Encoding decoders: Base64, hex, URL, binary and more
An encoding decoder reverses a reversible text representation — Base64, hexadecimal, percent-encoding, HTML entities, binary or Morse — back into the original text or bytes. No key is involved, because encodings are not encryption.
Data, Radix & String tools
Base64 Decoder
Decode Base64 and URL-safe Base64 to text or raw bytes, instantly and locally.
Base32 / Base58 / Base85 Decoder
Decode Base32, Base58 and ASCII85/Base85 encoded strings.
Base45 Decoder
Decode Base45 payloads used in EU Digital COVID Certificates and QR data.
Hex to Text Decoder
Convert hexadecimal (Base16) back to readable text or a raw byte view.
Quoted-Printable Decoder
Decode MIME quoted-printable email encoding back to plain text.
URL Decoder
Decode percent-encoded URL and query-string components.
HTML Entity Decoder
Turn named and numeric HTML entities back into their characters.
Unicode Escape Decoder
Decode \uXXXX and \xNN escape sequences into Unicode text.
Hexdump & Byte Stream Parser
Render any input as an offset / hex / ASCII hexdump.
Binary to Text Decoder
Decode space- or byte-delimited binary back into text.
Octal & Decimal to ASCII Decoder
Convert octal or decimal character codes into ASCII text.
Punycode (IDN) Decoder
Decode xn-- Punycode internationalized domain names to Unicode.
Morse Code Decoder
Translate Morse code dots and dashes into text and back.
Braille Decoder
Decode Unicode Braille patterns into Latin text.
Japanese Kana to Romaji Converter
Transliterate hiragana and katakana into romaji.
Which decoder do I need?
- It ends in = or == and uses A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and /
- Base64
- It is only 0–9 and a–f, often in pairs
- Hex to Text
- It is full of %20, %2F and %3D
- URL
- It contains &, < or '
- HTML Entity
- It is groups of eight 0s and 1s
- Binary to Text
- It is dots, dashes and slashes
- Morse Code
About data, radix & string decoding
Most of the 'gibberish' developers paste into a decoder is not encrypted at all, just encoded so it can travel through a channel that only carries certain characters. Base64 makes bytes safe for JSON and email, percent-encoding makes text safe for URLs, HTML entities make it safe for markup, and \u escapes make it safe for source code. Each one is a lossless, keyless transformation that a decoder can undo in a single step.
The fastest way to identify an encoding is by its alphabet. Only 0–9 and a–f means hex. Letters, digits, + and / with trailing = means Base64; - and _ instead means Base64URL. A string full of %20 and %3D is percent-encoded, & and ' are HTML entities, and long runs of 0 and 1 in groups of eight are binary.
Every decoder on this bench runs entirely in your browser, accepts messy input (stray whitespace, missing padding, line wrapping) and shows a hex or byte view next to the text so you can tell readable output from a binary payload.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between encoding and encryption?
Encoding changes how data is represented so it fits a channel, and anyone can reverse it without a key. Encryption makes data unreadable without a secret key. Base64, hex and URL encoding are encodings — they offer no confidentiality at all.
How do I tell which encoding a string uses?
Look at the alphabet. Hex uses 0–9 and a–f. Base64 uses A–Z, a–z, 0–9, + and / with = padding. Base32 is uppercase A–Z plus 2–7. Percent-encoding shows %XX sequences. If none fits, the data may be compressed or encrypted rather than encoded.
Why does decoded Base64 or hex look like garbage?
The underlying bytes are not text. They may be an image, a compressed stream, a protobuf message or ciphertext. Check the hex preview: 1f 8b is gzip, 89 50 4e 47 is PNG, and 25 50 44 46 is PDF.
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