Unix Timestamp

Convert a Unix timestamp (epoch) to a readable date, and a date to a timestamp — in seconds or milliseconds. Free, instant, online tool.

Timestamp Unix actuel

—

Timestamp → Date

Unix timestamp (seconds or milliseconds)

Heure locale—

UTC—

ISO 8601—

Relatif—

Date → Timestamp

Pick a date and time (your local time)

Seconds—

Milliseconds—

UTC—

What is a Unix timestamp (epoch time)?

A Unix timestamp — also called Unix time, epoch time or POSIX time — is the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC, a starting point called « the epoch ». It is simply a numeric value that represents a precise date and time.

It is the simplest way for a computer to represent a date and time: a single integer, identical everywhere in the world and independent of the time zone. The Unix timestamp is found in databases, log files, APIs, Linux systems and most programming languages (PHP, JavaScript, Python, Java, SQL…).

Important: a Unix timestamp is always counted in UTC (universal time, close to GMT). It is when displaying it that we translate it into a time zone to get a « human » date and time. The same number 1700000000 is 11:13 PM in Paris, 5:13 PM in New York or 7:13 AM the next day in Tokyo — the exact same instant, read at different local times. Converting a timestamp to a date, or a date to a timestamp, simply means choosing the display time zone.

Why use a Unix timestamp?

Representing a date and time as a simple number — the timestamp — has many advantages for developers, databases and computers:

🌍

UniverselThe same value everywhere in the world, regardless of time zone or local format (dd/mm or mm/dd).

⚡

Simple et compactA single integer to store, instead of a long text string.

📊

Easy to compareComparing two dates means comparing two numbers: ideal for sorting or computing a duration.

🔧

Standard partoutUnderstood by every language, database and operating system.

Seconds or milliseconds?

Depending on the system, the timestamp is expressed in seconds or milliseconds.

Unix/Linux, PHP or MySQL systems usually use seconds (10 digits today, e.g. 1750166400). JavaScript and many web APIs use milliseconds (13 digits, e.g. 1750166400000).

No worries: this converter automatically detects the unit. If you paste 13 digits, it understands milliseconds; otherwise it reads seconds.

Some useful benchmarks

digits = a timestamp in seconds

digits = a timestamp in milliseconds

86 400

seconds in a day

The Year 2038 problem: systems that store the timestamp in a 32-bit integer will not be able to count beyond January 19, 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC. Modern (64-bit) systems are not affected.

How to use the timestamp converter

Converting between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates takes only a few seconds.

Enter a Unix timestamp to convert it into a readable date.

Or select a date and time to generate the corresponding Unix timestamp.

The converter automatically detects whether your timestamp uses seconds (10 digits) or milliseconds (13 digits).

Copy the result and use it in your application, API, database or log analysis.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current Unix timestamp?

The current Unix timestamp is displayed at the top of this page and updates automatically in real time.

Can I convert dates before 1970?

Yes. Dates before the Unix epoch are represented by negative Unix timestamps and are supported by modern systems.

Is this converter free?

Yes. You can convert timestamps and dates as often as you like without creating an account or installing any software.

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