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Base64 encode and decode online

Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to text instantly, with full UTF-8 support for accents, symbols and emoji. Free and with no sign-up.

A rail with 24 pegs, tall for ones and short for zeros. Behind it, three tiles with the letters M, a, n, each over 8 pegs. In front, four tiles with the characters T, W, F, u, each over 6. Enter, Space or the arrow keys move from one step to the next.

ManTWFu
Reader and dividers: change the group size24 pegs: one per bitBase64 encrypts nothing: it deals the same bits out differently. The three letters of "Man" are 3 bytes, 24 bits. Taken 6 at a time they make 4 groups, and each picks a character from an alphabet of 64: "TWFu". That is why encoded text is a third longer.

How to use it

  1. Type or paste the text or the Base64 string.
  2. Click “Encode to Base64” or “Decode Base64”.
  3. Copy the result with the “Copy” button.

Frequently asked questions

What is Base64?

It is a way of representing data with 64 safe characters (letters, digits, “+” and “/”). It is used to include data in URLs, emails, JSON or HTTP headers.

Does Base64 encrypt or protect the text?

No. Base64 is an encoding, not encryption: anyone can decode it. Do not use it to protect passwords or sensitive data.

Does it work with accents and emoji?

Yes. The text is encoded as UTF-8 before being converted to Base64, so every character survives decoding.

How Base64 works

Base64 turns any data into text made up only of letters, digits and the characters “+” and “/”. It takes the bytes three at a time and spreads them over four characters, so the result is about 33% larger than the original. When the last group is incomplete it is padded with one or two “=” signs.

For example, “Hello” is encoded as “SGVsbG8=”. The process is reversible and uses no key: anyone with the string can recover the original text, which is why Base64 is no use for hiding anything.

Where it is used

It shows up whenever arbitrary data has to go somewhere meant for text: email attachments, images embedded in a page with a “data:” URL, the HTTP basic authentication header, certificates in PEM format or Kubernetes secrets.

The first two parts of a JWT token are Base64 too, in its URL-safe variant, which swaps “+” and “/” for “-” and “_” and usually drops the padding. If a string will not decode, check that it is complete and that no spaces or line breaks crept in when you copied it.

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