Base64 Encoder / Decoder
Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to plain text with one click. Handles Unicode and works fully offline.
About Base64 Encoder / Decoder
A Base64 encoder and decoder handles a format that underpins a surprising amount of modern web development: text-safe encoding for binary data. Base64 appears in everything from data URIs for images to encoded tokens in APIs and configuration files. This tool converts between plain text and its Base64 form in both directions, letting you inspect, generate, or debug encoded payloads without firing up a console.
Encoding works by grouping each three bytes of input into four Base64 characters using a 64-character alphabet, with = padding added when the length isn't a multiple of three. The decoder reverses the process, and invalid input is rejected rather than silently corrupted. Unicode text is handled correctly because it is encoded as UTF-8 before conversion, so emoji and non-Latin scripts round-trip faithfully in both directions.
Developers embed small images or fonts as data URIs, store binary payloads in JSON APIs, and debug auth tokens that arrive Base64-encoded. QA engineers verifying encoded values in test data and students learning how encodings differ from encryption will both find it useful. Anyone who has stared at a block of characters ending in equals signs now has a quick way to see what's really inside.
How to Use
- Paste or type the text you want to encode, or the Base64 you want to decode.
- Press Encode or Decode depending on the direction you need.
- Copy the result with the one-tap copy button.
Example
"Hello, World!" encoded SGVsbG8sIFdvcmxkIQ==
Each chunk of three bytes maps to four Base64 characters. The trailing = is padding added to make the length a multiple of four.
FAQ
Is Base64 encryption?
No. Base64 is an encoding, not encryption. Anyone can decode it, so never use it to protect sensitive data.
What is Base64 used for?
Embedding binary data like images in HTML or JSON, transmitting data over text-safe protocols, and storing small payloads in URLs.
Does this support Unicode text?
Yes. Text is encoded as UTF-8 before Base64 conversion, so emoji and non-Latin characters encode correctly.
Why do some Base64 strings end with equals signs?
The = characters are padding that brings the output length to a multiple of four when the input isn't a multiple of three bytes. They carry no data and are dropped on decode.
Is Base64 the same as UTF-8?
No. UTF-8 is a character encoding for text, while Base64 is a way to represent arbitrary binary data using only safe ASCII characters. This tool first applies UTF-8 and then Base64.