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Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Encode and decode text, files, and images to/from Base64 format. Supports multiple input types with real-time processing and file downloads.

Base64 Encoder/Decoder

Text/File to Encode

0 chars

Drag and drop a file here, or

Supports all file types • Max size: 100MB

Base64 Output

0 chars

Privacy & Performance

All encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser. No data is transmitted to servers or stored online. Base64 is not encryption - it's encoding for data representation.

File Size Limits: Maximum file size is 100MB to ensure optimal browser performance. Files larger than 10MB may take longer to process.

Why Use Our Base64 Tool?

Complete Base64 toolkit with encoding, decoding, and file handling capabilities

Text Encoding

Encode any text to Base64 format with support for UTF-8 and special characters

File Encoding

Upload and encode files of any type to Base64 for embedding or data URIs

Decode Base64

Decode Base64 strings back to original text or download as files

One-Click Copy

Copy encoded/decoded results to clipboard with a single click

File Downloads

Download decoded content as files with proper MIME type detection

Privacy Focused

All processing happens locally in your browser - no data transmitted to servers

Drag & Drop

Easy file upload with drag and drop support for quick encoding

Real-time Processing

Instant encoding and decoding as you type with live character count

Common Base64 Use Cases

Learn when and why Base64 encoding is useful

🔧 Development & APIs

  • • Embedding images in HTML/CSS as data URIs
  • • Sending binary data through JSON APIs
  • • Storing binary files in databases as text
  • • Authentication tokens and credentials
  • • Email attachments in MIME format

📧 Data Transmission

  • • Sending files through text-only channels
  • • URL-safe data encoding for query parameters
  • • Encoding configuration files
  • • Cross-platform data exchange
  • • Legacy system compatibility

How Base64 Encoding Works

What is Base64?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format. It uses 64 printable characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /) to encode data, making it safe for transmission through text-based protocols.

Example: The text "Hello" becomes "SGVsbG8=" when Base64 encoded.

Encoding Process

  1. Convert input to binary representation
  2. Group binary data into 6-bit chunks
  3. Map each 6-bit value to a Base64 character
  4. Add padding characters (=) if needed

Important Notes

  • • Base64 is not encryption - it's encoding for data representation
  • • Encoded data is about 33% larger than the original
  • • Safe for URLs and filenames (with URL-safe variant)
  • • Reversible process - you can always decode back to original

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Base64 encoding secure?

Base64 is NOT encryption or security. It's simply a way to represent binary data as text. Anyone can easily decode Base64 strings. For security, use proper encryption methods.

Is my data safe when using this tool?

Yes! All encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser. No data is ever transmitted to our servers or stored anywhere. Your data remains completely private.

What file types can I encode?

You can encode any file type - images, documents, executables, etc. The tool will convert any binary data to Base64 format.

Why would I need to encode files to Base64?

Common uses include embedding images in HTML/CSS, sending files through APIs that only accept text, storing binary data in databases, or transmitting files through text-only channels.

What's the difference between standard and URL-safe Base64?

Standard Base64 uses + and / characters which can cause issues in URLs. URL-safe Base64 replaces + with - and / with _ to make it safe for use in URLs and filenames.

Can I decode Base64 back to the original file?

Yes! Base64 encoding is completely reversible. Our tool can decode Base64 strings back to their original format and let you download the file.

Why does Base64 make files larger?

Base64 encoding increases file size by about 33% because it represents 3 bytes of binary data using 4 ASCII characters. This is the trade-off for text-safe representation.

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