Megabyte to Exabyte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Convert megabytes to exabytes with our free online data storage converter.

From:

Megabyte

To:

Exabyte

How to Use the Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Megabyte).
The converted value in Exabyte 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 Megabyte to Exabyte

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

Formula:

1 Megabyte = 1.0000e-12 exabytes

Example Calculation:

Convert 10 megabytes: 10 × 1.0000e-12 = 1.0000e-11 exabytes

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 Megabyte and a Exabyte?

A megabyte (MB) is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The International System of Units (SI) defines the prefix mega- (M) as 1,000,000 (106). Therefore, one megabyte is exactly 1,000,000 bytes (or 1000 kilobytes).

Similar to the kilobyte, the term "megabyte" has historically been used ambiguously in computing to represent 1,048,576 (220 or 10242) bytes. This binary usage correctly refers to a mebibyte (MiB), a unit defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to eliminate confusion.

An exabyte (EB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to 1018 bytes (one quintillion bytes, or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes). It uses the standard SI decimal prefix 'exa-'. One exabyte is equivalent to 1,000 petabytes or one million terabytes.

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

History of the Megabyte and Exabyte

The prefix 'mega-' (meaning million) was adopted as an SI prefix in 1960. As computer storage capacities grew beyond kilobytes in the 1970s and 1980s, megabyte became a common unit. However, because computer memory and architecture are often based on powers of two, 1024 * 1024 = 1,048,576 bytes became a convenient measure. This led to the widespread but conflicting use of "megabyte" for both 1,000,000 bytes (decimal) and 1,048,576 bytes (binary).

To address this ambiguity, the IEC introduced the binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, etc.) in 1998. This standard designated MiB (mebibyte) specifically for 220 bytes and reaffirmed MB (megabyte) strictly for 106 bytes. Despite the standard, the dual usage persists, especially in marketing (using MB for 106) versus operating system reporting (often using MB ambiguously for 220, though sometimes correctly using MiB).

The prefix 'exa-' (representing 1018) was adopted as an SI prefix by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in 1975. The application of this prefix to the byte (exabyte) became necessary with the exponential growth of digital data, driven by the internet, large-scale scientific computing, big data analytics, and the expansion of cloud storage services. It represents a scale of data far beyond what was common in earlier computing eras.

Common Uses for megabytes and exabytes

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

Common Uses for megabytes

The megabyte (MB), representing 1,000,000 bytes, is commonly used for:

Measuring the size of medium-sized files (e.g., high-resolution images, MP3 audio files, short video clips, documents with embedded images).
Quantifying the capacity of older storage media like floppy disks and CDs.
Specifying the size of software downloads or application components.
Used by storage device manufacturers (hard drives, SSDs, USB drives) to define capacity based on the decimal system (106 bytes).
Measuring data transfer rates in megabytes per second (MB/s or MBps).

The informal use representing 1,048,576 bytes (correctly MiB) appeared frequently in:

Quantifying computer RAM capacity (though MiB is the precise term).
Reporting file sizes or disk space by many operating systems and software, leading to discrepancies with advertised storage capacities.

Common Uses for exabytes

Exabytes are used to measure extremely large volumes of data storage capacity or accumulated data, typically in contexts such as:

Total storage capacity of major cloud providers (like AWS, Google Cloud, Azure).
Aggregate size of the entire internet or large portions of it.
Annual global data creation estimates.
Storage requirements for massive scientific projects (e.g., Large Hadron Collider, Square Kilometre Array).
Capacity of national archives or vast digital libraries.
Discussions about future data storage needs and technologies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Megabyte (MB)

How many bytes are in a megabyte (MB)?

According to the official SI standard, 1 megabyte (MB) = 1,000,000 bytes (106 bytes). However, in some computing contexts, particularly older ones or relating to RAM, "megabyte" was informally used to mean 1,048,576 bytes (220 bytes). The correct term for 1,048,576 bytes is 1 mebibyte (MiB). Context is key if the specific symbol (MB vs. MiB) isn't used.

How many kilobytes (KB) are in a megabyte (MB)?

Based on the SI standard, 1 megabyte (MB) = 1000 kilobytes (KB) (since 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes and 1 KB = 1000 bytes). If using the binary interpretation (which should correctly use MiB and KiB), then 1 mebibyte (MiB) = 1024 kibibytes (KiB) (since 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes and 1 KiB = 1024 bytes).

What is the difference between a megabyte (MB) and a mebibyte (MiB)?

MB (megabyte): Based on the decimal prefix 'mega-', meaning 1,000,000 bytes (106 bytes). This is the SI standard.
MiB (mebibyte): Based on the binary prefix 'mebi-', meaning 1,048,576 bytes (220 bytes). This is the IEC standard for binary multiples.

A mebibyte (MiB) is approximately 4.86% larger than a megabyte (MB) (1 MiB ≈ 1.0486 MB). Using MiB when referring to 1,048,576 bytes avoids ambiguity, especially in contexts like RAM measurement or OS file size reporting.

What is the difference between a megabyte (MB) and a megabit (Mb)?

A megabyte (MB) measures data storage in bytes. 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes (SI standard).
A megabit (Mb) measures data storage or transfer speed in bits. 1 Mb = 1,000,000 bits (SI standard).

Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 megabyte (MB) is equal to 8 megabits (Mb). File sizes are typically measured in MB, while internet speeds are often measured in Mbps (megabits per second).

About Exabyte (EB)

How many bytes are in an exabyte?

There are 1018 (one quintillion, or 1 followed by 18 zeros) bytes in 1 exabyte (EB).

How many petabytes (PB) are in an exabyte (EB)?

There are 1,000 petabytes (PB) in 1 exabyte (EB).

How many gigabytes (GB) are in an exabyte (EB)?

There are 1,000,000,000 (one billion) gigabytes (GB) in 1 exabyte (EB).

What is the difference between an exabyte (EB) and an exbibyte (EiB)?

An exabyte (EB) uses the decimal prefix 'exa-' meaning 1018 bytes. An exbibyte (EiB) uses the binary prefix 'exbi-' meaning 260 bytes (1,152,921,504,606,846,976 bytes). An exbibyte is approximately 15% larger than an exabyte (1 EiB ≈ 1.15 EB). While binary prefixes (like GiB) are common for RAM, the distinction between EB and EiB is less frequently encountered in everyday use but is important in technical specifications requiring precision at massive scales.

Conversion Table: Megabyte to Exabyte

Megabyte (MB)	Exabyte (EB)
1	0
5	0
10	0
25	0
50	0
100	0
500	0
1,000	0

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 Kilobyte 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