Quick answer
Digital storage converts through bits: 1 byte = 8 bits. Larger units multiply by 1,000 for SI prefixes (kilobyte, megabyte) or 1,024 for binary prefixes (kibibyte, mebibyte).
Enter a size and choose the units. The calculator returns the converted storage.
Related tools: Data Transfer Rate Converter: Convert bps, Mbps, Gbps and bytes per second. Cloud Storage Cost Calculator: Storage cost from size and a price you enter. Volume Converter: Convert litres, gallons, cups, spoons and more.
How to use the Digital Storage Converter
- Enter value.
- Choose from: Bit, Byte (B), Kilobyte (kB, 1000 B), Megabyte (MB), Gigabyte (GB) and Terabyte (TB) and 8 more.
- Choose to: Bit, Byte (B), Kilobyte (kB, 1000 B), Megabyte (MB), Gigabyte (GB) and Terabyte (TB) and 8 more.
- Enter decimal places (between 0 and 10). It starts at 4.
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Value | A number | — |
| From | Choose one: Bit; Byte (B); Kilobyte (kB, 1000 B); Megabyte (MB); Gigabyte (GB); Terabyte (TB); Petabyte (PB); Kilobit (kbit); … | Starts at Bit |
| To | Choose one: Bit; Byte (B); Kilobyte (kB, 1000 B); Megabyte (MB); Gigabyte (GB); Terabyte (TB); Petabyte (PB); Kilobit (kbit); … | Starts at Byte (B) |
| Decimal places | A number | ≥ 0, ≤ 10, starts at 4 |
Formula and method
Formula
result = value × (factor of source ÷ factor of target), base unit: bit
IEEE-754 double precision; displayed to the chosen number of decimal places (default 4). Very small or large results are shown in scientific notation.
Every unit is defined by an exact or published factor to the base unit (bit). The value is multiplied by the source factor and divided by the target factor.
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Value = 1; From = Byte (B); To = Bit; Decimal places = 4.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Byte (B) → Bit | 8 |
| Input | 1 Byte (B) |
Example 2
Inputs: Value = 1; From = Gibibyte (GiB); To = Mebibyte (MiB); Decimal places = 4.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Gibibyte (GiB) → Mebibyte (MiB) | 1,024 |
| Input | 1 Gibibyte (GiB) |
Example 3
Inputs: Value = 1; From = Gigabyte (GB); To = Megabyte (MB); Decimal places = 4.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Gigabyte (GB) → Megabyte (MB) | 1,000 |
| Input | 1 Gigabyte (GB) |
The first line is the headline result (byte (B) → Bit). Below it the digital Storage Converter lists input, which describe the same case from other angles. IEEE-754 double precision; displayed to the chosen number of decimal places (default 4). Very small or large results are shown in scientific notation.
Unit reference
Each unit expressed in the base unit used for the calculation. Conversions go through this base unit, so any unit can be converted to any other in the table.
| Unit | Equals (in bit) |
|---|---|
| Bit | 1 |
| Byte (B) | 8 |
| Kilobyte (kB, 1000 B) | 8000 |
| Megabyte (MB) | 8000000 |
| Gigabyte (GB) | 8000000000 |
| Terabyte (TB) | 8000000000000 |
| Petabyte (PB) | 8000000000000000 |
| Kilobit (kbit) | 1000 |
| Megabit (Mbit) | 1000000 |
| Gigabit (Gbit) | 1000000000 |
| Kibibyte (KiB, 1024 B) | 8192 |
| Mebibyte (MiB) | 8388608 |
| Gibibyte (GiB) | 8589934592 |
| Tebibyte (TiB) | 8796093022000 |
Decimal versus binary
A '1 TB' drive holds 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, which an operating system using binary units shows as about 931 GiB. This is why a new drive appears smaller than its label. Both are correct; they use different prefixes.
Quick reference
1 KB = 1,000 B, 1 MB = 1,000 KB, 1 GB = 1,000 MB. 1 KiB = 1,024 B, 1 MiB = 1,024 KiB. A bit is a single 0 or 1 and a nibble is 4 bits.
How the result changes with value
Holding every other input at the first worked example, this table changes only value. It shows how sensitive the answer is to that one value; each row was produced by running this calculator.
| Value | Byte (B) → Bit | Input |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 4 | 0.5 Byte (B) |
| 1 | 8 | 1 Byte (B) |
| 2 | 16 | 2 Byte (B) |
| 4 | 32 | 4 Byte (B) |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- Value: left empty shows "Enter value." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the Digital Storage Converter and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [Data Transfer Rate Converter](/converters/data-transfer-rate-converter/) | value, from and to | Megabit per second (Mbps) → Megabyte per second (MB/s) |
| [Cloud Storage Cost Calculator](/technology/cloud-storage-cost-calculator/) | data stored, price per GB per month and months | Total cost |
| [Volume Converter](/converters/volume-converter/) | value, from and to | US gallon → Litre (L) |
| [Weight Converter](/converters/weight-converter/) | value, from and to | Pound (lb) → Gram (g) |
| [Length Converter](/converters/length-converter/) | value, from and to | Mile (mi) → Kilometre (km) |
Background: unit conversion
Many customary units are defined exactly in terms of metric ones: since the 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement an inch is exactly 2.54 cm and a pound is exactly 0.45359237 kg (NIST SP 811 lists these). So most length and mass conversions are exact apart from the rounding of the displayed result.
To convert, multiply the value by the source unit's factor to reach the base unit, then divide by the target unit's factor; the unit table on this page lists every factor used. Temperature and fuel economy are the exceptions, because they are not simple multiples.
Assumptions and limitations
- Negative values are allowed
- Zero converts to zero (except L/100 km, where zero is invalid)
- Units from different quantities cannot be converted
- Very large or tiny results switch to exponent notation
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for value to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
How many bits in a byte?
A byte is 8 bits, so enter 1 byte and convert to bits to see 8.
Why does my 1 TB drive show 931 GB?
The OS counts in binary units.
How many MB in a GB?
1,000 MB in decimal units, 1,024 MiB in binary.
What does the Digital Storage Converter calculate?
Convert bits, bytes and decimal or binary multiples. It returns Byte (B) → Bit and Input.
What formula does the Digital Storage Converter use?
result = value × (factor of source ÷ factor of target), base unit: bit. Every unit is defined by an exact or published factor to the base unit (bit).
What is an example of a digital Storage result?
With value 1, from Byte (B), to Bit and decimal places 4, the byte (B) → Bit is 8.
Where does the method come from?
The method follows: IEC 80000-13 (decimal SI and binary IEC prefixes).
Related calculators
- Data Transfer Rate Converter — Convert bps, Mbps, Gbps and bytes per second.
- Cloud Storage Cost Calculator — Storage cost from size and a price you enter.
- Volume Converter — Convert litres, gallons, cups, spoons and more.
- Weight Converter — Convert kilograms, pounds, ounces, stone and more.
- Length Converter — Convert between metric and imperial lengths.
- Energy Converter — Convert joules, calories, kWh, BTU and more.
Sources
- IEC 80000-13 (decimal SI and binary IEC prefixes)
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.