One byte per second is exactly 0.001 kilobytes per second, so converting bytes per second to kilobytes per second is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
One byte per second is eight bits per second. File transfer tools report bytes, which is the single most common source of confusion about whether a connection is running at its rated speed. Kilobytes per second is what a download dialog shows on a slow connection: 1 kB/s is 8 kbit/s.
Bits and bytes. Network speeds are sold in bits per second and file transfers are reported in bytes per second, and there are eight bits to a byte, so a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s. A connection is not underperforming by a factor of eight; it is being measured in different units. The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in kilobytes per second, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
bytes per second- The amount you are converting, in bytes per second
0.001- The exact number of kilobytes per second in one byte per second
kilobytes per second- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in bytes per second.
- It is multiplied by 0.001, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in kilobytes per second, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
HD video stream: 1e+06 B/s in kilobytes per second
HD video stream comes to about 1e+06 B/s. Multiplying by the factor: 1e+06 × 0.001 = 1000 kB/s. Dividing the answer back by 0.001 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
SD video stream: 3.75e+05 B/s in kilobytes per second
Take sd video stream, roughly 3.75e+05 B/s. The conversion is a single multiplication — 3.75e+05 × 0.001 — giving 375 kB/s. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 750 kB/s.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many kilobytes per second are in one byte per second?
Exactly 0.001. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert bytes per second to kilobytes per second?
kilobytes per second = bytes per second × 0.001. Reversed, bytes per second = kilobytes per second ÷ 0.001, which is the same as multiplying by 1000.
Which is the bigger unit, the byte per second or the kilobyte per second?
The kilobyte per second. One byte per second is only 0.001 of a kilobyte per second, so it takes 1000 bytes per second to make one kilobyte per second.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure how much data moves per second. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a byte per second?
One byte per second is eight bits per second. File transfer tools report bytes, which is the single most common source of confusion about whether a connection is running at its rated speed.
What is a kilobyte per second?
Kilobytes per second is what a download dialog shows on a slow connection: 1 kB/s is 8 kbit/s.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Bytes Per Second to kilobytes per second reference tables
| Bytes Per Second | Kilobytes Per Second |
|---|---|
| 0.5 B/s | 0.0005 kB/s |
| 1 B/s | 0.001 kB/s |
| 2 B/s | 0.002 kB/s |
| 3 B/s | 0.003 kB/s |
| 5 B/s | 0.005 kB/s |
| 10 B/s | 0.01 kB/s |
| 20 B/s | 0.02 kB/s |
| 25 B/s | 0.025 kB/s |
| 50 B/s | 0.05 kB/s |
| 75 B/s | 0.075 kB/s |
| 100 B/s | 0.1 kB/s |
| 250 B/s | 0.25 kB/s |
| 500 B/s | 0.5 kB/s |
| 1000 B/s | 1 kB/s |
| 5000 B/s | 5 kB/s |
Exact factor: 1 byte per second = 0.001 kilobytes per second.
| Quantity | B/s | kB/s |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 audio, 320 kbps | 4e+04 B/s | 40 kB/s |
| SD video stream | 3.75e+05 B/s | 375 kB/s |
| HD video stream | 1e+06 B/s | 1000 kB/s |
| 4K video stream | 3.125e+06 B/s | 3125 kB/s |
| Wired gigabit Ethernet | 1.25e+08 B/s | 1.25e+05 kB/s |
| Wi-Fi 6 link rate | 1.5e+08 B/s | 1.5e+05 kB/s |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.