Base64 Encoder & Decoder
Encode text to Base64 or decode Base64 back to plain text instantly. Free online Base64 converter that runs locally in your browser - nothing is sent to a server.
Base64 Encoder
Convert text to secure Base64 format.
Professional Grade Details
Instant Processing
Transformation happens client-side. No data ever leaves your device.
Unicode Support
Fully handles emojis and special characters via modern TextEncoder logic.
Lossless Sync
Switch between modes instantly without losing your original source material.
About this tool
Encode text into Base64 or decode Base64 strings back to readable form, with full support for Unicode and special characters. Developers meet Base64 constantly — API tokens, email attachments, data URIs, JWT segments — and this is the fastest way to see what's inside one or produce one.
How to Encode and Decode Base64
- 1
Paste plain text to encode, or a Base64 string to decode — the tool works in both directions.
- 2
Run the conversion; multi-byte and Unicode characters are handled correctly, so accented text and symbols survive the round trip intact.
- 3
Copy the result — an encoded string ready for embedding, or the decoded content you were trying to inspect.
Why Convert Base64 with Wrklyst
- Tokens Never Touch a Server
- Encoding runs locally — decoding a credential or auth header here doesn't hand it to a website's backend, which matters more than most tools admit.
- Round-Trip Correct
- Proper UTF-8 handling means emoji, accents, and non-Latin scripts encode and decode without the mojibake naive implementations produce.
- Open, Paste, Done
- The conversion is one action with no interface ceremony — faster than writing a one-liner in a terminal you'd have to open first.
Base64 in Practice
- A trailing = or == is padding, not data — its absence often explains a failed decode.
- Data URIs bloat files: Base64 output is ~33% larger than the source binary. Embed small assets only.
- Decode before you debug — half of "broken token" bugs are visible immediately in the decoded payload.
- For HTTP Basic Auth, the encoded form is username:password — never share it thinking it's safe.
Frequently asked questions
What is Base64 actually for?
It represents binary data using 64 safe printable characters, letting arbitrary bytes travel through systems designed for plain text — email bodies, JSON strings, URLs, XML. It's a transport encoding: images become embeddable in CSS, credentials fit into HTTP headers, and binary blobs survive text-only channels.
Is Base64 encryption?
Emphatically not — this misconception causes real security incidents. Base64 is a reversible public encoding anyone can decode instantly, with no key involved. Encoding a password in Base64 provides zero protection. If you need secrecy, you need actual encryption; Base64 only provides safe transport formatting.
Why does my decoded output look like garbage?
Usually one of three causes: the string isn't actually Base64, it's Base64-encoded binary (like an image) that has no text representation, or it's a fragment cut mid-character. Check for the telltale signs of valid input: length divisible by four and only letters, digits, +, / and = padding.
Can I decode one part of a JWT here?
Yes — a JWT's header and payload segments are Base64url-encoded JSON, and decoding them reveals the claims inside. Note the URL-safe variant swaps + and / for - and _, so convert those characters if a segment won't decode. Remember: reading a JWT requires no secret; only verifying its signature does.