What is a kibibyte (KiB)?

A kibibyte is exactly 1024 bytes. The name "kibi" comes from "kilo binary," defined by IEC 80000-13 to give the 1024-byte unit an unambiguous name separate from the decimal kilobyte (1000 bytes). Most operating systems and RAM chips use the 1024 definition.

How do I convert kibibytes to bytes?

Multiply the KiB value by 1024. For example, 8 KiB × 1024 = 8192 bytes. For fractional KiB values the result may not be a whole number.

What is the difference between KiB and KB?

1 KiB (kibibyte, IEC binary) = 1024 bytes. 1 KB (kilobyte, SI decimal) = 1000 bytes. Storage manufacturers use the decimal definition; operating systems traditionally use the binary one. IEC introduced KiB to make the distinction explicit.

Why does the OS report memory in KiB?

Memory chips are manufactured in powers of two, so binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB) align exactly with hardware. The Linux kernel and many system tools report memory in KiB for this reason.

Is the conversion exact?

Yes for integer KiB inputs. Since 1 KiB = 1024 bytes by definition, the multiplication is exact. Fractional inputs use JavaScript 64-bit floating-point arithmetic, accurate to 15–16 significant digits.

Kibibytes to Bytes Converter

Enter a kibibyte (KiB) value and instantly see the exact byte count using the IEC binary standard where 1 KiB = 1024 bytes.

Enter Kibibytes

Kibibytes (KiB)

KiB vs KB — what is the difference?

1 KiB (kibibyte, binary) = 1,024 bytes

1 KB (kilobyte, decimal) = 1,000 bytes

IEC 80000-13 introduced "KiB" to give the binary 1024-byte unit an unambiguous name, distinct from the decimal kilobyte used by storage manufacturers.

Result

Enter a KiB value and click Convert.

Common KiB to Bytes Reference

KiB	Bytes (× 1024)	KB (× 1000)	Common size

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Summary

A kibibyte (KiB) is exactly 1024 bytes — a binary unit defined by IEC 80000-13 to remove confusion with the decimal kilobyte (KB = 1000 bytes). To convert KiB to bytes, multiply by 1024. This matters in practice: a 512 KiB memory block contains exactly 524,288 bytes, not 512,000. This tool converts any kibibyte value to bytes with full precision, and shows the equivalent in decimal kilobytes for comparison.

How it works

Enter any number of kibibytes in the input field.
The converter multiplies by 1024 to produce the byte count (IEC binary standard).
A secondary result shows the equivalent in kilobytes (KB) using the SI decimal standard (× 1000) for comparison.
The reference table lists common KiB values alongside their exact byte equivalents.
Copy any result with the copy button.

Use cases

Find the exact byte count of a 512 KiB memory block for embedded systems work.
Convert KiB values from Linux kernel output or /proc files into bytes.
Translate network buffer sizes from KiB to bytes for low-level configuration.
Verify that a file reported in KiB matches an expected byte count.
Clarify the KiB vs KB distinction when writing technical documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-19 · Reviewed by Nham Vu