Base64 Encode and Decode
Encode text to Base64 and decode Base64 back to text. Both panes are live - type in either one. UTF-8 safe, URL-safe input accepted.
Type in either box — the other one updates as you go.
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About Base64 Encoder and Decoder
Confileo's Base64 Encoder and Decoder tool encodes text to Base64 and decodes Base64 back to text, in both directions at once. Everything runs in your browser, free and without signup, and your files are deleted automatically after processing.
Base64 exists to solve one narrow problem: getting arbitrary bytes safely through a channel that was only ever designed to carry text. Email was the original case — SMTP is a text protocol, so an attached image has to become printable characters before it can be sent, which is what MIME does. The same need turns up everywhere since: images inlined into CSS as data: URIs, binary blobs stored in JSON or YAML, certificates in PEM files, the payload of a JWT, credentials in an HTTP Basic header.
The mechanism is simple arithmetic rather than anything cryptographic. Three bytes are twenty-four bits; those twenty-four bits are re-cut into four groups of six; and each six-bit group indexes a sixty-four character alphabet of A-Z, a-z, 0-9, plus and slash. Four output characters for every three input bytes is why Base64 is always about a third larger than what went in — a fact worth knowing before you inline a large image into a stylesheet. When the input does not divide evenly by three, the last group is padded and one or two equals signs are appended to record how much padding was added.
Two variants are in circulation and this page accepts both without being told which you have. Standard Base64 uses plus and slash, which is fine inside an email body and a problem inside a URL, because both characters mean something else there. URL-safe Base64 substitutes minus and underscore for them, and it is what you will find in a JWT, an OAuth state parameter or a signed download link. Padding is frequently dropped in that variant too. Paste any of these forms and the decode pane resolves it.
Where most Base64 tools quietly fail is non-English text. The browser's built-in shortcut for this job only accepts characters in the 0-255 range, so the moment an accent, an Arabic letter or an emoji appears it throws an error — and many pages respond by mangling the character rather than reporting it. This page encodes the UTF-8 bytes of whatever you type, so any text round-trips exactly. For plain ASCII the output is byte-identical to what every other correct implementation produces.
The single most important thing to understand: Base64 is not encryption, and it is not obfuscation you can rely on. It is a reversible, keyless, publicly documented transformation — anyone who sees the string can read it in one paste, exactly as you are about to. Treat a Base64-encoded password, API key or token as if it were written in plain text, because for any purpose that matters it is. If the content genuinely needs protecting, it needs encryption, and Base64 is only ever the wrapper that carries the encrypted bytes afterwards.
Both panes run in your browser and edit each other as you type. Nothing you paste is uploaded, logged or stored, which matters here more than on most pages — people arrive at Base64 tools holding tokens and config fragments.
Quick facts
- Price
- Free — no paywall
- Signup
- Not required
- Max file size
- Up to 100 MB per file
- Your files
- Deleted automatically after processing
- Works on
- Any browser — desktop, tablet, mobile
- Watermark
- None on your output
How to use Base64 Encoder and Decoder
- 1Type or paste your text on the left, or a Base64 string on the right.
- 2The other pane updates as you type — there is no encode or decode button to press.
- 3Tap copy on whichever side you need.
Why use Confileo
- ✓100% free with no daily limits, watermarks or hidden paywalls.
- ✓No signup or account required — start using it instantly.
- ✓Your files are processed securely and deleted automatically for full privacy.
- ✓Works in any browser on desktop, tablet and mobile — nothing to install.
- ✓Fast processing built to handle real, everyday document workloads.
Base64 Encoder and Decoder — Frequently asked questions
Is Base64 encryption?
No, and treating it as such is the most common and most costly mistake made with it. Base64 has no key, the algorithm is public, and anyone who sees the string can decode it in one paste. An encoded password or API token is effectively in plain text. Use encryption for anything that needs protecting; Base64 is only the wrapper that carries the encrypted bytes.
Why does my accented or Arabic text break in other Base64 tools?
Because they use the browser shortcut that only accepts characters in the 0-255 range, which throws an error on anything outside it — and many pages hide the error by mangling the character. This page encodes the UTF-8 bytes of your text, so any language round-trips exactly. For plain ASCII the output is identical to any other correct implementation.
What are the equals signs at the end?
Padding. Base64 works on groups of three bytes at a time, and when the input does not divide evenly by three the final group is padded out; the one or two equals signs record how much padding was added so a decoder knows how many bytes to discard. Some systems drop the padding entirely, which is valid — this page decodes strings with or without it.
What is URL-safe Base64, and does this page handle it?
Standard Base64 uses plus and slash, both of which mean something else inside a URL. The URL-safe variant substitutes minus and underscore, and it is what you find in JWTs, OAuth parameters and signed links. Paste either form here and it decodes without being told which it is; line-wrapped Base64 from an email or a PEM file works too.
Is this tool really free?
Yes. Every Confileo tool is free to use with no daily caps, no watermark on your output and no credit card required.
Do I need to create an account?
No. You can use the tool straight away without signing up or logging in.
Are my files safe and private?
Yes. Your files are processed for the task you requested and then deleted automatically — they are never shared or kept.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. The tool runs in any modern browser, so it works the same on desktop, tablet and mobile with nothing to install.