Image to Base64 Converter
Convert an image to a Base64 data URI in your browser — copy it for HTML, CSS, or JSON.
About the Image to Base64
The Image to Base64 converter turns any image on your device into a Base64-encoded data URI — a long text string that carries the entire picture inside it. Because the string is the image, you can drop it straight into HTML, CSS, JSON, an email template, or a config file without linking to a separate file. Everything happens right here in your browser: the image is read locally with the FileReader API and encoded on the spot. Your picture is never uploaded to a server, never stored, and never leaves your computer.
Developers reach for Base64 images all the time. Inlining a small icon or logo removes an extra network request, which can make a page feel faster. Data URIs also travel well inside single-file HTML documents, bookmarklets, CSS sprites, service-worker caches, and API payloads where a real file path would be awkward. This tool gives you the encoded string plus ready-to-paste snippets for the three most common places you'll use it.
How to use
- Add your image. Drag a file onto the dashed drop zone, or click it to open your file browser and pick a PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, or WebP.
- Check the preview. A thumbnail appears alongside the file name, type, and size so you can confirm you picked the right image.
- Read the output. The full Base64 data URI is shown in the text box, with a live character count above it so you can gauge how large the encoded string is.
- Copy what you need. Use Copy data URI for the complete
data:string, Copy raw base64 for just the encoded payload (thedata:prefix stripped off), Copy as <img> tag for a drop-in HTML element, or Copy as CSS background for abackground-imagerule. - Clear and repeat. Hit Clear to remove the current image and encode another. Nothing is saved between images.
Keep in mind that Base64 encoding makes the text roughly 33% larger than the original binary file. That trade-off is worth it for small assets but wasteful for large photos, so this tool is best suited to icons, logos, and lightweight graphics.
Frequently asked questions
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The image is read directly in your browser using the built-in FileReader and encoded with local JavaScript. It is never sent to a server, stored, or logged. Close the tab and the data is gone — the conversion is completely private and works even offline once the page has loaded.
What is a Base64 data URI?
A data URI is a compact way to embed a file inside text. It looks like data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGg… — the data: prefix names the media type, base64 says how the bytes are encoded, and everything after the comma is the image itself as text. Browsers treat that whole string as if it were a real image URL.
What image formats can I convert?
Any format your browser recognizes as an image works, including PNG, JPG/JPEG, GIF, SVG, WebP, BMP, and ICO. The tool preserves the original format — it does not re-encode or compress your picture, so the bytes inside the Base64 string are identical to the file you dropped in.
What is the difference between the data URI and raw base64?
The data URI includes the data:image/…;base64, prefix, which is what HTML and CSS expect. The raw base64 is only the encoded payload after the comma — useful when a system (such as a JSON API field or a database column) stores the encoding and mime type separately and wants just the bytes.
Should I inline every image as Base64?
Not usually. Inlining removes a network request, which helps for tiny, frequently used assets like icons. But Base64 adds about 33% to the size, can't be cached separately from the page, and bloats your HTML or CSS. Use it for small graphics and keep large photos as normal linked files.
Is there a file-size limit?
There is no fixed cap, but very large images produce enormous strings that can slow your browser and are impractical to paste. For the best experience, stick to images under a few megabytes. If you need to shrink an image first, compress or resize it before encoding.