Base64 Encoder & Decoder
Professional tool for encoding and decoding text, files, and binary data
Quick Examples
Common Examples
File Examples
Online Base64 Encoder
Convert text, files, and binary data to Base64 format with support for various encoding options including URL-safe and multiline formats.
Online Base64 Decoder
Decode Base64 encoded text back to its original format with automatic format detection and file type identification.
About Base64 Encoding
What is Base64 Encoding?
Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data in an ASCII string format by translating it into a radix-64 representation. The term "Base64" originates from a specific MIME content transfer encoding. Base64 encoding schemes are commonly used when there is a need to encode binary data that needs to be stored and transferred over media that are designed to deal with textual data.
Common Use Cases
Base64 encoding is widely used in various applications and protocols. In email systems, Base64 is used to encode binary attachments, ensuring they can be transmitted as text. Web applications use Base64 to embed images directly in HTML or CSS files, reducing HTTP requests and improving page load times. Data storage systems often use Base64 to store binary data in text-based formats like JSON or XML. Additionally, Base64 is essential in cryptographic applications for encoding digital signatures, certificates, and other binary security data.
Technical Implementation
The Base64 encoding process works by taking groups of three bytes (24 bits) and representing them as four 6-bit values. These 6-bit values are then mapped to printable ASCII characters using a predefined alphabet. The standard Base64 alphabet uses A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, and / characters, with = used for padding when the input length is not divisible by three. This encoding increases the data size by approximately 33% due to the 6-bit to 8-bit conversion ratio.
Advanced Features and Variants
Beyond standard Base64, several variants have been developed for specific use cases. URL-safe Base64 replaces + and / characters with - and _ respectively, making the encoded string safe for use in URLs and filenames. Base32 encoding uses a 32-character alphabet (A-Z and 2-7) and is commonly used in applications requiring case-insensitive encoding. Base58 encoding, popularized by Bitcoin, eliminates similar-looking characters (0, O, I, l) to prevent confusion in human-readable identifiers. Our tool supports all these variants, along with automatic format detection and comprehensive encoding analysis.