Is Base64 the same as encryption?

No. Base64 is an encoding — it makes binary data representable as ASCII but provides zero secrecy. Anyone who sees the Base64 can decode it.

Does this tool handle emoji and Unicode correctly?

Yes. The tool encodes and decodes as UTF-8 by default, so emoji, accented characters and non-Latin scripts survive the round trip intact. Other charsets (Latin-1, Windows-1252, UTF-16LE) are available.

Base64URL is the URL-safe variant used in JWTs and OAuth tokens: + becomes -, / becomes _, and padding = signs are usually removed. Tick URL-safe to use it.

Can I encode a file with this tool?

Yes. Click Upload File to encode any local file to Base64 (great for images as data URIs), or upload a .b64 file in Decode mode to save the decoded binary. Everything stays in your browser.

Why is my decoded output garbled?

The input may not be valid Base64, or it may have been created from a different character encoding. Try switching the character set or removing stray whitespace.

Base64 Encoder & Decoder – Base64URL, Files & Charsets

Quick Answer

A Base64 encoder turns any text into the Base64 alphabet (A-Z a-z 0-9 + / =) so it can travel through systems that only handle plain ASCII — email attachments, data URIs, and some API payloads. A decoder reverses the process. This tool does both, with correct UTF-8 handling.

What This Tool Does

Choose Encode to convert text to Base64, or Decode to convert Base64 back to text. The encoding is UTF-8 aware: multibyte characters (emoji, CJK, accents) are encoded correctly rather than mangled, and decoding validates the input so garbage Base64 produces a friendly error instead of gibberish. You can also upload files, switch character sets, use the URL-safe Base64URL variant, or remove padding.

Key Features

Two-way — encode and decode in the same tool via a dropdown.
UTF-8 safe — emoji and accented letters round-trip perfectly.
Character set options — UTF-8, ASCII, Latin-1, Windows-1252, UTF-16LE, or auto-detect.
Base64URL support — the URL-safe variant used in JWTs and OAuth tokens.
Padding control — strip or add the trailing = signs.
Decode each line separately — handle multiple independent Base64 entries at once.
File upload — encode any file to Base64 (e.g. images as data URIs) or decode a .b64 file back to binary.
Friendly errors — invalid Base64 is rejected with a clear message.
Instant — results update as you type.

How to Use the Base64 Encoder / Decoder

Pick Encode to Base64 or Decode from Base64.
Paste your text or Base64 string — or click Upload File to work with a file.
Set the character set, and tick URL-safe or Without padding if you need those variants.
Read the result on the right, then Copy, Download, or Save decoded file.

Use Cases

Embedding a small image as a data: URI in HTML or CSS.
Decoding tokens or payloads that you need to inspect quickly.
Passing binary-ish data through a plain-text channel.

Tips

Base64 is not encryption — anyone can decode it. Never use it to protect sensitive data.
Base64 adds about 33% to size; use it only when a channel requires it.
If decoding fails, check for stray whitespace or line breaks in the input.

Privacy

Encoding and decoding happen locally. Your data never leaves the browser.

Conclusion

Base64 is everywhere — in tokens, emails, and data URIs. Encode and decode it in one click, correctly, for free.

Base64 Encoder / Decoder — Both Ways, Instantly