Free tool
Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert a Unix timestamp to a readable date, or a date to a timestamp, in seconds or milliseconds. See the result in UTC, your local time, ISO 8601, and as a relative time. Everything runs in your browser.
One number, one instant in time
A Unix timestamp counts the seconds since the start of 1970 in UTC. Because it is a single number with no timezone attached, it is an unambiguous way to record when something happened, which is why it turns up in database columns, log lines, API responses, and JWT tokens.
The catch is that a number like 1751000000 means nothing at a glance. This converter turns it into a date you can read, and turns a date you can read back into a timestamp, so you can move between the two forms without doing the arithmetic in your head.
Seconds, milliseconds, and timezones
Not every system counts the same way. Unix tools and most databases use seconds, while JavaScript and many APIs use milliseconds, which are a thousand times larger. Mixing them up puts a date fifty years off. The converter detects which you have pasted from the size of the number, and you can force one or the other when it is ambiguous.
The timestamp itself carries no timezone, so the tool shows both the UTC moment and the same moment in your browser local time. When you go the other way, the date picker reads your input as local time and gives you back the timestamp, which is always anchored to UTC.
Timestamps in the database
Plenty of schemas store time as an integer rather than a date type, often a created_at or updated_at column holding epoch seconds. When a query returns one of those numbers, paste it here to see the moment it stands for. To go the other way in SQL, PostgreSQL has to_timestamp() and MySQL has FROM_UNIXTIME().
The conversion happens in your browser, so nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It keeps working offline once the page has loaded.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a Unix timestamp?
- A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds that have passed since midnight UTC on 1 January 1970, a moment known as the Unix epoch. It is a simple, timezone-free way to store an instant in time, which is why databases and APIs use it so often. Some systems store milliseconds instead of seconds.
- How do I convert a timestamp to a date?
- Paste the number into the Timestamp to date field. The tool shows the moment in UTC, in your local timezone, in ISO 8601 format, and as a relative time such as three hours ago. Press Now to fill in the current timestamp.
- Seconds or milliseconds, how does it know?
- By default the converter auto-detects: a value with thirteen or more digits is read as milliseconds, and a shorter value is read as seconds. You can override this with the Input unit setting if your value is ambiguous.
- How do I convert a date to a timestamp?
- Use the Date to timestamp field to pick a date and time. It is interpreted in your local timezone, and the tool returns the matching timestamp in both seconds and milliseconds, plus the ISO 8601 form in UTC.
- Which timezone are the results in?
- The timestamp itself is timezone-free. The tool shows you both the UTC moment and the same moment in your browser local timezone, so you can read whichever you need. The date picker takes its input as local time.
- Is anything sent to a server?
- No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded. It also works offline once the page has loaded.
More free tools
Read timestamp columns in DB Pro
Converting a single value is quick here. When a whole column is epoch seconds, DB Pro lets you write the query that turns it into a readable date and browse the results in place. It is a desktop database client for macOS, Windows, and Linux that works with PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and more.
Browse the other free tools, or read the database tutorials and cheat sheets.