Digital Data Storage Units - Smallest to Largest

A quick reference guide - complete list of Digital Data Storage Units and Definitions of each one.

In today's digital age, data storage is essential for individuals and businesses alike. We use digital storage devices to keep our photos, music, videos, documents, and other files safe and easily accessible. However, with so many storage units available, it can be confusing to choose the right one for your needs. In this article, we'll take a look at the different digital data storage units from smallest to largest.

Computing and telecommunication systems use units of information to measure storage and communication capacity. Bit, Nibble and Byte are the fundamental digital data units. The larger units, multiples of bits and bytes, are further categorized as Binary and Decimal units.

Complete List of Digital Data Units - Infographic

Decimal units are defined by SI(International System of Units), use Metric prefixes such as kilo, mega etc. Decimal units are multiples of 1000.

Binary units are comparatively newer, defined by IEC(International Electro technical Commission), prefixed with kibi, mebi etc. evaluated as multiples of 1024. You can find further details on each units below.

Bit

Bit (binary digit) is the most basic unit of information in digital computing and communications systems. Bit is the smallest unit to represent digital data. A bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values either 1 or 0. The unit symbol for bit is b

Nibble is an aggregation of four bits. It is also called a quadbit or a half-byte. Nibble can have up to 16 possible values, represented by a single hexadecimal digit 0 - F

Byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. A single byte can be used to represent 256 different values. 1000bytes = 1 Kilobyte (KB). 1024 bytes = 1 Kibibyte (KiB)

One Kilobit is defined as 103 or 1000 Bits. Kilobit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. The unit symbol for Kilobit is kbit or kb. Kilobit is not same as Kibibit (Kib) that contains 1024 bits. 1000 Kilobits = 1 Megabit (Mbit)

One Kibibit is defined as 210 or 1024 Bits. Kibibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. The unit symbol for Kibibit Kibit. Kibibit is not same as Kilobit (Kb) that contains 1000 bits. 1024 Kibibits = 1 Mebibit (Mibit)

One Kilobyte is defined as 103 or 1000 Bytes. Kilobyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. The unit symbol for Kilobyte is kB. Kilobyte is not same as Kibibyte (KiB) that contains 1024 bytes. 1000 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte (MB)

One Kibibyte is defined as 210 or 1024 Bytes. Kibibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. The unit symbol for Kibibyte is KiB. Kibibyte is not same as Kilobyte (KB) that contains 1000 bytes. 1024 Kibibyte = 1 Mebibyte (MiB)

One Megabit is defined as 106 or 10002 Bits. Megabit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Megabit = 1000 Kilobits. The unit symbol for Megabit is Mbit or Mb. Megabit is not same as Mebibit (Mib) that contains 10242 bits. 1000 Megabits = 1 Gigabit (Gbit)

One Mebibit is defined as 220 or 10242 Bits. Mebibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Mebibit = 1024 Kibibits. The unit symbol for Mebibit is Mibit. Mebibit is not same as Megabit (Mb) that contains 10002 bits. 1024 Mebibits = 1 Gibibit (Gibit)

One Megabyte is defined as 106 or 10002 Bytes. Megabyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Megabyte = 1000 Kilobytes. The unit symbol for Megabyte is MB. Megabyte is not same as Mebibyte (MiB) that contains 10242 bytes. 1000 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte (GB)

One Mebibyte is defined as 220 or 10242 Bytes. Mebibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Mebibyte = 1024 Kibibytes. The unit symbol for Mebibyte is MiB. Mebibyte is not same as Megabyte (MB) that contains 10002 bytes. 1024 Mebibytes = 1 Gibibyte (GiB)

One Gigabit is defined as 109 or 10003 Bits. Gigabit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Gigabit = 1000 Megabits. The unit symbol for Gigabit is Gbit or Gb. Gigabit is not same as Gibibit (Gib) that contains 10243 bits. 1000 Gigabits = 1 Terabit (Tbit)

One Gibibit is defined as 230 or 10243 Bits. Gibibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Gibibit = 1024 Mebibits. The unit symbol for Gibibit is Gibit. Gibibit is not same as Gigabit (Gb) that contains 10003 bits. 1024 Gibibits = 1 Tebibit (Tibit)

One Gigabyte is defined as 109 or 10003 Bytes. Gigabyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Gigabyte = 1000 Megabytes. The unit symbol for Gigabyte is GB. Gigabyte is not same as Gibibyte (GiB) that contains 10243 bytes. 1000 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte (TB)

One Gibibyte is defined as 230 or 10243 Bytes. Gibibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Gibibyte = 1024 Mebibytes. The unit symbol for Gibibyte is GiB. Gibibyte is not same as Gigabyte (GB) that contains 10003 bytes. 1024 Gibibytes = 1 Tebibyte (TiB)

One Terabit is defined as 1012 or 10004 Bits. Terabit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1000 Gigabits = 1 Terabit. The unit symbol for Terabit is Tbit or Tb. Terabit is not same as Tebibit (Tib) that contains 10244 bits. 1000 Terabit = 1 Petabit (Pbit)

One Tebibit is defined as 240 or 10244 Bits. Tebibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Tebibit = 1024 Gibibits. The unit symbol for Tebibit is Tibit. Tebibit is not same as Terabit (Tb) that contains 10004 bits. 1024 Tebibits = 1 Pebibit (Pibit)

One Terabyte is defined as 1012 or 10004 Bytes. Terabyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Terabyte = 1000 Gigabytes. The unit symbol for Terabyte is TB. Terabyte is not same as Tebibyte (TiB) that contains 10244 bytes. 1000 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte (PB)

One Tebibyte is defined as 240 or 10244 Bytes. Tebibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Tebibyte = 1024 Gibibytes. The unit symbol for Tebibyte is TiB. Tebibyte is not same as Terabyte (TB) that contains 10004 bytes. 1024 Tebibytes = 1 Pebibyte (PiB)

One Petabit is defined as 1015 or 10005 Bits. Petabit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Petabit = 1000 Terabits. The unit symbol for Petabit is Pbit. Petabit is not same as Pebibit (Pib) that contains 10245 bits. 1000 Petabits = 1 Exabit (Ebit)

One Pebibit is defined as 250 or 10245 Bits. Pebibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Pebibit = 1024 Tebibits. The unit symbol for Pebibit is Pibit. Pebibit is not same as Petabit (Pb) that contains 10005 bits. 1024 Pebibits = 1 Exbibit (Eibit)

One Petabyte is defined as 1015 or 10005 Bytes. Petabyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Petabyte = 1000 Terabytes. The unit symbol for Petabyte is PB. Petabyte is not same as Pebibyte (PiB) that contains 10245 bytes. 1000 Petabytes = 1 Exabyte (EB)

One Pebibyte is defined as or 10245 Bytes. 1 Pebibyte = 1024 Tebibytes. Pebibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. The unit symbol for Pebibyte is PiB. Pebibyte is not same as Petabyte (PB) that contains 10005 bytes. 1024 Pebibytes = 1 Exbibyte (EiB)

One Exabit is defined as 1018 or 10006 Bits. Exabit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Exabit = 1000 Petabits. The unit symbol for Exabit is Ebit. Exabit is not same as Exbibit (Eib) that contains 10246 bits. 1000 Exabits = 1 Zettabit (Zbit)

One Exbibit is defined as 260 or 10246 Bits. Exbibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Exbibit = 1024 Pebibits. The unit symbol for Exbibit is Eibit. Exbibit is not same as Exabit (Eb) that contains 10006 bits. 1024 Exbibits = 1 Zebibit (Zibit)

One Exabyte is defined as 1018 or 10006 Bytes. Exabyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Exabyte = 1000 Petabytes. The unit symbol for Exabyte is EB. Exabyte is not same as Exbibyte (EiB) that contains 10246 bytes. 1000 Exabytes = 1 Zettabyte (ZB)

One Exbibyte is defined as 260 or 10246 Bytes. Exbibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Exbibyte = 1024 Pebibytes. The unit symbol for Exbibyte is EiB. Exbibyte is not same as Exabyte (EB) that contains 10006 bytes. 1024 Exbibytes = 1 Zebibyte (ZiB)

One Zettabit is defined as 1021 or 10007 Bits. Zettabit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Zettabit = 1000 Exabits. The unit symbol for Zettabit is Zbit. Zettabit is not same as Zebibit (Zib) that contains 10247 bits. 1000 Zettabits = 1 Yottabit (Tbit)

One Zebibit is defined as 270 or 10247 Bits. Zebibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Zebibit = 1024 Exbibits. The unit symbol for Zebibit is Zibit. Zebibit is not same as Zetabit (Zb) that contains 10007 bits. 1024 Zebibits forms a Yobibit (Yibit)

One Zettabyte is defined as 1021 or 10007 Bytes. Zettabyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Zettabyte = 1000 Exabytes. The unit symbol for Zettabyte is ZB. Zettabyte is not same as Zebibyte (ZiB) that contains 10247 bytes. 1000 Zettabytes forms a Yottabyte (YB)

One Zebibyte is defined as 270 or 10247 Bytes. Zebibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Zebibyte = 1024 Exbibytes. The unit symbol for Zebibyte is ZiB. Zebibyte is not same as Zettabyte (ZB) that contains 10007 bytes. 1024 Zebibytes forms a Yobibyte (YiB)

One Yottabit is defined as 1024 or 10008 Bits. Yottabit is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Yottabit = 1000 Zettabits. The unit symbol for Yottabit is Ybit. Yottabit is not same as Yobibit (Yib) that contains 10248 bits

One Yobibit is defined as 280 or 10248 Bits. Yobibit is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Yobibit = 1024 Zebibits. The unit symbol for Yobibit is Yibit. Yobibit is not same as Yottabit (Mb) that contains 10008 bits

One Yottabyte is defined as 1024 or 10008 Bytes. Yottabyte is a decimal unit defined as per SI standard. 1 Yottabyte = 1000 Zettabytes. The unit symbol for Yottabyte is YB. Yottabyte is not same as Yobibyte (ZiB) that contains 10248 bytes

One Yobibyte is defined as 280 or 10248 Bytes. Yobibyte is a binary unit defined as per IEC standard. 1 Yobibyte = 1024 Zebibytes. The unit symbol for Yobibyte is YiB. Yobibyte is not same as Yottabyte (YB) that contains 10008 bytes

Units- Value in Bits and Bytes

Unit Name Value in BitsValue in Bytes
bit 1 0.125
Nibble 4 0.5
Byte 8 1
Kilobit 1,000 125
Kibibit 1,024 128
Kilobyte 8,000 1,000
Kibibyte 8,192 1,024
Megabit 1,000,000 125,000
Mebibit 1,048,576 131,072
Megabyte 8,000,000 1,000,000
Mebibyte 8,388,608 1,048,576
Gigabit 1,000,000,000 125,000,000
Gibibit 1,073,741,824 134,217,728
Gigabyte 8,000,000,000 1,000,000,000
Gibibyte 8,589,934,592 1,073,741,824
Terabit 1,000,000,000,000 125,000,000,000
Tebibit 1,099,511,627,776 137,438,953,472
Terabyte 8,000,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000
Tebibyte 8,796,093,022,208 1,099,511,627,776
Petabit 1,000,000,000,000,000 125,000,000,000,000
Pebibit 1,125,899,906,842,624 140,737,488,355,328
Petabyte 8,000,000,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000,000
Pebibyte 9,007,199,254,740,992 1,125,899,906,842,624
Exabit 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 125,000,000,000,000,000
Exbibit 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 144,115,188,075,855,872
Exabyte 8,000,000,000,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
Exbibyte 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 1,152,921,504,606,846,976
Zettabit 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 125,000,000,000,000,000,000
Zebibit 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424 147,573,952,589,676,412,928
Zettabyte 8,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Zebibyte 9,444,732,965,739,290,427,392 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424
Yottabit 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 125,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Yobibit 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176 151,115,727,451,828,646,838,272
Yottabyte 8,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Yobibyte 9,671,406,556,917,033,397,649,408 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176

Conclusion

Digital storage units come in all shapes and sizes, from the smallest byte to the massive zettabyte. It is also essential to know about the difference between Decimal and Binary units and how those are related to each other. Understanding these units and their corresponding storage capacities is crucial for selecting the right storage device for your needs. Whether you're storing personal files or managing enterprise-level data, it's important to consider the amount of storage you'll require and choose a storage device that meets your needs.