Base64 Encoder and Decoder
Convert UTF-8 text to Base64 or decode Base64 instantly without uploading your data.
Plain text
Base64 output
Text to Base64
Your converted output will appear here automatically.
About Base64
Encoding is not encryption
Base64 changes binary or text data into a portable text representation, but it does not provide confidentiality.
Common uses
Base64 is commonly used in data URLs, email attachments, authentication headers, API payloads, certificates, and JWT segments.
Security limitation
Do not use Base64 to protect passwords, tokens, personal data, or other confidential information.
Guide
About Base64 Encoder and Decoder
Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding used when data must travel through text-oriented systems.
This tool converts UTF-8 text to Base64 and decodes Base64 back into readable text, including URL-safe variants.
Base64 is encoding rather than encryption, so encoded data should never be treated as confidential.
What Base64 encoding does
Base64 represents bytes with a restricted set of printable characters.
- Works with UTF-8 text
- Supports standard Base64
- Supports Base64URL
- May use equals-sign padding
Base64 versus Base64URL
Base64URL replaces plus and slash with hyphen and underscore and commonly omits padding. JWT segments use Base64URL.
Common Base64 errors
Invalid characters, missing data, incorrect padding, or interpreting binary bytes as text can cause decoding failures.
- Truncated input
- Mixed Base64 and Base64URL alphabets
- Unexpected whitespace
- Binary output interpreted as UTF-8
Security considerations
Anyone who can access a Base64 value can usually decode it. Use encryption when confidentiality is required.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Base64 encryption?
No. Base64 uses no secret key and can be decoded by anyone.
Why does Base64 end with equals signs?
Equals signs are optional padding used when the input byte length is not divisible by three.
Why is Base64 larger than the input?
Three input bytes are represented by four Base64 characters, increasing size by roughly one third.
What is Base64URL?
Base64URL uses URL-safe characters and often omits padding.
Can Base64 encode files?
Yes, but this text-focused tool may not display arbitrary decoded binary data meaningfully.
Is my input uploaded?
Encoding and decoding are intended to run locally in your browser.
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