Byte to Kilobyte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Convert bytes to kilobytes with our free online data storage converter.

From:

Byte

To:

Kilobyte

How to Use the Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Byte).
The converted value in Kilobyte will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Data Storage category.
Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.

How to Convert Byte to Kilobyte

Converting Byte to Kilobyte involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.

Formula:

1 Byte = 0.001 kilobytes

Example Calculation:

Convert 1024 bytes: 1024 × 0.001 = 1.024 kilobytes

Disclaimer: For Reference Only

These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.

Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.

What is a Byte and a Kilobyte?

A byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of 8 bits. Historically, the size of the byte has been hardware-dependent, but 8 bits is now universally accepted as the standard (also known as an octet).

A kilobyte (KB) is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The International System of Units (SI) defines the prefix kilo as 1000 (103); therefore, one kilobyte is 1000 bytes.

However, the term is also widely used in computing contexts to represent 1024 (210) bytes. This usage technically refers to a kibibyte (KiB), a unit defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specifically for binary multiples.

Note: The Byte is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Kilobyte belongs to the imperial/US customary system.

History of the Byte and Kilobyte

The term "byte" was coined by Werner Buchholz in 1956 during the early design phase for the IBM Stretch computer. It originally described a group of bits used to encode a single character, with the size varying (often 4 to 6 bits). The 8-bit byte became standard with the introduction of the IBM System/360 in the 1960s.

Early computer memory was often organized in powers of two, making 1024 a convenient multiplier for calculations. This led to the common but conflicting use of "kilobyte" to mean 1024 bytes. To resolve this ambiguity, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) introduced binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, etc.) in 1998. This standard designated KiB specifically for 1024 bytes and reaffirmed KB strictly for 1000 bytes. Despite the standard, adoption varies, and the dual usage sometimes causes confusion, particularly in marketing versus operating system reporting.

Common Uses for bytes and kilobytes

Explore the typical applications for both Byte (imperial/US) and Kilobyte (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.

Common Uses for bytes

Measuring file sizes (e.g., kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes).
Representing single characters in character encoding systems (like ASCII, UTF-8).
Quantifying computer memory (RAM) and storage capacity (hard drives, SSDs).
Defining data types in programming languages (e.g., byte, char).

Common Uses for kilobytes

The kilobyte (KB), representing 1000 bytes, is commonly used for:

Measuring the size of small files (e.g., plain text documents, configuration files, simple icons).
Quantifying cache sizes in processors (though sometimes KiB might be implied).
Specifying data transfer rates in kilobytes per second (KB/s) in some contexts (though kilobits per second, kbps, is more common for network speeds).
Used by some storage device manufacturers (like hard drives, SSDs, USB drives) to define capacity based on the decimal system.

The informal use representing 1024 bytes (correctly KiB) appeared frequently in:

Quantifying early computer memory capacity.
Reporting file sizes or disk space by some older operating systems or software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Byte (B)

How many bits are in a byte?

There are 8 bits in one byte according to the modern standard.

What's the difference between a bit (b) and a byte (B)?

A bit is the smallest unit (0 or 1), while a byte is a group of 8 bits. Data storage is usually measured in Bytes (B, KB, MB, GB), while data transfer rates are often measured in bits (bps, kbps, Mbps).

How many values can a byte represent?

An 8-bit byte can represent 2^8 = 256 different values (from 0 to 255).

Why 8 bits?

The 8-bit standard emerged partly because it efficiently represents powers of 2 and accommodates encoding schemes like ASCII, which initially used 7 bits plus a parity bit.

About Kilobyte (KB)

How many bytes are in a kilobyte?

According to the official SI standard, 1 kilobyte (KB) = 1000 bytes. However, historically and in some computing contexts (especially relating to RAM or older software), "kilobyte" was informally used to mean 1024 bytes. The correct term for 1024 bytes is 1 kibibyte (KiB). Always check the context or look for the specific symbol (KB vs. KiB) if precision is important.

What is the difference between KB and KiB?

KB (kilobyte): Based on the decimal prefix 'kilo-', meaning 1000 bytes (103 bytes). This is the SI standard.
KiB (kibibyte): Based on the binary prefix 'kibi-', meaning 1024 bytes (210 bytes). This is the IEC standard for binary multiples.

A kibibyte (KiB) is 2.4% larger than a kilobyte (KB) (1 KiB = 1.024 KB). Using KiB when referring to 1024 bytes avoids ambiguity.

Is a megabyte 1000 or 1024 kilobytes?

Similar confusion exists for larger units. Following the standards:

A megabyte (MB) is 1000 kilobytes (KB), which equals 1,000,000 bytes (1000 * 1000).
A mebibyte (MiB) is 1024 kibibytes (KiB), which equals 1,048,576 bytes (1024 * 1024).

Manufacturers often use MB (decimal) for capacity, while operating systems might use MiB (binary) or ambiguously use MB to mean MiB, leading to apparent discrepancies in storage size.

Conversion Table: Byte to Kilobyte

Byte (B)	Kilobyte (KB)
1	0.001
5	0.005
10	0.01
25	0.025
50	0.05
100	0.1
500	0.5
1,000	1

All Data Storage Conversions

Bit to Byte Bit to Kilobit Bit to Kilobyte Bit to Megabit Bit to Megabyte Bit to Gigabit Bit to Gigabyte Bit to Terabit Bit to Terabyte Bit to Petabit Bit to Petabyte Bit to Exabit Bit to Exabyte Bit to Kibibit Bit to Kibibyte Bit to Mebibit Bit to Mebibyte Bit to Gibibit Bit to Gibibyte Bit to Tebibit Bit to Tebibyte Bit to Pebibit Bit to Pebibyte Bit to Exbibit Bit to Exbibyte Byte to Bit Byte to Kilobit Byte to Megabit Byte to Megabyte Byte to Gigabit Byte to Gigabyte Byte to Terabit Byte to Terabyte Byte to Petabit Byte to Petabyte Byte to Exabit Byte to Exabyte Byte to Kibibit Byte to Kibibyte Byte to Mebibit Byte to Mebibyte Byte to Gibibit Byte to Gibibyte Byte to Tebibit Byte to Tebibyte Byte to Pebibit Byte to Pebibyte Byte to Exbibit Byte to Exbibyte Kilobit to Bit Kilobit to Byte Kilobit to Kilobyte Kilobit to Megabit Kilobit to Megabyte Kilobit to Gigabit Kilobit to Gigabyte Kilobit to Terabit Kilobit to Terabyte Kilobit to Petabit Kilobit to Petabyte Kilobit to Exabit Kilobit to Exabyte Kilobit to Kibibit Kilobit to Kibibyte Kilobit to Mebibit Kilobit to Mebibyte Kilobit to Gibibit Kilobit to Gibibyte Kilobit to Tebibit Kilobit to Tebibyte Kilobit to Pebibit Kilobit to Pebibyte Kilobit to Exbibit Kilobit to Exbibyte Kilobyte to Bit Kilobyte to Byte Kilobyte to Kilobit Kilobyte to Megabit Kilobyte to Megabyte Kilobyte to Gigabit Kilobyte to Gigabyte Kilobyte to Terabit Kilobyte to Terabyte Kilobyte to Petabit Kilobyte to Petabyte Kilobyte to Exabit Kilobyte to Exabyte Kilobyte to Kibibit Kilobyte to Kibibyte Kilobyte to Mebibit Kilobyte to Mebibyte Kilobyte to Gibibit Kilobyte to Gibibyte Kilobyte to Tebibit Kilobyte to Tebibyte Kilobyte to Pebibit Kilobyte to Pebibyte Kilobyte to Exbibit Kilobyte to Exbibyte Megabit to Bit Megabit to Byte Megabit to Kilobit Megabit to Kilobyte Megabit to Megabyte Megabit to Gigabit Megabit to Gigabyte Megabit to Terabit Megabit to Terabyte Megabit to Petabit Megabit to Petabyte Megabit to Exabit Megabit to Exabyte Megabit to Kibibit Megabit to Kibibyte Megabit to Mebibit Megabit to Mebibyte Megabit to Gibibit Megabit to Gibibyte Megabit to Tebibit Megabit to Tebibyte