MB to GB Converter
Convert megabytes to gigabytes and back, live. With one honest choice up front: decimal (SI) or binary (IEC), because 1000 MB and 1024 MiB are not the same gigabyte.
01. Live converter
Type in either box. Everything on this page stays in sync.
02. All units, in sync
One value, every unit at once. Edit any box.
03. Quick conversion table
Decimal (SI) values. Switch the system above to see binary (IEC) values.
| Megabytes (MB) | Gigabytes (GB) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.001 |
| 10 | 0.01 |
| 100 | 0.1 |
| 250 | 0.25 |
| 500 | 0.5 |
| 1,000 | 1 |
| 2,500 | 2.5 |
| 5,000 | 5 |
| 10,000 | 10 |
| 100,000 | 100 |
| Gigabytes (GB) | Megabytes (MB) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 100 |
| 0.5 | 500 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2.5 | 2,500 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 |
04. What do these sizes feel like
Real-world file sizes in decimal (SI) units, the way storage is sold.
05. Worked examples
Every step shown, no black boxes.
Example 1: 2500 MB to GB (decimal)
- Use the decimal rule: 1 GB = 1000 MB.
- Divide: 2500 / 1000 = 2.5.
Answer: 2.5 GB
Example 2: 16 GB to MB (decimal)
- Use the decimal rule: 1 GB = 1000 MB.
- Multiply: 16 x 1000 = 16000.
Answer: 16,000 MB
Example 3: 2048 MiB to GiB (binary)
- Use the binary rule: 1 GiB = 1024 MiB.
- Divide: 2048 / 1024 = 2.
Answer: 2 GiB
Example 4: Why a 1 TB drive shows about 931 GiB
- The drive maker counts decimal: 1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes.
- Windows counts binary: 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes.
- Divide: 1,000,000,000,000 / 1,073,741,824 = 931.3226 GiB.
Answer: about 931.3226 GiB (exactly 931.322574615478515625 GiB)
06. Frequently asked questions
How many MB are in 1 GB?
It depends on which gigabyte you mean. In decimal (SI) units, the kind storage makers and phone specs use, 1 GB = 1000 MB. In binary (IEC) units, the kind Windows and RAM specs use, 1 GiB = 1024 MiB. They are different units with similar names, which is exactly why this converter makes you pick one.
Why does my 1 TB hard drive show as 931 GB in Windows?
No space is missing. The drive maker sells you 1 TB in decimal: 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. Windows measures in binary gibibytes: 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Divide 1,000,000,000,000 by 1,073,741,824 and you get 931.3226 GiB. Windows labels it GB, but it really means GiB.
What is the difference between MB and MiB?
MB is the decimal megabyte: 1,000,000 bytes (1000 x 1000). MiB is the binary mebibyte: 1,048,576 bytes (1024 x 1024). A MiB is about 4.86 percent larger than a MB. The i in the middle stands for the IEC binary standard and exists precisely to end the confusion.
Should I use decimal or binary mode?
Use decimal (SI) when you are dealing with hard drives, SSDs, USB sticks, phone storage, or internet plans, because that is how those are sold and measured. Use binary (IEC) when you are dealing with RAM, or with what Windows File Explorer reports, because Windows counts in binary but labels it GB and MB.
What is the formula to convert MB to GB?
Decimal: GB = MB / 1000. Binary: GiB = MiB / 1024. To go the other way, multiply instead of dividing: decimal MB = GB x 1000, binary MiB = GiB x 1024.
Is 1024 MB equal to 1 GB?
Only if you mean binary units: 1024 MiB = 1 GiB exactly. In decimal units, 1024 MB = 1.024 GB. Saying 1024 MB = 1 GB mixes the two systems, and that mix-up is responsible for most storage confusion.
How many KB are in 1 MB?
Decimal: 1 MB = 1000 KB. Binary: 1 MiB = 1024 KiB. Same pattern all the way up the ladder: each decimal step multiplies by 1000, each binary step multiplies by 1024.
How many GB are in 1 TB?
Decimal: 1 TB = 1000 GB. Binary: 1 TiB = 1024 GiB. A 1 TB drive therefore holds 1000 decimal GB, which Windows reports as about 931 GiB.
How big is 1 GB in real terms?
Roughly 285 smartphone photos at 3.5 MB each, or about 125 MP3 songs at 8 MB each, or about 2.5 minutes of 4K video at 375 MB per minute, or one fifth of a 2-hour HD movie. See the context cards above for more.
What is the difference between Mb and MB?
Case matters. MB means megabyte, Mb means megabit, and 1 byte = 8 bits, so 1 MB = 8 Mb. Internet speeds are sold in megabits per second (Mbps): a 100 Mbps plan downloads at most 12.5 MB per second. This converter works in bytes (MB, GB); for speed math see our bandwidth calculator.
Why does my 128 GB phone show less free space?
Three reasons stack up. First, the 128 GB is decimal (128,000 MB) but the phone may report binary, which reads about 7 percent lower. Second, the operating system and preinstalled apps already occupy several GB. Third, formatted storage always loses a little to filesystem overhead.
How many MB is a 2-hour HD movie?
A typical 2-hour HD stream or download is about 5 GB, which is 5,000 MB in decimal units. A 4K version of the same movie can be 20 to 30 GB, or 20,000 to 30,000 MB.
Can I convert TB or PB directly here?
Yes. The all-units panel converts between bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, and PB in one step, in whichever system you selected. 1 PB = 1,000,000 GB decimal, or 1,048,576 GiB binary.
What does the decimal places setting do?
It controls how many digits are shown after the point, from 0 to 10. The math underneath is exact integer arithmetic, so changing the setting only changes display rounding, never the true value. Rounding is half up: 1.005 at 2 places shows 1.01.
Is this converter free and private?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no sign-up, no cookies for the tool itself, and no data sent anywhere. You can even save the page and use it offline.
Why do some sites say 1 GB = 1024 MB?
They are using the old informal convention from before the IEC standard gave binary units their own names (KiB, MiB, GiB) in 1998. Under the modern standard, 1024-based units are GiB and MiB, while GB and MB are 1000-based. Both conventions still float around, so always check which one a site means.
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