Download Time Calculator
Estimate how long a file takes to download or upload at your connection speed.
About the Download Time Calculator
Enter the file size and your connection speed, and an efficiency factor for real-world losses. The calculator gives the download time and a chart of the same download at common speeds.
Internet speeds are quoted in bits per second, file sizes in bytes; one byte is 8 bits. A 100 Mbps connection moves at most 12.5 MB per second, less after protocol overhead and Wi-Fi losses. GB is 10⁹ bytes; GiB (what Windows calls GB) is 2³⁰ bytes, about 7% larger.
The formula
Time = size × 8 ÷ (speed × efficiency)
Worked example
A 50 GB game on 100 Mbps at 90% efficiency
- Effective speed: 90 Mbps = 11.25 MB/s
- 50,000 MB ÷ 11.25 MB/s = 4,444 s
- About 1 hour 14 minutes
Questions people ask
Why is my download slower than my plan?
Server limits, Wi-Fi, network congestion and overhead.
Mbps vs MB/s?
Divide Mbps by 8 for MB/s.
Why are uploads slower?
Most home connections are asymmetric: upload speed is often a tenth of download speed. Enter your upload speed to time uploads.