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Data Storage Converter

Convert between KB, MB, GB and TB — with the decimal-versus-binary difference shown, so you finally know where the “missing” gigabytes went.

Written by Jude Ramsey · Last updated August 2026 · How these calculators are checked

Why your drive “loses” space

Storage makers count in decimal — 1 GB = 1,000 MB — while operating systems often count in binary, where the same unit (properly GiB) is 1,073,741,824 bytes. Neither is wrong; they are different rulers, and the gap between them is the famous “missing space” on every new drive. This converter shows both side by side so the numbers finally reconcile.

How to use it

  1. Enter the amount and its unit (KB, MB, GB or TB).
  2. Read the conversions in decimal units.
  3. Compare the binary (GiB) line to see what an OS may report.

The two rulers

decimal: 1 GB = 1,000 MB · binary: 1 GiB = 1,024 MiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

A worked example

512 MB is 0.512 GB in decimal — but only 0.477 GiB in binary. Scale that up and a “1 TB” drive shows about 931 GiB in an operating system that counts in binary: nothing is missing, the label and the OS are simply using different definitions, roughly 7% apart at the terabyte scale.

Common questions

So is my 1 TB drive really 1 TB?
Yes — one trillion bytes, exactly as labelled. An OS counting in binary displays that as ~931 GiB. Same bytes, different ruler.
What’s the difference between MB and Mb?
Capital B is bytes (storage); small b is bits (network speed) — eight bits to a byte. A 100 Mbps connection moves at most 12.5 MB per second.
Which should I use in everyday life?
Decimal for buying storage (it matches the labels), binary awareness for reading what your OS reports — and this converter when the two need reconciling.

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