Internet Speeds? Mbps vs MBps ? Bits vs Bytes Difference

Understand the difference between megabits per second and megabytes per second and how they affect file downloads and speeds.

  

The main difference between the two terms comes down to bits vs. bytes. The first acronym, Mbps with a lowercase “b,” refers to megabits per second, while the second, MBps with a capital “B,” stands for megabytes per second.

While both are terms related to measurements, they are used differently. Megabits per second is commonly used when talking about internet upload and download speeds, or the rate at which information is uploaded or downloaded based on your connection speed.

Alternatively, megabytes per second is typically referenced when talking about file size or the amount of data transferred. In many cases, you may see MBps shortened to just MB, such as a 500 MB video clip. MB can also be used when talking about internet data caps or mobile data allowances. For instance, a cell phone plan may come with a 500 MB monthly data allowance.

In short, if you were to download a file from the internet, the size of that file is measured as MBps, but the rate at which it downloads is measured as Mbps.

In short we can say, Mbps stands for Megabits per second. MBps stands Megabytes per second. The two terms are similar, but Mbps is used to specify Internet connection speeds, whereas MBps is used to specify how much of a file is downloaded/uploaded per second.