Free Online Text Base64 Encoder/Decoder Tool

Input Text:

Result:

What is Base64 Encoding?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format. It's commonly used when there's a need to encode binary data that needs to be stored and transferred over media designed to deal with text.

How Does Base64 Encoding Work?

Base64 encoding works by dividing the input bytes into groups of 3 bytes (24 bits) and then representing each 24-bit group as four 6-bit Base64 digits. These 6-bit groups are then mapped to characters in the Base64 alphabet which includes:

• Uppercase letters A-Z (26 characters)
• Lowercase letters a-z (26 characters)
• Digits 0-9 (10 characters)
• Plus sign (+) and forward slash (/)
• Equal sign (=) for padding

Common Uses of Base64 Encoding

Base64 encoding is widely used in many applications including:

• Email attachments: Binary files are encoded as Base64 for transmission via SMTP
• Data URLs: Embedding images directly in HTML or CSS
• Basic Authentication: Encoding username:password in HTTP headers
• Cryptography: Encoding keys, certificates, and other binary cryptographic data
• JSON/XML: Transporting binary data in text-based formats

Why Use Our Base64 Tool?

Our free online Base64 encoder/decoder provides several advantages:

• Instant conversion: Encode or decode text in real-time with no delays
• Simple interface: Clean, intuitive design that's easy to use
• No installation: Works directly in your browser with no software to download
• Privacy focused: All processing happens in your browser - we don't store your data
• Mobile friendly: Works perfectly on all devices including smartphones and tablets

How to Use the Base64 Encoder/Decoder

Using our tool is straightforward:

1. Paste your text in the input box
2. Click "Encode to Base64" to convert your text to Base64
3. Or click "Decode from Base64" to convert Base64 back to text
4. Copy the result using the "Copy Result" button

Base64 Encoding in Programming Languages

Here's how Base64 encoding/decoding works in popular programming languages:

JavaScript

// Encoding
const encoded = btoa('text to encode');

// Decoding
const decoded = atob('dGV4dCB0byBlbmNvZGU=');

Python

import base64

# Encoding
encoded = base64.b64encode(b'text to encode').decode('utf-8')

# Decoding
decoded = base64.b64decode('dGV4dCB0byBlbmNvZGU=').decode('utf-8')

PHP

// Encoding
$encoded = base64_encode('text to encode');

// Decoding
$decoded = base64_decode('dGV4dCB0byBlbmNvZGU=');

Base64 Encoding FAQs

Is Base64 encryption secure?

No, Base64 is not encryption. It's simply an encoding scheme that makes binary data readable as text. Base64 provides no security or confidentiality - the data can be easily decoded by anyone.

Does Base64 encoding increase size?

Yes, Base64 encoding typically increases the size of the data by about 33%. This is because every 3 bytes of binary data becomes 4 bytes of Base64 encoded text.

What characters are used in Base64?

The Base64 alphabet consists of A-Z, a-z, 0-9, plus '+', '/', and '=' for padding. These 64 characters were chosen because they're common to most character encodings and are printable.

Can Base64 contain special characters?

Base64 only uses its defined alphabet (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /, =). Any other characters would make the encoding invalid. Some variants like URL-safe Base64 replace '+' and '/' with '-' and '_' to avoid issues in URLs.

How can I identify Base64 encoded data?

Base64 encoded strings typically end with one or two '=' padding characters and consist of a mix of letters, numbers, '+' and '/'. The length is usually a multiple of 4.