Base64 Encode / Decode

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that converts binary data into a string of ASCII characters. It uses 64 printable characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /) to represent arbitrary byte sequences, making binary data safe to include in text-based formats like JSON, XML, emails, and URLs.

Base64 is used when you need to transmit binary data over channels that only support text. Common use cases include embedding images in HTML or CSS as data URIs, encoding file attachments in email (MIME), storing binary data in JSON APIs, and passing binary tokens in HTTP headers.

No — Base64 encoding actually increases data size by approximately 33%. Every 3 bytes of input become 4 Base64 characters. It is purely an encoding scheme for compatibility, not a compression algorithm. If you need smaller data, compress it first (e.g., with gzip) before encoding.

Standard Base64 uses '+' and '/' characters which have special meaning in URLs. URL-safe Base64 replaces '+' with '-' and '/' with '_' so the encoded string can be safely used in URLs and filenames without percent-encoding. This tool uses standard Base64.

Yes. Base64 can encode any binary data — text, images, audio, executables, or any file type. This tool focuses on text encoding using UTF-8. To encode binary files, you would typically use a command-line tool or a programming library that handles raw bytes.