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What is Base64?

A reference for Base64 encoding: what it is, its alphabet, and its size overhead.

By Gampangin· Published · Updated · Reviewed by Gampangin· 1 min read· Base64

AI-assisted draft. Editorial responsibility: Gampangin.

Base64 encodes arbitrary bytes as text from a fixed 64-character alphabet. It exists so binary data can travel through systems that only handle text.

01Key facts

  • Every three input bytes become four output characters.
  • The output is about one third larger than the input.
  • Encoding is fully reversible and provides no secrecy.

Sources

  1. RFC 4648: The Base16, Base32, and Base64 Data Encodings — IETF (accessed 2026-09-01)
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