Bytes to KB Converter
Enter a number of bytes to see both answers.
What Google, macOS, drive makers and internet providers use.
The unit Windows Explorer labels “KB”, and how RAM is sized.
Other conversions: Bytes to MB · Bytes to GB
How to Convert Bytes to KB
A kilobyte is either 1,000 or 1,024 bytes. The decimal kilobyte (kB, with a lowercase k as in kilometre) is 1,000 bytes, the SI unit that macOS and Google’s calculator use. The binary kilobyte, correctly called a kibibyte (KiB), is 1,024 bytes. Windows counts in kibibytes and writes them as “KB” with a capital K.
- kB (decimal) = bytes ÷ 1,000
- KiB (binary) = bytes ÷ 1,024
Example: 16,384 bytes are 16.384 kB or exactly 16 KiB. At the kilobyte level the two answers differ by only 2.4 percent. For buffer, page and block sizes the binary answer is usually the useful one, because those are almost always powers of two and come out as round numbers.
kB, KB or KiB?
- kB: the SI prefix kilo, exactly 1,000 bytes. This is the correct symbol for the decimal unit.
- KB: not an SI symbol. Traditionally it means 1,024 bytes (the old JEDEC convention for memory), and Windows uses it that way. Some sites write KB for 1,000 bytes too, so check where the number comes from.
- KiB: the binary prefix introduced by the IEC in 1998, always 1,024 bytes. It can only mean one thing.
Which Number Does My Computer Show?
- Windows File Explorer: binary. The Size column of the Details view always uses KB and rounds up to the next whole KB. A 1-byte file shows as 1 KB, and a file of 1,048,576 bytes as 1,024 KB. The Properties window shows the exact byte count.
- macOS Finder: decimal, even though it writes “KB”. Use the decimal answer.
- Linux:
ls -lhanddu -hcount in 1,024s, print “K” and round up. 16,384 bytes appear as 16K, with--sias 17k. - Code and hardware: memory pages, disk sectors, buffers and block sizes are binary. Network speeds in kbit/s are decimal (1,000 bits).
Bytes to KB Conversion Table
Common byte counts with both answers. The decimal values are exact, the binary ones rounded to six decimal places. The round binary values are the powers of two you meet in code, memory and disks.
| Bytes | kB (decimal) | KiB (binary, Windows “KB”) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0.1 | 0.097656 |
| 512 (classic disk sector) | 0.512 | 0.5 |
| 1,000 (1 kB) | 1 | 0.976563 |
| 1,024 (1 KiB) | 1.024 | 1 |
| 2,048 | 2.048 | 2 |
| 4,096 (memory page, NTFS cluster) | 4.096 | 4 |
| 8,192 | 8.192 | 8 |
| 10,000 | 10 | 9.765625 |
| 16,384 (16 KiB) | 16.384 | 16 |
| 32,768 | 32.768 | 32 |
| 65,536 (64 KiB) | 65.536 | 64 |
| 100,000 | 100 | 97.65625 |
| 131,072 (128 KiB) | 131.072 | 128 |
| 262,144 (256 KiB) | 262.144 | 256 |
| 500,000 | 500 | 488.28125 |
| 1,000,000 (1 MB) | 1,000 | 976.5625 |
| 1,048,576 (1 MiB) | 1,048.576 | 1,024 |
| 5,242,880 (5 MiB) | 5,242.88 | 5,120 |
| 10,485,760 (10 MiB) | 10,485.76 | 10,240 |
Larger numbers read better in another unit: see bytes to MB and bytes to GB. The Byte / Data Size Converter shows any value in all 18 units at once, bits included.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bytes are in 1 KB?
1 kB is 1,000 bytes in the decimal (SI) system. The “KB” that Windows shows is a kibibyte (KiB) of 1,024 bytes.
How many KB is 16,384 bytes?
16,384 bytes are 16.384 kB in decimal and exactly 16 KiB in binary. It is a common size in code, for example the default page size of MySQL’s InnoDB engine and the memory page size on Apple silicon Macs.
How many KB is 1,000,000 bytes?
1,000 kB in decimal and 976.5625 KiB in binary. The binary round number is one step up: 1,048,576 bytes are exactly 1,024 KiB (1 MiB), or 1,048.576 kB.
Why does Windows show a tiny file as 1 KB?
File Explorer’s Size column rounds every file up to the next whole kilobyte, so anything from 1 to 1,024 bytes shows as 1 KB. Right-click the file and open Properties to see the exact size in bytes. Use this page or the Byte Converter to convert it.