Base64 Encoder/Decoder
Encode text or files to Base64, or decode Base64 back to text/files. Runs locally in your browser with validation, URL-safe mode, and download options.
Use Encode for plain text or a file. Use Decode to recover text or download a decoded file.
Tip: For Base64 decoding, whitespace is ignored. For very large inputs, file mode is recommended.
If a file is selected in Encode mode, the textarea input is ignored.
In URL-safe mode, '+'→'-' and '/'→'_'.
Some systems require padding. Many URL-safe uses omit it.
Use UTF-8 for normal text. Use Latin-1 only for legacy cases.
Privacy: all processing happens locally in your browser. No inputs or outputs are uploaded or stored.
How it works
Base64 is an encoding that converts bytes into ASCII characters. It is reversible and not encryption.
- Encode: bytes → Base64 text
- Decode: Base64 text → bytes (or text if it was text originally)
- URL-safe: uses '-' and '_' instead of '+' and '/'
Examples
- Encode: "hello" → aGVsbG8=
- Decode: aGVsbG8= → "hello"
- URL-safe: replace '+'/'/' with '-'/'_' (and optionally remove '=')
When to use this tool
This tool is designed for quick, practical tasks such as everyday calculations, data formatting, or simple conversions. It is best used when you need fast results without installing software or using complex tools.
When to use
- Quick checks or one-time calculations
- Validating or converting data before using it elsewhere
- Simple tasks that do not require advanced software
When not to use
- Critical financial, legal, or medical decisions
- Large-scale or automated processing
- Situations requiring guaranteed precision beyond basic validation
Always review results before using them in important contexts.
About this tool
This tool helps you perform quick utility operations directly in your browser. It runs entirely in your browser without sending data to a server.
You can use this tool when handling simple tasks without installing additional software. The results should be interpreted as a processed output based on your input data.
FAQ
- Is this Base64 tool private?
Yes. Encoding and decoding run locally in your browser. No inputs are uploaded or stored by this tool.
- What is Base64 used for?
Base64 converts binary data into text so it can be safely included in places that expect plain text (e.g., JSON, URLs, HTML).
- Does Base64 encrypt data?
No. Base64 is not encryption. It is an encoding and can be reversed.
- What is URL-safe Base64?
URL-safe Base64 replaces '+' with '-' and '/' with '_' and often omits '=' padding so it can be used in URLs without escaping.
- Can I encode files?
Yes. You can encode a file to Base64 and decode Base64 back to a file for download (as long as the browser can handle the size).