Text & Dev

Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Convert text to Base64 and back, including emoji and non-Latin scripts, with standard and URL-safe alphabets.

How to base64 encoder & decoder

  1. 1

    Add your file

    Drop your file into the box above or click to browse. It's processed privately in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

  2. 2

    Choose your options

    Adjust the available settings to get exactly the result you need.

  3. 3

    Download the result

    Run the tool and download your file instantly — no sign-up, no watermark.

About Base64 Encoder & Decoder

Base64 exists because a lot of the internet was built for text. Email bodies, JSON documents, XML attributes and HTTP headers all assume printable characters, so binary data has to be re-expressed using a safe alphabet before it can pass through them. Base64 is the encoding that won.

The most common failure with browser-based Base64 is Unicode. The built-in btoa function only understands Latin-1, so anything with emoji, Arabic, Chinese or even a curly quote throws an error. This tool converts to UTF-8 bytes first, so any text encodes correctly and decodes back byte for byte.

It is worth being clear about what Base64 is not. It is not encryption, not compression and not obfuscation in any meaningful sense — decoding takes one click, as this page demonstrates. Use it to transport data safely, and use real cryptography to protect it.

Frequently asked questions

What is Base64 for?+

It represents binary or arbitrary text using only 64 safe characters, so data can travel through channels built for plain text — email attachments, JSON fields, data URIs and HTTP headers.

Does it handle emoji and Arabic text?+

Yes. The text is converted to UTF-8 bytes before encoding, which is the step most browser-based encoders skip — and the reason they throw an error on anything outside Latin-1.

What is the URL-safe alphabet?+

It swaps + and / for - and _ and drops the trailing = padding, so the result can sit in a URL or filename without being escaped. JWTs use this variant.

Is Base64 encryption?+

No, and this matters. Base64 is an encoding, not a cipher — anyone can decode it instantly. Never use it to protect a password or a secret.

Why is the encoded text longer?+

Base64 represents every three bytes as four characters, so output is about 33 percent larger than the input. That is the cost of being safe to transmit as text.

Can I decode without knowing which alphabet was used?+

Yes. The decoder accepts both alphabets and restores missing padding automatically, so either variant works without you having to choose.

More Text & Dev tools