 megabytes (MB) — Gigabyte to Megabyte converter
• 1 GB = 0.00097656 terabytes (TB) — Gigabyte to Terabyte converter

Terabyte (TB)

The terabyte (1,024 GB) is the scale of modern hard drives and cloud backups — room for roughly 250,000 smartphone photos.

• 1 TB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (B) — Terabyte to Byte converter
• 1 TB = 1,073,741,824 kilobytes (KB) — Terabyte to Kilobyte converter
• 1 TB = 1,048,576 megabytes (MB) — Terabyte to Megabyte converter
• 1 TB = 1,024 gigabytes (GB) — Terabyte to Gigabyte converter

Every conversion formula

The table below lists the exact formula for every data storage pair we support. All factors derive from the SI definitions of the units, so chaining them never introduces error.

One-line cross reference: every unit in every other unit

The complete pairwise reference — every supported data storage unit expressed in each of the others:

• 1 byte = 0.00097656 kilobytes
• 1 byte = 0.00000095 megabytes
• 1 byte = 0 gigabytes
• 1 byte = 0 terabytes
• 1 kilobyte = 1,024 bytes
• 1 kilobyte = 0.00097656 megabytes
• 1 kilobyte = 0.00000095 gigabytes
• 1 kilobyte = 0 terabytes
• 1 megabyte = 1,048,576 bytes
• 1 megabyte = 1,024 kilobytes
• 1 megabyte = 0.00097656 gigabytes
• 1 megabyte = 0.00000095 terabytes
• 1 gigabyte = 1,073,741,824 bytes
• 1 gigabyte = 1,048,576 kilobytes
• 1 gigabyte = 1,024 megabytes
• 1 gigabyte = 0.00097656 terabytes
• 1 terabyte = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
• 1 terabyte = 1,073,741,824 kilobytes
• 1 terabyte = 1,048,576 megabytes
• 1 terabyte = 1,024 gigabytes

Real-world reference points

Digital anchors: a plain-text email is a few KB, a smartphone photo 2–5 MB, an MP3 song about 1 MB per minute, an hour of HD streaming around 3 GB, and a modern game install 50–150 GB. A terabyte holds roughly a quarter of a million photos.

Most-used conversion tables

Gigabyte to Megabyte

Byte to Kilobyte

Kilobyte to Byte

Kilobyte to Megabyte

Megabyte to Kilobyte

Megabyte to Gigabyte

Gigabyte to Terabyte

Terabyte to Gigabyte

Common mistakes to avoid

Data units hide two traps: the binary/decimal split (drive makers count 1 GB as 1,000,000,000 bytes while operating systems use 1,073,741,824 — why a "1 TB" drive shows as 931 GB), and bits versus bytes — your "100 megabit" internet plan downloads at 12.5 megabytes per second, not 100.

Tips for accurate conversions

• Round once, at the end. Chaining conversions and rounding each step compounds error surprisingly fast.
• Watch for regional unit variants. Some unit names have US and imperial variants with different sizes — always check which one your source means.
• Estimate first, then compute. A rough mental figure catches order-of-magnitude mistakes before they end up in your work.
• Use exact factors for anything official. The factors in this guide are the internationally defined values, not approximations.

Frequently asked questions

Which data storage unit should I use?

Use the unit your audience expects: metric units for international and scientific audiences, US customary units for American everyday contexts. When in doubt, give both — "5 km (3.1 mi)" style.

Are these conversion factors exact?

Yes. Every factor on this page comes from the internationally agreed definition of the units involved (most were fixed by treaty in 1959 or by SI definition), so the only inaccuracy is the rounding you choose for the final answer.

Can I use these tables offline?

Yes — print this page or save it as a PDF. The tables are computed from exact factors and will not go out of date.