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What Is Base64 Encoding? (And Why It Isn’t Encryption)

Base64 turns any data – text, images, files – into plain letters and numbers so it can travel safely through systems that only handle text.

🔐Free Base64 Encode / Decode
Encode or decode text and images to and from Base64.Open tool →

How it works

Every 3 bytes of data become 4 characters from a 64-character alphabet (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, + and /). That's why Base64 is about 33% larger than the original.

Where you see it

Email attachments, JSON APIs that send files, basic authentication headers, JWT tokens, and data URIs that embed small images directly in HTML or CSS.

It is not encryption

Anyone can decode Base64 instantly. Never use it to hide passwords or secrets – use real encryption.

Encode or decode

The Base64 Encoder handles text (UTF-8 safe, so emojis work) and turns images into ready-to-paste data URIs.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Base64 end with ==?

Padding when the data isn't a multiple of 3 bytes.

Should I embed images as Base64?

Only small icons – large data URIs make pages slower.

What is URL-safe Base64?

A variant using – and _ instead of + and /.

🔐Free Base64 Encode / Decode
Encode or decode text and images to and from Base64.Open tool →

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