Mbps to MB/s Converter
Mbps to MB/s Converter
Convert internet and network speeds between megabits and megabytes per second, and every other data rate unit, then see how long a download of any size will take. Speeds are sold in bits, while download windows show bytes, and one byte is eight bits.
How long downloads take at this speed
Against common connection speeds
MB/s = Mbps / 8, because a byte is 8 bits. Kilo, mega, giga and tera mean 1,000, 1,000,000, 1,000,000,000 and 1,000,000,000,000, as used by internet providers and drive makers. KiB, MiB and GiB are the binary units, 1,024, 1,048,576 and 1,073,741,824 bytes, which Windows and many apps show but still label KB, MB and GB. Download time = file size / (speed x the share you actually get). The CSV, image and printed report contain the values you entered, nothing preloaded.
How to use this tool
Enter a speed and choose its unit. The result in megabytes per second appears at the top, with every other unit in the cards below. Add a file size to see how long it takes to download, and set the speed you actually get if your connection runs below its plan speed.
The first chart shows how long common downloads take, from a song to a large game, and the second puts your speed beside common plan speeds. The table lists plan speeds with their megabytes per second and download times.
How Mbps and MB/s are related
Networks move data one bit at a time, so connection speeds are quoted in bits per second: kilobits, megabits and gigabits, each 1,000 times the last. Files are stored in bytes, and a byte is 8 bits, so a download window that shows megabytes per second reads an eighth of the plan speed.
There is a second trap. Internet providers and drive makers count a megabyte as 1,000,000 bytes, but Windows and many apps count it as 1,048,576 bytes, properly called a mebibyte, while still writing MB. The same 100 Mbps is 12.5 MB/s in decimal units and 11.92 MiB/s in binary ones.
Plan speeds in MB/s and download times
| Plan speed | MB/s | MiB/s | GB per hour | 1 GB file | 100 GB file |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mbps | 0.125 | 0.119 | 0.45 | 2 h 13 min 20 s | 9 days 6 h |
| 5 Mbps | 0.625 | 0.596 | 2.25 | 26 min 40 s | 1 day 20 h |
| 10 Mbps | 1.25 | 1.192 | 4.5 | 13 min 20 s | 22 h 13 min |
| 25 Mbps | 3.125 | 2.98 | 11.25 | 5 min 20 s | 8 h 53 min 20 s |
| 50 Mbps | 6.25 | 5.96 | 22.5 | 2 min 40 s | 4 h 26 min 40 s |
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 | 11.921 | 45 | 1 min 20 s | 2 h 13 min 20 s |
| 200 Mbps | 25 | 23.842 | 90 | 40 s | 1 h 6 min 40 s |
| 300 Mbps | 37.5 | 35.763 | 135 | 27 s | 44 min 27 s |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 | 59.605 | 225 | 16 s | 26 min 40 s |
| 1 Gbps | 125 | 119.209 | 450 | 8 s | 13 min 20 s |
| 2 Gbps | 250 | 238.419 | 900 | 4 s | 6 min 40 s |
| 5 Gbps | 625 | 596.046 | 2,250 | 1.6 s | 2 min 40 s |
| 10 Gbps | 1,250 | 1,192.1 | 4,500 | 0.8 s | 1 min 20 s |
At full speed. Real downloads are usually 5 to 15 percent slower.
A worked example you can check on paper
A 50 GB game on a 300 Mbps connection. 300 Mbps divided by 8 is 37.5 MB/s. The game is 50,000 MB, so at full speed it takes 50,000 / 37.5 = 1,333 seconds, about 22 minutes.
If the connection really delivers 90 percent of its plan speed, the rate is 33.75 MB/s and the download takes 50,000 / 33.75 = 1,481 seconds, just under 25 minutes. A download window using binary units would show the speed as about 32.2 MB/s.
Mistakes that catch people out
Reading Mbps as MB/s. A 100 Mbps plan will never download at 100 MB/s; its ceiling is 12.5 MB/s.
Mixing up the case. Mb and MB, or Gb and GB, differ by a factor of 8. Lowercase b is always bits.
Forgetting the upload side. Many plans upload far more slowly than they download, so backing up 50 GB can take many times longer than downloading it.
Testing over WiFi. A speed test over WiFi measures the wireless link as much as the connection; test with a cable to see what the line delivers.
Popular calculations
Each opens the converter with that speed, and every value can be changed once it is open.
Mbps to MB/s
Gbps to MB/s
MB/s to Mbps
kbps and binary units
Download times
How this was checked
The engine was tested in Node against hand conversions in every unit, such as 100 Mbps to 12.5 MB/s and 11.921 MiB/s, 1 Gbps to 125 MB/s and 50 MB/s to 400 Mbps, and download times such as 50 GB at 100 Mbps taking 4,000 seconds, 1 hour 6 minutes 40 seconds.
Every address in the lists above was then opened and checked for a distinct title, the right answer, charts that render, and clean CSV, image and print output containing only that calculation, at desktop, tablet and phone widths.
Common questions
How do I convert Mbps to MB/s?
Divide by 8, because there are 8 bits in a byte. 100 Mbps is 12.5 MB/s, 300 Mbps is 37.5 MB/s and 1,000 Mbps is 125 MB/s. To go from MB/s to Mbps, multiply by 8.
How fast is 1 Gbps in MB/s?
1 Gbps is 1,000 Mbps, which is 125 MB/s at full speed, or about 119 MiB/s in the binary units many apps display. In practice a wired gigabit connection usually delivers around 110 to 118 MB/s.
Why is my download slower than my internet speed?
Mostly because the plan is quoted in megabits and the download in megabytes, an eightfold difference. On top of that, network overhead takes about 5 to 10 percent, and WiFi, a busy server or congestion can cut the speed further.
What is the difference between Mb and MB?
A lowercase b means bits and an uppercase B means bytes. Mb or Mbps is megabits, used for connection speeds; MB or MB/s is megabytes, used for file sizes and download rates. 8 Mb make 1 MB.
How long does it take to download 50 GB?
At full speed, about 1 hour 7 minutes at 100 Mbps, 22 minutes at 300 Mbps and 6 minutes 40 seconds at 1 Gbps. Set your own speed and the share of it you really get to see a realistic time.
What is MiB/s?
Mebibytes per second. A MiB is 1,048,576 bytes rather than 1,000,000, so the same speed shows about 4.6 percent lower in MiB/s. Windows and many download programs work in these units but label them MB.
Related Calculators and Reference
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