Why is the Base64 string larger than the original image?

Base64 encodes every 3 bytes as 4 characters, making output roughly 33-37% larger — that's inherent to the encoding.

What snippet formats are available?

Raw data URI, HTML img tag, CSS background-image rule, and Markdown image syntax.

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Image to Base64

Convert an image into a Base64 data URI — as a raw string, HTML tag, CSS rule or Markdown, ready to paste.

🖼️

Drag & drop your image here

Or click to browse · PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, SVG · Best under 1MB

🔒 Encoded in your browser — your image never leaves your device

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When to embed images as Base64

A Base64 data URI packs an entire image into a text string, so you can embed it directly in HTML, CSS or JSON with zero extra network requests. It's perfect for tiny icons, email signatures, single-file HTML documents, quick prototypes and places where you can't host a separate file. The trade-off: the string is about a third larger than the original file and can't be cached separately — so it's best for small images (under ~50KB). For anything bigger, host the file and shrink it first with our Image Compressor.

FAQ

Why is the Base64 string bigger than my file?

Base64 encodes every 3 bytes of binary as 4 text characters, so the output is ~33-37% larger than the original. That's normal and unavoidable — it's the price of representing binary data as plain text.

Is there a size limit?

The tool warns above 10MB, but the practical limit is much lower — huge Base64 strings freeze text editors and slow page loads. Keep embedded images under ~50KB where possible.

Does this work with SVG and GIF?

Yes — any image type your browser can read gets encoded with its correct MIME type, including animated GIFs and SVGs.

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