CSV Size Calculator
Estimate CSV file size and compare it with JSON for the same data.
About CSV Size Calculator
CSV stores column names once in the header rather than repeating them per record, which makes it far smaller than JSON for tabular data. The saving grows with row count. For bulk data export the format choice can change file size several-fold, which matters for both transfer time and storage cost.
Formula
CSV Size
Size = rows × columns × (value length + delimiter) + header row
- CSV advantage
- Column names appear once in the header rather than in every record
Worked example
With the default values below, CSV Size Calculator returns Total CSV Size of 93.460. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Number of rowsminimum 0
- 500,000
- Number of columnsminimum 0
- 15
- Average value lengthminimum 0
- 12
- Average header name lengthminimum 0
- 14
- Gzip compression savingaccepts 0–100 %
- 75 %
Results
- Total CSV Size
- 93.460 MB
- Compressed Size
- 23.365 MB
- Bytes per Row
- 196.0 bytes
- Equivalent JSON Size
- 230.789 MB
- Saving Against JSON
- 59.50%
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2CSV Size
- 3Total CSV Size= 93.460 MB
- 4Compressed Size= 23.365 MB
- 5Bytes per Row= 196.0 bytes
- 6Equivalent JSON Size= 230.789 MB
- 7Saving Against JSON= 59.50
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is CSV Size calculated?
Size = rows × columns × (value length + delimiter) + header row CSV stores column names once in the header rather than repeating them per record, which makes it far smaller than JSON for tabular data. The saving grows with row count.
Why does CSV Size matter?
For bulk data export the format choice can change file size several-fold, which matters for both transfer time and storage cost.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Number of rows, Number of columns, Average value length, Average header name length, Gzip compression saving. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.