URL Encoding vs Base64: What’s the Difference?
1 min read
New developers often confuse URL encoding with Base64. While both involve transforming data into safe text, they serve very different purposes.
🔤 What is URL Encoding?
URL encoding ensures that URLs can be safely transmitted by converting unsafe characters into % sequences. Example:
Text: Hello World → Encoded: Hello%20World🔢 What is Base64?
Base64 encodes binary data into ASCII characters. It’s common in cryptography, email, and web APIs.
Text: Hello → Base64: SGVsbG8=📊 Comparison Table
| Feature | URL Encoding | Base64 |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Safe URL transmission | Binary → Text encoding |
| Characters Used | % followed by hex | A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, / |
| Output Size | Depends on input | ~33% larger than binary |
| Use Cases | Query params, redirects | JWT, email, APIs |
✅ When to Use Each
- Use URL Encoding for query strings, redirects, and web addresses.
- Use Base64 for cryptographic data, file attachments, and embedding assets.
🚀 Try Both Online
Use our URL Encoder / Decoder for web-safe encoding. For binary data, try the Base64 Encoder / Decoder.
🔗 Related Tools
By understanding the distinction, developers can avoid bugs and choose the right encoding method for the job.