Image to Base64

Convert an image to Base64

Upload a PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG and get a Base64 string you can paste straight into HTML or CSS. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file isn't sent anywhere. Paste a Base64 string in the other field and it decodes back to a downloadable image.

Base64 encoding turns binary data into plain text using 64 safe characters. That lets an image travel inside a text-only context — a stylesheet, a JSON payload, an email body — without needing a separate file request.

Using the output

The result is a data URI: a prefix declaring the MIME type, then the encoded data. In HTML it goes straight into an img tag's src attribute. In CSS it slots into a url() value. Both work in every current browser.

Copy the whole string including the data:image/png;base64, prefix — dropping it is the single most common reason a pasted data URI silently fails to render.

When it's worth doing

• Small icons and logos — inlining removes an HTTP request, which can help on a page with many tiny assets.
• Self-contained files — an HTML email or a single-file report that must render without external dependencies.
• APIs and JSON — sending an image through a text-only field.
• Avoiding hotlink issues — the image travels with the document rather than being fetched from a server.

The trade-off

Base64 makes data about 33 percent larger. Three bytes become four characters, so a 60 KB image becomes an 80 KB string. That cost is invisible for a 2 KB icon and painful for a 500 KB photograph.

Inlined images also can't be cached separately. A normal image file is downloaded once and reused across every page; a Base64 string is re-downloaded with every page that contains it, and bloats the HTML or CSS it sits in. Large data URIs in a stylesheet delay rendering, because the browser has to parse the whole file before it can paint.

Rule of thumb: inline images under a few kilobytes. Anything larger is almost always better as a normal file. If you're inlining to save requests, compress the source first with our image compressor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert an image to Base64?

Upload it above and copy the generated string. Include the data URI prefix when pasting into HTML or CSS.

Can I convert Base64 back to an image?

Yes. Paste the string into the decode field and download the result as a PNG or JPG.

Does Base64 make files bigger?

Yes, by roughly a third. Encoding is about making binary data text-safe, not about compression.

Is Base64 encryption?

No. It's an encoding anyone can reverse in seconds. It offers no security whatsoever — never use it to hide sensitive data.

Is my image uploaded to a server?

No. Encoding and decoding both happen locally in your browser.

Which formats can I encode?

PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP and SVG all work. The MIME type in the prefix changes to match the source format.