Why is binary used in computing?

Computers process electrical signals that are either on or off, and binary's two digits map directly onto these two states.

Why is hexadecimal commonly used alongside binary?

Each hex digit represents exactly 4 binary digits, making hexadecimal a much shorter and more readable way to express binary values.

Binary Converter

Convert instantly between decimal, binary, hexadecimal and octal

Decimal

Binary

Hexadecimal

Octal

What is the Binary Converter?

The Binary Converter translates a number between four common number systems used in computing and mathematics: decimal (base 10), binary (base 2), hexadecimal (base 16) and octal (base 8). Type a value into any field and the other three update automatically.

How to Use the Binary Converter

Type a number into any one of the four fields — decimal, binary, hex or octal.
The other three fields update instantly to show the equivalent value in each base.

Number Base Reference

System	Base	Digits Used	Example (255 in decimal)
Decimal	10	0–9	255
Binary	2	0–1	11111111
Hexadecimal	16	0–9, A–F	FF
Octal	8	0–7	377

Frequently Asked Questions

Computers store and process data as electrical signals that are naturally either "on" or "off" — binary's two digits (0 and 1) map directly onto these two states, making it the fundamental language of digital systems.

Each hex digit represents exactly 4 binary digits, so hexadecimal gives a much shorter, more readable way to write binary values — commonly seen in color codes, memory addresses and byte values.