Base64 Text Encoder / Decoder
Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to plain text — live, private.
What is Base64?
Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data using 64 printable ASCII characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /). It's widely used in email attachments (MIME), data URIs, JWT tokens, and HTTP Basic Authentication headers. Because Base64 only uses safe ASCII characters, it can be transmitted anywhere text is accepted without corruption.
Encode vs decode
Encoding converts readable text into Base64. The output will be longer than the input by about 33%. Decoding reverses this — it takes a Base64 string and converts it back to the original text. Note: Base64 is not encryption. Anyone who sees the encoded string can decode it instantly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Base64 the same as encryption?
No. Base64 is an encoding scheme, not encryption. It does not provide confidentiality — anyone can decode a Base64 string without a key. Use proper encryption (AES, RSA) if you need to protect sensitive data.
Does this support UTF-8 and emoji?
Yes. The encoder uses encodeURIComponent before encoding to handle the full UTF-8 range including emoji, Chinese, Arabic, and other non-ASCII characters correctly.
What causes the "Invalid Base64 string" error?
Base64 strings must consist only of A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /, and = (padding). Spaces, line breaks, or any other character will cause a decode error. Make sure the entire string is selected when copying from another source.
