Is a KB bigger than an MB? How many MB are in a GB, and how many GB in a TB? This guide to KB vs MB vs GB vs TB answers all of it in plain English, with a converter, real examples and an explanation of why your new 1 TB drive shows only 931 GB. The short version: KB is smaller than MB, MB is smaller than GB, and GB is smaller than TB, and each step is about 1,000 times larger.
File size converter
Type a size and pick its unit to see it in the others:
Uses decimal units: 1 GB = 1,000 MB.
KB, MB, GB and TB in order
| Unit | Name | Size | Real-world example |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Byte | 8 bits | One text character |
| KB | Kilobyte | 1,000 bytes | A short text email: a few KB |
| MB | Megabyte | 1,000 KB | A phone photo: about 3–5 MB |
| GB | Gigabyte | 1,000 MB | A two-hour HD movie: about 4–5 GB |
| TB | Terabyte | 1,000 GB | A large hard drive; about 10 big games |
| PB | Petabyte | 1,000 TB | Data-center storage |
Quick answers
- Is KB bigger than MB? No. 1 MB is 1,000 KB.
- Is MB bigger than GB? No. 1 GB is 1,000 MB.
- Is GB bigger than TB? No. 1 TB is 1,000 GB.
- Which is bigger, 500 MB or 1 GB? 1 GB, which is twice the size.
- How many KB in a GB? 1,000,000 KB.
How to convert KB, MB, GB and TB
| To convert | Do this | Example |
|---|---|---|
| KB to MB | Divide by 1,000 | 2,500 KB = 2.5 MB |
| MB to GB | Divide by 1,000 | 750 MB = 0.75 GB |
| GB to TB | Divide by 1,000 | 500 GB = 0.5 TB |
| TB to GB | Multiply by 1,000 | 2 TB = 2,000 GB |
| GB to MB | Multiply by 1,000 | 4 GB = 4,000 MB |
| MB to KB | Multiply by 1,000 | 3 MB = 3,000 KB |
1,000 or 1,024? Why your drive looks smaller
You may also see 1 MB described as 1,024 KB. Both figures exist:
- Decimal (1,000): used by storage makers, internet providers and macOS.
- Binary (1,024): used by Windows and some software. Strictly, these units are called KiB, MiB and GiB.
That’s why a drive sold as 1 TB shows about 931 GB in Windows. Nothing is missing. It’s the same capacity counted differently. For everyday estimates, the difference rarely matters.
MB vs Mb: don’t mix up file size and internet speed
A capital B means bytes, and a small b means bits. One byte is 8 bits. File sizes use MB and GB, while internet speeds use Mbps (megabits per second). So a 100 Mbps connection downloads at most about 12.5 MB per second. Read Mbps vs MB/s for the full explanation and a speed converter.
How long does a download take?
| File | 100 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 MB photo | Under 1 sec | Under 1 sec | Under 1 sec |
| 1 GB app | 80 sec | 27 sec | 8 sec |
| 5 GB HD movie | 7 min | 2 min | 40 sec |
| 100 GB game | 2 h 13 min | 44 min | 13 min |
These are best-case times at full speed. To see what your connection can do, run our speed test, then check the result with Is My Internet Speed Good?
Frequently asked questions
What is the order from smallest to largest?
Byte, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB.
How many GB is a terabyte?
1,000 GB in decimal units, the way drives are sold. Windows counts 1 TiB as 1,024 GiB.
Is 1 GB a lot of data?
It depends on the use. It’s plenty for browsing and email, but streaming HD video can use around 3 GB per hour.
Is 1 TB of home internet data enough?
For many households, yes. Heavy 4K streaming and large game downloads can use it up, so check whether your plan has a data cap.