Base64 Encode & Decode Online
Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 strings instantly in your browser.
Processed locally in your browserEncode text to Base64 or decode Base64 strings back to readable text with this free online tool.
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How to Use
Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 strings back to readable text with this free online tool.
- Choose your mode. Click Encode to convert text into Base64, or Decode to convert a Base64 string back into plain text.
- Enter your input. Paste text or a Base64 string into the input field, or upload a file using the file picker. The output updates instantly as you type.
- Enable URL-safe mode if needed. Toggle the URL-safe checkbox to use RFC 4648 encoding, which replaces + with -, / with _, and removes padding. This format is safe for URLs and filenames.
- Use the swap button. Click Swap to take the current output and feed it back as input in the opposite mode — useful for verifying a round-trip encode/decode cycle.
- Copy or download. Use the copy button to grab the result, or click Download to save it as a text file.
Base64 is commonly used to embed binary data in JSON, HTML, CSS, and email. This tool supports full UTF-8 including emoji and multibyte characters. All processing happens in your browser — no data leaves your device.
Features
- ✓Encode text to Base64
- ✓Decode Base64 to text
- ✓Full UTF-8 support
- ✓File upload support
- ✓One-click copy & download
- ✓Instant real-time conversion
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Base64 encoding?
- Base64 encoding is a method that converts binary data into a string of ASCII characters using a set of 64 printable characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /). The Base64 encode/decode process is commonly used to safely represent binary content in text-based formats like JSON, XML, and email.
- Why would I need to use Base64?
- You use Base64 when you need to embed binary data — such as images, files, or cryptographic keys — inside a text-based medium that cannot handle raw bytes. Common use cases include embedding images in HTML or CSS (see our Image to Base64 Converter), encoding email attachments with MIME, and transmitting binary data in JSON APIs.
- Is Base64 a form of encryption?
- No. Base64 encode/decode is a reversible encoding scheme, not encryption. Anyone with a Base64 decoder can instantly recover the original data without any key. If you need to protect sensitive data, use proper encryption algorithms such as AES, not Base64.
- When should I use Base64 encoding vs. other approaches?
- Use Base64 encode when you must transport binary content over a channel that only supports ASCII text, or when a protocol requires text-safe data. For URL parameters, use URL encoding instead. For HTML content, use HTML entity encoding. For pure text data being passed between systems that support UTF-8, Base64 adds unnecessary overhead — use direct encoding instead.
- How does Base64 encoding work?
- Base64 converts every three bytes of binary data into four printable characters by splitting the 24 bits across four 6-bit groups and mapping each group to one of 64 characters. This is why Base64-encoded output is always roughly 33% larger than the original input. Padding characters (=) are added when the input length is not divisible by three.