Download Time Calculator
Download time is the file size divided by your connection speed, remembering that file sizes are in bytes while speeds are usually quoted in bits per second. This Download Time Calculator estimates how long any file will take to download at your speed, and even includes a download simulator so you can see how downloading works.
CALCULATED DOWNLOAD TIME
Example download time calculations
How to use the Download Time Calculator?
It’s so easy it takes only 3 easy steps as follows.
- First, enter your internet connection speed. If you don’t know your transfer speed, click on the “Test my internet speed” sign and we will test it in a few seconds.
- Enter the file size of the thing you want to download. Don’t forget to choose the appropriate unit (e.g. KB, MB, GB, or TB).
- Click on the Calculate button to see the download time minimum required to download the file. You can also see a simulation.
How precise is the Download Time Calculator?
Your actual download speed depends on many factors so the download speed shown by the Download Time Calculator is theoretical. If you want to get the most accurate download time values possible, you should test your internet speed first.
What’s the difference between Mbps and MBps?
Mbps (or Mb/s or Mbit/s) stands for megabits per second. MBps (or MB/s) stands for megabytes for seconds.
The formula to convert from Megabits per second to Megabytes per second:
- Megabytes per second = Megabits per second ÷ 8
The formula to convert from Megabytes per second to Megabits per second:
- Megabits per second = Megabytes per second * 8
Internet service providers always use Mbps for communication the internet speed because it’s a larger number. So a 10 Mbps connection means 1.25 MBps.
Here are all the frequently used download speed data units:
| Unit. | Symbol | Bits (b) | Bytes (B) | |
| Kilobit/s. | (103) | kbit/s | 1,000 bit/s | 125 B/s |
| Megabit/s | (106) | Mbit/s | 1,000 kbit/s | 125 kB/s |
| Gigabit/s. | (109) | Gbit/s | 1,000 Mbit/s | 125 MB/s |
| Terabit/s | (1012) | Tbit/s | 1,000 Gbit/s | 125 GB/s |
| Petabit/s | (1015) | Pbit/s | 1,000 Tbit/s | 125 TB/s |
| Unit. | Symbol | Bits (b) | Bytes (B) | |
| Kilobyte/s | (103) | kB/s | 8,000 bit/s. | 1,000 B/s |
| Megabyte/s | (106) | MB/s | 8,000 kbit/s | 1,000 kB/s |
| Gigabyte/s | (109) | GB/s | 8,000 Mbit/s | 1,000 MB/s |
| Terabyte/s | (1012) | TB/s | 8,000 Gbit/s | 1,000 GB/s |
| Petabyte/s | (1015) | PB/s | 8,000 Tbit/s | 1,000 TB/s |
What are the typical download file sizes?
| FILE | SIZE |
| A short e-mail | 5 KB |
| A five-page paper | 100 KB |
| A 3-minute long MP3 file | 3 MB |
| E-book | 4 MB |
| An SD movie | 800 MB |
| A standard CD-ROM = 700 MB | 700 MB |
| An HD movie | 4 GB |
| A standard DVD | 4.38 GB |
| Double-layer Blue-ray disc | 50 GB |
| GTA V | 95 GB |
Frequently asked questions
How is download time calculated?
Divide the file size by your download speed, after converting both to the same units. Since 1 byte is 8 bits, a 100 MB file on a 100 Mbps line takes about 8 seconds.
Why is my download slower than my plan speed?
Real speeds are affected by Wi-Fi, network congestion, the server and overhead, so actual downloads are usually slower than the advertised maximum.
What is the difference between megabits and megabytes?
A megabyte (MB) is eight times larger than a megabit (Mb). Internet speeds are sold in megabits per second, while file sizes are in megabytes.
How fast is a 1 Gbps connection?
At 1 gigabit per second you could in theory download a 1 GB file in about 8 seconds, though real-world overhead makes it a little slower.
How can I make downloads faster?
Use a wired connection, close other downloads, choose a nearby server, and upgrade your plan if your line is the bottleneck.