Is Base64 Shuttle free?

Yes, Base64 Shuttle is completely free with no hidden costs. All tools can be used without limits and without creating an account.

Is my data uploaded to a server?

No. All encoding and decoding in Base64 Shuttle happens locally in your browser using native JavaScript APIs. Your data never leaves your device.

What encoding formats are supported?

Base64 Shuttle supports six formats: Base64, URL encoding, HTML entities, Hex (hexadecimal), Unicode escapes, and JWT decoding. All tools support bidirectional encoding and decoding.

Can JWT decoding verify signatures?

No. The JWT tool only decodes the Header and Payload sections of the token without verifying the signature. This is useful for debugging and inspecting payload content, but should not be used for security verification.

Does Base64 encoding increase data size?

Yes, Base64 encoding increases data size by approximately 33%. This is because Base64 uses 4 ASCII characters to represent 3 bytes of binary data. Base64 Shuttle shows input/output length and ratio so you can see the size change.

How large can the files be?

Base64 Shuttle has no application-level file size limit. The actual limit depends on your browser and device memory. For very large files (over 100MB), using a dedicated command-line tool is recommended for better performance.

What's the difference between %20 and + in URL encoding?

%20 is the standard URL encoding for spaces (RFC 3986), while + is an alternative representation used in application/x-www-form-urlencoded format. Base64 Shuttle uses encodeURIComponent, which encodes spaces as %20.

What's the difference between Hex and Base64 encoding?

Hex encoding uses 2 hex characters per byte (100% expansion), while Base64 uses 4 characters for 3 bytes (33% expansion). Hex is more readable but longer; Base64 is more compact but not human-readable. Hex is common in security/forensics, Base64 in data transfer.

About Base64 Shuttle

A fast, private, browser-based encoding and decoding toolkit by ShuttleLab

What is Base64 Shuttle?

Base64 Shuttle is a free online encoding and decoding toolkit that processes everything directly in your browser. Unlike traditional online tools that upload your data to remote servers, Base64 Shuttle uses native browser APIs — btoa/atob, TextEncoder/TextDecoder, and DOM manipulation — to encode and decode your data without ever leaving your device. Supporting Base64, URL, HTML entities, Hex, Unicode, and JWT token decoding, it is the most comprehensive browser-based encoding tool available.

Built by ShuttleLab, Base64 Shuttle serves developers, security engineers, API integrators, and students who need fast, reliable encoding and decoding. Whether you are debugging JWT tokens from an API response, encoding URLs for query parameters, converting text to Hex for binary analysis, or encoding strings to Base64 for data URI embedding, Base64 Shuttle handles it all with zero privacy risk and instant results.

100% Private

All encoding and decoding happens locally in your browser. No data is uploaded, no data is collected, and no third parties can access your input.

No Account Required

Start encoding immediately — no sign-up, no email, no tracking. Just open the tool and start working.

Multi-Format Support

Base64, URL encoding, HTML entities, Hex, Unicode escapes, and JWT decoding — all tools in one unified interface.

Lightning Fast

Real-time encoding and decoding with 300ms debounced processing. Results appear as you type, with no server round-trip latency.

Who is Base64 Shuttle for?

1Web Developers

2API Developers

3Security Engineers

4Students & Educators

When should I use Base64 Shuttle?

1API debugging: decode JWT tokens to inspect payloads and expiration

2Data encoding: convert text to Base64 for data URIs or HTTP auth

3Security analysis: convert binary data to Hex for forensic analysis

4Frontend dev: URL-encode query params, HTML-escape to prevent XSS

5File transfer: convert files to Base64 for embedding in JSON or HTML

How-To Guides

How to encode text to Base64

1Open the Base64 Shuttle website (base64.shuttlelab.org)
2Select the Base64 tool tab
3Paste or type your text in the input field
4Make sure the direction is set to Encode
5Copy the Base64 output string or click Download

How to decode a JWT token

1Open the Base64 Shuttle website
2Select the JWT tab
3Paste the complete JWT token (xxxxx.yyyyy.zzzzz format)
4View the decoded Header, Payload, and Signature
5Check the expiration time and algorithm info

How to convert text to Hex

1Open the Base64 Shuttle website
2Select the Hex tool tab
3Type your text in the input field
4Choose Hex output format (no separator, space-separated, or \x prefix)
5Copy the converted Hex string

Base64 Shuttle vs Similar Tools

Feature	Base64 Shuttle	base64decode.org	CyberChef
100% Local Processing	✓	✓	✓
Multi-Format Support	✓	Base64 only	✓
No Registration	✓	✓	✓
JWT Decoding	✓	✗	✓
Real-time Preview	✓	✗	✓
File to Base64	✓	✗	✓
Ad-free	✓	✗	✓
Clean Interface	✓	OK	Complex

Frequently Asked Questions

Built with Care by ShuttleLab

Base64 Shuttle is crafted with care by ShuttleLab — completely free with no limits. If it has helped you encode or decode even a single string, sharing it with friends who need it is the best support we could ask for.

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Get in Touch

Have questions, feedback, or need support?

support@shuttlelab.org