Developer Tools
Free Online Base64 Encoder / Decoder
Paste text below to encode it to Base64, or paste a Base64 string to decode it back to readable text.
How to use the base64 Encoder / Decoder
- Paste plain text or a Base64 string into the input box.
- Click 'Encode to Base64' to convert text into Base64, or 'Decode from Base64' to reverse it.
- If decoding fails, an error message explains that the input isn't valid Base64.
- Copy the result with one click.
Example
Encoding Hello! produces SGVsbG8h. Decoding SGVsbG8h returns the original Hello!.
Why encode text as Base64?
Base64 converts binary or text data into a safe set of ASCII characters, commonly used for embedding data in URLs, JSON, emails, and configuration files where raw binary or special characters aren't allowed.
Supports Unicode text
This tool correctly handles accented characters, emoji, and non-Latin scripts when encoding and decoding, avoiding the corruption issues that basic Base64 implementations sometimes run into.
Frequently asked questions
No, Base64 is an encoding scheme, not encryption — anyone can decode it back to the original text, so it shouldn't be used to protect sensitive data.
Decoding fails if the input isn't valid Base64, for example if it contains characters outside the Base64 alphabet or has incorrect padding.
Yes, this tool supports full Unicode text, not just basic ASCII.
Common uses include embedding images in CSS/HTML as data URIs, encoding email attachments, and passing binary-safe data in JSON or URLs.