About the Base64 to Image Converter
Images are often sent or stored as Base64 text: in JSON from an API, in an HTML or CSS data URI, in an email, or in a database field. This converter does the reverse of the Image to Base64 tool. Paste the text, with or without the data:image/png;base64, prefix, and the tool shows the picture, tells you its type and size, and lets you download it as a normal image file. It recognises PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, BMP, SVG and ICO from the first bytes of the data, so a wrong label in the prefix does not cause trouble. Everything is decoded in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Base64 to Image Converter
- 1Paste the Base64 text or the full data URI into the left box.
- 2Spaces and line breaks in the text are ignored.
- 3See the preview, the detected image type and the size on the right.
- 4Check the note if the declared type differed from the real one.
- 5Press Download to save the image file.
Where Base64 images come from
Developers embed small images straight into web pages and style sheets as data URIs to save a network request. APIs return pictures such as signatures, avatars and QR codes as Base64 strings inside JSON. Email systems encode attachments the same way. When you need to see or save one of these, a decoder like this is the quickest route.
Common problems
- The string has quotation marks or backslashes from JSON; remove them.
- Line breaks are fine, but a missing last part makes the image fail.
- A + turned into a space in a URL; replace the spaces with + signs.
- The string is a data URI for text or PDF, not an image.
- Very large images may take a moment to draw.
Size and quality
Decoding does not change the picture. The file you download is byte for byte what was encoded. If you want to shrink it afterwards, use the Compress Image tool, or the Image Converter to switch format. Remember that Base64 makes data about 33 percent larger, which is why large pictures are better kept as separate files.
Related tools
The Image to Base64 tool encodes pictures into text, the Base64 Encoder and Decoder handles ordinary text and files, the SVG Viewer shows vector images and the Image Converter changes between formats.
Features
- Accepts plain Base64 and data URIs
- Detects PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, BMP, SVG and ICO
- Preview before you download
- Handles URL-safe Base64 (- and _)
- Reports the decoded size
- Private: decoded locally
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a Base64 string to an image?
Paste the string into the box. The tool decodes it, detects the image type from its first bytes and shows a preview. Press Download to save the file with the right extension.
Do I need the data:image/png;base64 prefix?
No. The tool works with or without it. If the prefix is there, it is read and removed. If there is none, the type is worked out from the data itself.
What if the preview does not appear?
The text may be damaged, cut off or not an image at all. Check that you copied the whole string, without quotation marks or extra characters, and that it was Base64 encoded rather than percent encoded.
Which image formats are supported?
PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, BMP, SVG and ICO are recognised from their signatures. If a data URI declares another image type, the tool trusts the declaration and tries to show it.
Is it safe to paste private images?
Yes, the decoding happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. Even so, avoid pasting confidential material on shared computers, and clear the box when you finish.
Why is my decoded file a different size from the string length?
Base64 uses four text characters for every three bytes, so the text is about one third larger than the image. The tool shows the real decoded size in bytes.