How the storage converter works
Last updated 10 November 2026
This converter uses exact definitions of each unit, so results are as accurate as the number you enter.
How it works
- KB, MB, GB and TB use powers of 1 000. KiB, MiB, GiB and TiB use powers of 1 024.
- Both are shown so you can compare.
Worked example
With the starting figures:
- 1.0000 gb is 1 000.000000 mb.
Two ways to count bytes
Storage sizes come in two systems that look alike. Decimal units, written KB, MB, GB and TB, go up in steps of a thousand. Binary units, written KiB, MiB, GiB and TiB, go up in steps of one thousand and twenty-four. The converter shows both, so you can see where a number comes from.
Why a drive shows less than the box says
Drive makers use decimal units, and many computers show binary units. A drive sold as one terabyte holds a thousand billion bytes, but is shown by the computer as a smaller number of binary units. Nothing is missing. The same number of bytes is being counted in a different unit.
Where this matters in South Africa
- Data bundles: mobile and fibre data is sold in decimal units.
- Phone storage: a phone's storage screen may show binary units.
- Backups and uploads: compare a file size with the room you have left before you start.
- Photos and video: estimate how many will fit on a card or in a cloud plan.
Bits and bytes
Internet speeds are often given in bits per second, while file sizes are given in bytes. A byte is eight bits, so a connection speed in megabits is about an eighth of the same number in megabytes per second. Keep the units straight when you work out how long a download will take.
Related tools
For lengths, areas and weights, use the length converter and its neighbours. The conversion is done in your browser and nothing is stored.
Things to watch
- Mobile data bundles use decimal units. Some computers show binary units.
The conversion factors are definitions, not measurements. They are listed with their source in the data notes. Nothing you enter is stored or sent.
Like every tool on MoneyMzansi, this one runs entirely in your browser. There is no account, no upload and no sign-up, so it keeps working even if your connection drops once the page has loaded.