MB to GB Converter
Type a size in megabytes and see it in gigabytes at once, rounded to four decimals. Tick the SI option when you want 1,000 MB to the gigabyte.
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Created by the Reeliy Editorial Team. Last updated: Oct 19, 2026
How many MB are in a GB?
Two answers are in everyday use. Memory sizes and many operating systems treat 1 GB as 1,024 MB, because every step up the binary ladder multiplies by 210. The SI definition, followed by storage manufacturers and by macOS, says 1 GB = 1,000 MB. This converter divides by 1,024 unless you tick Use SI standard.
binary: GB = MB ÷ 1,024
SI: GB = MB ÷ 1,000The strictly correct name for the binary unit is the gibibyte (GiB).
Difference between MB and GB
A gigabyte is a thousand (or 1,024) times larger than a megabyte, so the same amount of data is a bigger number in MB than in GB. Megabytes suit single items such as a song, a photo or a PDF; gigabytes suit collections, such as the storage of a phone, the size of a game installation or a monthly data allowance.
The binary reading is the one you meet in RAM specifications: a module sold as 8,192 MB is exactly 8 GB because 8 × 1,024 = 8,192. The decimal reading is the one printed on most drive and mobile-plan labels.
How to convert MB to GB
- Enter the number of megabytes.
- Leave Use SI standard clear to divide by 1,024, or tick it to divide by 1,000.
- Read the result in gigabytes.
Results are rounded to four decimal places and printed without thousands separators. Very small sizes, below about 0.05 MB, therefore show as 0.
Example: a 5,000 MB download
Binary counting gives 5,000 ÷ 1,024 = 4.8828125, shown as 4.8828 GB. SI counting gives 5,000 ÷ 1,000 = 5 GB. The data is the same; only the unit differs, so check which convention a provider or program uses before comparing two figures.
A cleaner case is 20,480 MB: that is exactly 20 GB in binary counting (20 × 1,024) and 20.48 GB in SI counting.
MB to GB conversion table
| Megabytes (MB) | Gigabytes, binary (÷ 1,024) | Gigabytes, SI (÷ 1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 128 | 0.125 | 0.128 |
| 256 | 0.25 | 0.256 |
| 512 | 0.5 | 0.512 |
| 1,024 | 1 | 1.024 |
| 1,500 | 1.4648 | 1.5 |
| 2,048 | 2 | 2.048 |
| 4,096 | 4 | 4.096 |
| 5,000 | 4.8828 | 5 |
| 8,192 | 8 | 8.192 |
| 10,240 | 10 | 10.24 |
| 16,384 | 16 | 16.384 |
| 51,200 | 50 | 51.2 |
Common mistakes
- Using 1,000 for memory. RAM and many system readouts are binary, so 8,192 MB is 8 GB, not 8.192 GB.
- Comparing figures from two conventions. A 2,048 MB file is 2 GB in binary counting but 2.048 GB in SI counting; neither figure is wrong, they just answer different questions.
- Reading the result as exact. Four decimal places are shown, so a long fraction such as 1,500 ÷ 1,024 appears as 1.4648 rather than its full expansion.
To go the other way use the GB to MB converter. For smaller or larger steps, try the MB to KB converter, the GB to TB converter or the data storage converter.
Frequently asked questions
How many MB are in 1 GB?
By default the converter uses 1,024 MB per GB. With the SI option ticked it uses 1,000 MB per GB.
How many GB is 1,000 MB?
Exactly 1 GB in SI mode, and 1,000 ÷ 1,024 = 0.9766 GB (rounded) in binary mode.
Why does another converter give a different answer?
It probably uses the other convention. Divide by 1,024 for binary counting and by 1,000 for SI counting, and the answers will agree.
Is a GB the same as a GiB?
Not quite. A gibibyte (GiB) is 1,024 MiB, or 1,073,741,824 bytes. A gigabyte in SI is 1,000,000,000 bytes. In casual use GB is often applied to either.
References
- NIST Reference on Constants, Units, and Uncertainty: Prefixes for binary multiples
- IEC 80000-13: Quantities and units, Part 13: Information science and technology
Cite this converter and page
If you use this page in your work, you can cite it as:
Reeliy Editorial Team. (2026). MB to GB Converter. Reeliy. https://reeliy.com/converters/convert-mb-to-gb“MB to GB Converter.” Reeliy, 2026, https://reeliy.com/converters/convert-mb-to-gb.