🔡 Base64 Encoder
Convert plain text to Base64 encoding, or decode Base64 strings back to readable text. Useful for data URIs, email attachments, and API payloads.
Related Tools
How to Use the Base64 Encoder
The Base64 Encoder/Decoder tool lets you convert text to Base64 encoding and decode Base64 strings back to plain text — all in your browser with no data uploaded to any server. To encode text, paste or type your plain text into the left panel and click Encode. The Base64-encoded string appears in the right panel. To decode a Base64 string, paste the encoded string into the left panel and click Decode to recover the original text.
This tool handles UTF-8 text correctly, including characters outside the ASCII range such as accented letters, Chinese characters, and emoji. The output uses standard Base64 with the + and / characters and = padding. Base64 is commonly used in data URIs for embedding images in CSS, encoding binary data in JSON payloads, basic HTTP authentication headers (Authorization: Basic), MIME email attachments, and storing binary data in text-based formats. Click Copy to copy the output to your clipboard instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Base64 encoding?
›
Base64 is an encoding scheme that converts binary data into a string of ASCII characters using 64 printable characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /). It is used to safely transmit binary data over channels that only handle text, such as email (MIME), HTTP headers, and JSON. Each 3 bytes of binary input produces 4 Base64 characters, so Base64 output is about 33% larger than the original.
Is Base64 the same as encryption?
›
No. Base64 is encoding, not encryption. It is completely reversible by anyone without any key — anyone who has your Base64 string can decode it instantly. Never use Base64 to "hide" or "secure" sensitive data. Use proper encryption algorithms like AES for confidentiality.
What is the difference between standard Base64 and URL-safe Base64?
›
Standard Base64 uses + and / characters which have special meanings in URLs. URL-safe Base64 replaces + with - and / with _ to make the encoded string safe to include in a URL or file name without percent-encoding. JWT tokens use URL-safe Base64 for their header and payload.
Why does my Base64 string end with == or =?
›
Base64 encodes data in groups of 3 bytes. If the input length is not a multiple of 3, padding characters (=) are added to the end to make the output length a multiple of 4. One = means one padding byte was added; == means two. Some implementations strip padding — both are valid as long as the decoder expects it.