Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Base64 a form of encryption?

No. Base64 is encoding, not encryption — it doesn't protect your data. Anyone can decode a Base64 string instantly. Use it only to represent binary data as ASCII text (e.g. embedding images in CSS or data URIs).

What's the difference between standard Base64 and Base64URL?

Standard Base64 uses + and / which break in URLs and filenames. Base64URL replaces + with - and / with _, making it safe for query strings, JWT tokens, and file names without percent-encoding.

How do I encode a binary file (not just text) to Base64?

Drop the file onto the input area. The tool reads it as binary and produces a Base64 data URI (data:type/subtype;base64,...) suitable for embedding in HTML img src or CSS background-image.

What are the = padding characters at the end of Base64?

Base64 encodes 3 bytes at a time. When the input length isn't divisible by 3, = padding fills the last group to keep the output a multiple of 4 characters. Some implementations omit padding — the decoder here accepts both.

Why does my decoded Base64 look like garbled characters?

Base64 encodes raw bytes, not text. If the original was a binary file, decoding to a text string will look garbled — the bytes are correct but must be interpreted as the original format, not a UTF-8 string.