What is Base64 encoding?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data as an ASCII string. It uses 64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /) plus = for padding. It is commonly used to embed binary data in text-based formats like JSON, HTML, email (MIME), and URLs.

Is this Base64 tool safe to use with sensitive data?

Yes. This tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent to any server. Your input and output stay on your machine at all times.

Does this tool support UTF-8 characters?

Yes. The encoder properly handles UTF-8 multi-byte characters (accents, CJK, emoji) by encoding them to UTF-8 bytes before Base64 encoding, and decoding them back correctly.

What is the difference between Base64 and Base64URL?

Standard Base64 uses + and / characters which can cause issues in URLs. Base64URL replaces + with - and / with _, and removes trailing = padding. It is used in JWTs and URL-safe contexts.

Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 to plain text. Supports UTF-8 and Base64URL. 100% client-side · nothing leaves your browser.

Text to encode

0 chars

Paste or type the text you want to encode to Base64.

Base64 output

0 chars

Result · click copy or select and copy manually.

Related tools

How to use

Choose mode

Select Encode or Decode in the toolbar above.

Paste input

Paste text to encode or a Base64 string to decode.

Convert

Click the button or enable live mode for instant conversion.

Copy result

Copy the output or download as a .txt file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data as an ASCII string using 64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /) plus = for padding. It's commonly used to embed images in HTML/CSS, transmit binary data in JSON or XML, encode email attachments (MIME), and pass data in URLs.

No. Base64 is an encoding, not encryption. It does not provide any security or confidentiality. Anyone can decode a Base64 string. It is designed for data transport, not protection. Never use Base64 to "hide" passwords or sensitive information.

Base64URL replaces + with - and / with _, and removes trailing = padding. It's safe in URLs and filenames. JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) use Base64URL for their header and payload segments.

Base64 encodes every 3 bytes of input into 4 ASCII characters · roughly a 33% size increase. This overhead is the trade-off for safely transmitting binary data through text-only channels.

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