Bytes to bits converter
To convert bytes to bits, multiply by 8. One byte is 8 bits, so 1 kB is 8,000 bits and 1 MB is 8,000,000 bits (8 Mb). This page converts sizes, not speeds.
1 B equals:
- b8
- kb0.008
- Mb0.000008
- Gb8E-9
- B1
- kB0.001
- MB0.000001
- GB1E-9
- TB1E-12
- KiB0.000976563
- MiB9.53674E-7
- GiB9.31323E-10
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Formula
1 B = 8 bits and 1 b = 1 bits, so:
Common conversions
| B | b |
|---|---|
| 1 B | 8 b |
| 2 B | 16 b |
| 4 B | 32 b |
| 8 B | 64 b |
| 64 B | 512 b |
| 512 B | 4,096 b |
| 1,024 B | 8,192 b |
| 1,000,000 B | 8,000,000 b |
Why storage uses bytes and networks use bits
A byte is the smallest unit most computers address: 8 bits, enough for 256 distinct values (2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2). Files, memory and disks are therefore measured in bytes (B, kB, MB, GB, TB). Networks move data one bit at a time down a wire or radio link, so line rates and plan speeds are counted in bits (kbps, Mbps, Gbps). When you want to know how a file size relates to a link speed, you convert bytes to bits first.
Examples
- A 64-byte packet. 64 × 8 = 512 bits. Network engineers often talk about minimum frame sizes in bytes but link capacity in bits.
- A 5 MB photo. 5 × 8 = 40 Mb. Over a 20 Mbps upload, that is 2 seconds at full speed.
- A 1 GB file. 8,000,000,000 bits, or 8 Gb. At 100 Mbps, 8,000 Mb ÷ 100 = 80 seconds. The download time calculator does this for any size.
Pitfall: KiB and MiB
Operating systems and memory specs sometimes use binary sizes: 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes = 8,192 bits, and 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes = 8,388,608 bits. If a file is listed as 1 MiB and you multiply 1,000,000 by 8, you are about 5% short. Choose the binary unit in the converter when the source uses it. For the opposite direction, use bits to bytes; to convert rates rather than sizes, go to bytes to Mbps. The bits vs bytes guide has the full background.
Frequently asked questions
How many bits are in a byte?
8. This has been the standard size of a byte on practically all modern computers, which is why the conversion factor is always 8.
How many bits are in 1 MB?
8,000,000 bits (8 Mb) with the decimal megabyte. If the size is 1 MiB (1,048,576 bytes), it is 8,388,608 bits.
Why is a file size shown in MB but my speed in Mbps?
Storage is organised in bytes and network links carry bits. Multiply the file size in MB by 8 to get megabits, then divide by the speed in Mbps to estimate the transfer time in seconds.