Data Transfer Rate Converter
Convert between bit/s, Mbit/s, MB/s and more.
Results update as you type.
How it works
A data transfer rate converter restates a network or storage speed in a different unit, moving between bits per second and bytes per second across their kilo, mega and giga multiples. It reduces your figure to bits per second, the base rate, then scales out to the unit you choose, so one mechanism covers broadband plans, Wi-Fi throughput, file-copy speeds and interface bandwidth alike. This matters because the single most common confusion in networking is bits versus bytes. Internet and network speeds are advertised in bits per second — megabits (Mbit/s or Mbps) — while file sizes and download managers report bytes per second — megabytes (MB/s). Because one byte is eight bits, a 100 Mbit/s connection delivers only about 12.5 MB/s at best, which surprises people who expected 100. A converter makes that factor of eight explicit and stops the disappointment turning into a support ticket. This converter uses decimal (1000-based) multiples for the rate prefixes, which is the SI convention that internet service providers and networking standards follow, so a megabit is exactly 1,000,000 bits per second. The bit-to-byte step is a factor of eight. Pivoting through bits per second keeps every result exact and needs only one factor per unit. Anyone comparing an internet plan against real download speeds, sizing a backup window, or reading interface specifications reaches for a data transfer rate converter to keep bits and bytes straight.
Convert to bits per second via known factors, then to the target unit
Each unit is defined as a fixed number of bits per second: the bit prefixes are decimal powers of ten, and each byte unit is eight times its bit counterpart because one byte is eight bits. The input is multiplied by its unit's bit-per-second value, then divided by the target unit's value. Because every unit reduces to a constant number of bits per second, pivoting through that single base is exact for every pairing, with one stored factor per unit.
Source:International System of Units (SI) — NIST
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter value, from and to.
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Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
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Read your result
Converted data rate updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Mbps and MB/s?
Mbps, or megabits per second, measures network speed, while MB/s, megabytes per second, measures data volume over time. One byte is eight bits, so MB/s is eight times larger than Mbps. A 100 Mbps internet plan tops out around 12.5 MB/s of actual file download. Providers advertise in bits to make the numbers look bigger, while download managers usually display bytes, causing frequent confusion.
Why is my download speed only an eighth of my internet plan?
Because your plan is quoted in megabits per second while your download manager shows megabytes per second, and there are eight bits in a byte. A 200 Mbps connection therefore delivers about 25 MB/s at best. The two figures are not in conflict — they are the same speed in different units. Real speeds are also reduced slightly by network overhead and shared congestion.
Does this converter use 1000 or 1024 for prefixes?
It uses decimal 1000-based prefixes for the data-rate units, which is the SI and networking-industry convention. So one megabit per second is exactly 1,000,000 bits per second, and one Mbit/s to kbit/s step is a factor of 1,000. This matches how internet providers and Ethernet standards define their speeds, unlike file-storage sizes, which are often reported in 1024-based binary units.
How many MB/s is a gigabit connection?
A 1 Gbit/s, or gigabit, connection is 1,000 Mbit/s, which divided by eight is about 125 MB/s of raw byte throughput. In practice, protocol overhead and disk write speeds usually cap real transfers a little below that. Gigabit is common for fibre broadband and wired local networks, and understanding its byte-per-second equivalent helps set realistic expectations for large file transfers and backups.
Why convert through bits per second?
Bits per second is the fundamental rate at which digital data moves, so every other transfer unit is a fixed multiple of it. Using it as the pivot means the converter needs only one factor per unit rather than a separate rule for each pair, keeps results exact, and cleanly captures the crucial eight-to-one relationship between bytes and bits that causes most speed confusion in the first place.