Choose a Measurement
Select a measurement and convert between different units
Single conversion
To convert from Kibibyte (KiB) to Kibibit (Kib), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Kibibit (Kib) and Kibibyte (KiB).
Let's convert 5 Kibibyte (KiB) to Kibibit (Kib).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Kibibyte (KiB) is equal to Kibibit (Kib).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Kibibyte (KiB) to Kibibit (Kib):
| Kibibytes | Kibibits |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 KiB | Kib |
| 0.001 KiB | Kib |
| 0.1 KiB | Kib |
| 1 KiB | Kib |
| 2 KiB | Kib |
| 3 KiB | Kib |
| 4 KiB | Kib |
| 5 KiB | Kib |
| 6 KiB | Kib |
| 7 KiB | Kib |
| 8 KiB | Kib |
| 9 KiB | Kib |
| 10 KiB | Kib |
| 20 KiB | Kib |
| 30 KiB | Kib |
| 40 KiB | Kib |
| 50 KiB | Kib |
| 100 KiB | Kib |
| 1000 KiB | Kib |
| 10000 KiB | Kib |
For all Digital converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
A kibibyte (KiB) is a unit of digital information established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
It was created to provide a more precise way to measure data storage and eliminate common confusion with a similar-sounding unit, the kilobyte.
The core difference lies in the number system they use: binary vs. decimal.
A kibibyte (KiB) represents exactly 1,024 bytes. This number comes from the binary system (or base-2 math) that computers use, as it's a power of two (210).
In contrast, a kilobyte (KB) is often used, especially in marketing for storage devices, to mean exactly 1,000 bytes. This is based on the decimal system (or base-10 math) we use every day.
This difference is why the kibibyte was created: to offer a clear and unambiguous term for the binary-based measurements that computers and operating systems actually use.
To put it simply:
Kilobyte (KB)
Kibibyte (KiB)
Before 1998, the term "kilobyte" was ambiguously used to refer to both 1,000 and 1,024 bytes, which confused consumers and programmers alike.
To solve this problem, the IEC officially introduced a new set of prefixes specifically for binary measurements.
This new standard gave us the kibi (for kibibyte), mebi (for mebibyte, MiB), and gibi (for gibibyte, GiB), creating a transparent and standardized system for measuring data in the way computers actually "think."
Have you ever bought a 1 terabyte (TB) hard drive, only to plug it in and see your computer report it as having around 931 gigabytes (GB) of space?
You haven't been short-changed or lost any storage—it's just a difference in measurement systems.
Here's what's happening:
Ultimately, no storage is lost. It's like the difference between miles and kilometers—the distance is the same, you're just using a different unit to measure it.
A kibibit (Kib) is a unit of digital information used to measure data capacity and transmission speeds with technical precision.
It's part of a system created by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to clear up confusion in computing.
The term "kibibit" is a combination of "kilo-binary bit."
It was created to solve the long-standing confusion between two different counting systems:
This distinction is crucial for technical accuracy in fields like software development and data storage.
While marketing for hard drives and internet speeds often uses familiar decimal prefixes (like megabit and gigabyte), technical fields rely on binary units like kibibits, mebibits, and gibibits.
For example, your computer's RAM capacity is measured in powers of two, making gibibytes (GiB) a more accurate descriptor than gigabytes (GB).
Using kibibits and other binary units eliminates ambiguity and ensures calculations for memory allocation and file sizes are precise.
It's essential to understand the size difference when comparing these units.
A single kibibit is 1,024 bits, while a kilobit is 1,000 bits.
While that 24-bit difference (about 2.4%) seems small, it becomes significant at larger scales.
This is the exact reason why your new 1 terabyte (TB) hard drive, which contains 1 trillion bytes, is reported by your operating system as only about 931 gibibytes (GiB). The manufacturer uses the decimal (base-10) definition, while your computer uses the more accurate binary (base-2) one.