Updated November 11, 2026
Your internet plan says 100 Mbps, but your browser downloads a file at about 12 MB/s. Nothing is wrong — they are different units.
Bits and bytes
- Mbps (small b) means megabits per second. Internet providers and speed tests use it.
- MB/s (capital B) means megabytes per second. Browsers, Steam, app stores and file managers use it.
- 1 byte = 8 bits. So divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s, or multiply MB/s by 8 to get Mbps.
100 Mbps ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s
Quick conversion table
| Internet speed | Download speed in your browser |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 1.25 MB/s |
| 25 Mbps | 3.1 MB/s |
| 50 Mbps | 6.25 MB/s |
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s |
| 300 Mbps | 37.5 MB/s |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 MB/s |
| 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps) | 125 MB/s |
In practice downloads reach 85–95% of these numbers because of protocol overhead and other traffic on your connection.
Why do providers use bits?
Networks have always measured transmission in bits per second, because data travels one bit at a time. It also produces bigger numbers, which suits advertising. Storage, on the other hand, is counted in bytes.
Kbps, Mbps and Gbps
1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps, and 1 Mbps = 1,000 Kbps. These use decimal steps of 1,000. Some operating systems show file sizes in binary units (1 GiB = 1,024 MiB), which makes files look about 7% smaller — another small source of confusion.
Want to see your own speed in both units? Run the speed test and switch between Mbps and MB/s, or use the converter in the download time calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many MB/s is 100 Mbps?
12.5 MB/s. Divide megabits by 8 to get megabytes.
Is 1 Mbps the same as 1 MB/s?
No. 1 MB/s is eight times faster than 1 Mbps.
Why does Steam show a lower number than my plan?
Steam shows megabytes per second (MB/s), while plans are sold in megabits (Mbps). Multiply the Steam number by 8 to compare.