/

Image to Base64

Processed Client Side

Convert any image to a Base64 data URI you can embed directly in HTML or CSS — no extra network request. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Image
Encoded output
Add an image to see its Base64 encoding.

Bookmark this tool now — skip the search next time you need it.

About Image to Base64

This tool runs entirely in your browser. Whatever you paste is processed on your own device and is never uploaded, logged, or sent to any server.

Convert an image into a Base64 data URI you can embed directly in HTML or CSS, removing the extra network request that a separate image file costs. Drop a file in and you get the encoded result in four ready-to-use shapes: a bare data URI, a CSS background-image declaration, a complete img tag, and the raw Base64 without the MIME prefix for when you are pasting into JSON or a config file. The trade-off is worth understanding — encoding inflates the data by about a third and the result cannot be cached separately, so this is a technique for small assets rather than a general approach.

Key features

  • Drag and drop or file picker, for any image format the browser can read
  • Four output formats: data URI, CSS background-image, HTML img tag, and raw Base64
  • Correct MIME type detected and included in the data URI prefix
  • File size shown before and after encoding, so the roughly 33% overhead is visible
  • Live preview of the image alongside the output
  • Handles files up to 10 MB
  • One-click copy of whichever format you need
  • Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded, so private assets stay local

How to use it

  1. Drop an image onto the input area, or use the file picker.
  2. Choose the output format for where it is going: CSS, HTML, a bare data URI, or raw Base64.
  3. Check the encoded size against the original.
  4. Copy the result and paste it into your stylesheet or markup.

Tips & common mistakes

  • Keep this for small assets — icons, tiny textures, inline SVG. Base64 adds about 33% to the size, so a large image costs you more bytes than the request you saved.
  • Data URIs cannot be cached independently. An embedded image is re-downloaded with the HTML or CSS on every uncached load, where a real file would be served from cache.
  • Inlining a small logo or icon is a genuine win on a page where it is the only thing standing between you and one fewer request.
  • The raw Base64 format is what you want when pasting into JSON, YAML, or an environment variable — the data: prefix belongs only in HTML and CSS.
  • SVG often does not need Base64 at all. You can inline SVG markup directly in HTML, or URL-encode it in CSS, both of which are smaller than encoding it.
  • Nothing you drop here is uploaded, so it is safe for unreleased brand assets and client artwork.
  • Optimize the SVG’s file size first with the SVG Optimizer before embedding it.

Related tools

Browse all 19 Frontend / CSS tools

Frequently asked questions

9

Drop an image onto the tool or click to browse. It instantly produces a Base64 data URI, plus ready-to-paste CSS background and HTML img snippets, right in your browser.

Data URIs are best for small assets like icons and inline backgrounds, where inlining removes an HTTP request. Base64 adds about 33% to the size, so avoid it for large images.

No. The conversion happens entirely in your browser using the FileReader API — your image never leaves your device.

Any image your browser can read, including PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, and SVG. The output data URI carries the correct MIME type automatically.

About 33% larger, because every 3 bytes become 4 characters. That is why this is a technique for small assets rather than a general approach to images.

Not independently. An embedded image is re-downloaded with the HTML or CSS every time those are fetched, where a real file would be served from the browser cache.

CSS for a background-image declaration, HTML for a complete img tag, data URI for pasting into either by hand, and raw Base64 for JSON, YAML, or environment variables.

Usually not. You can inline SVG markup directly in HTML, or URL-encode it in CSS — both are smaller than Base64 encoding the same file.

10 MB. In practice anything approaching that is far too large to inline — if the file is more than a few kilobytes, a normal image reference is the better choice.