The byte
A byte is 8 bits — the smallest addressable unit on virtually every modern computer. ASCII text is one byte per character; UTF-8 ranges from 1 to 4 bytes per character.
Bytes to Bits Converter
1 B = 8 bit
1 byte equals 8 bits. To convert bytes to bits, multiply the byte value by 8. For quick reference: 1 B = 8 bit, 5 B = 40 bit, 10 B = 80 bit, 100 B = 800 bit.
Formula
Bits = Bytes × 8Quick
How to convert bytes to bits
Take your value
Start with your value in bytes.
Multiply by 8
Multiply the byte value by 8. This is the exact conversion factor from bytes to bits.
Read the result
The product is your value in bits. For example, 5 B × 8 = 40 bit.
Conversion formula
The exact factor from bytes to bits is 8.
Bits = Bytes × 8
Bytes to Bits conversion table
Fifty common reference values, hand-picked for skim utility. Use the calculator above for any value not listed.
| Bytes (B) | Bits (bit) |
|---|---|
| 1 B | 8 bit |
| 8 B | 64 bit |
| 16 B | 128 bit |
| 64 B | 512 bit |
| 100 B | 800 bit |
| 256 B | 2048 bit |
| 500 B | 4000 bit |
| 512 B | 4096 bit |
| 1000 B | 8000 bit |
| 1024 B | 8192 bit |
| 2000 B | 16000 bit |
| 2048 B | 16384 bit |
| 4096 B | 32768 bit |
| 5000 B | 40000 bit |
| 8192 B | 65536 bit |
| 10000 B | 80000 bit |
| 16384 B | 131072 bit |
| 25000 B | 200000 bit |
| 32768 B | 262144 bit |
| 50000 B | 400000 bit |
| 65536 B | 524288 bit |
| 100000 B | 800000 bit |
| 131072 B | 1048576 bit |
| 250000 B | 2000000 bit |
| 500000 B | 4000000 bit |
| 524288 B | 4194304 bit |
| 1000000 B | 8000000 bit |
| 1048576 B | 8388608 bit |
| 2000000 B | 16000000 bit |
| 5000000 B | 40000000 bit |
| 10000000 B | 80000000 bit |
| 50000000 B | 400000000 bit |
| 100000000 B | 800000000 bit |
| 500000000 B | 4000000000 bit |
| 1000000000 B | 8000000000 bit |
| 2000000000 B | 16000000000 bit |
| 5000000000 B | 40000000000 bit |
| 10000000000 B | 80000000000 bit |
| 50000000000 B | 400000000000 bit |
| 100000000000 B | 800000000000 bit |
| 500000000000 B | 4000000000000 bit |
| 1000000000000 B | 8000000000000 bit |
| 2000000000000 B | 16000000000000 bit |
| 5000000000000 B | 40000000000000 bit |
| 10000000000000 B | 80000000000000 bit |
| 100000000000000 B | 800000000000000 bit |
| 1000000000000000 B | 8.0000 × 10^15 bit |
| 10000000000000000 B | 8.0000 × 10^16 bit |
| 100000000000000000 B | 8.0000 × 10^17 bit |
| 1000000000000000000 B | 8.0000 × 10^18 bit |
Real-world reference
A single ASCII character is 1 byte. A small SVG icon is around 1 kB. In bits, that gives you: 1 B = 8 bit, 10 B = 80 bit, 100 B = 800 bit.
Frequently asked questions
- How many bits are in 1 byte?
- 1 byte equals 8 bits.
- How do I convert bytes to bits?
- Multiply the byte value by 8. So x B × 8 = the equivalent in bit.
- What is 5 bytes in bits?
- 5 bytes equals 40 bits.
- What is 10 bytes in bits?
- 10 bytes equals 80 bits.
- What is 100 bytes in bits?
- 100 bytes equals 800 bits.
- How do I convert back from bits to bytes?
- Multiply the bit value by 0.125. For example, 1 bit = 0.125 B.
- Is the byte bigger than the bit?
- Yes. 1 byte is larger than 1 bit — specifically 8 times larger.
- Are these conversion factors exact?
- Yes. The factor of 8 is derived directly from the SI definitions of byte and bit.
About the byte and the bit
The bit
A bit is the smallest unit of digital information — a single 0 or 1. Eight bits make one byte. The bit is the natural unit for bandwidth (most network speeds are quoted in bits per second, not bytes).