Base64 Encoder / Decoder
Encode text to Base64 or decode it back in one click, plus image ⇄ Base64 data-URL conversion with drag & drop. Free, instant and 100% browser-based — nothing is uploaded.
Drop an image here or click to browse
PNG · JPG · GIF · WebP · SVG · AVIF — decoded Base64 preview, image info, copy data URL or download.
What is Base64?
Base64 maps 3 bytes of binary data onto 4 ASCII characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and /, with = padding), so data can travel through text-safe channels like JSON, XML, data URLs and e-mail. It is encoding, not encryption — anyone can trivially decode it, so never use it to “hide” secrets. Base64 also inflates data by roughly +33% (more with line breaks or URL-safe variants).
This page supports the standard and URL-safe alphabets (- _ instead of + /), tolerates missing padding, and strips whitespace automatically. Text uses UTF-8, so any language and emoji encode correctly.
How to use Base64 Encoder / Decoder
Paste any text into the input box and the encoded result appears instantly in the output panel — encoder and decoder run in both directions on the same input. Toggle URL-safe mode when the string will live in a query parameter or a JWT, use the copy button to grab the output, and save longer payloads with the download link.
Typical uses: turning a small image into a data URL for CSS, moving binary-shaped payloads inside JSON fields, and reading Authorization: Basic headers. Remember that Base64 is transport formatting, not protection — anything you can encode can also be decoded by anyone holding the string, so use it for transport, never for secrets.
Frequently asked questions
What is Base64 encoding used for?
It converts binary or text data into a safe string of ASCII characters so it can travel through text-only channels such as JSON fields, data URLs, email or HTTP headers. The output is roughly 33 percent larger than the input.
Is Base64 encryption?
No, Base64 is an encoding scheme, not encryption. Anyone can decode it instantly, so never use it to hide passwords, tokens or secrets. Use a hashing tool or a real cipher for those.
Why does Base64 output end with = signs?
Padding characters bring the output length to a multiple of 4. One = means the final group held 2 bytes, and == means only 1 byte. Padding is deterministic, so some encoders trim it safely.
Does this tool support URL-safe Base64?
Yes. URL-safe mode replaces + with - and / with _, so the string survives inside URLs, filenames and JWTs without extra escaping.