Who uses Base64 QR codes?

Developers and technical teams moving small blobs between systems: keys and tokens for offline transfer, compact binary configs, signed payloads a custom app verifies on scan. If you just want people to read text, the plain text type is simpler.

What is the difference between the two modes?

'Encode my text' takes plain text and converts it to Base64 for you. 'I already have Base64' validates data that is already encoded (standard RFC 4648 with = padding) and puts it in the code untouched.

A QR code holds about 2,900 bytes at the lowest error-correction level, and Base64 inflates data by about a third — so roughly 2 KB of original binary is the practical ceiling, less if you raise error correction. Smaller codes scan faster and print more forgivingly.

Is Base64 encryption?

No — it is only an encoding, and anyone who scans the code can decode it instantly. If the data is sensitive, encrypt it first and encode the ciphertext; the code itself is generated entirely in your browser, so nothing touches UseQR's servers either way.

Free Base64 QR Code Generator

Encode text as Base64, or carry existing Base64 data. Free forever — no signup, no watermark, generated entirely in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Who uses Base64 QR codes?: Developers and technical teams moving small blobs between systems: keys and tokens for offline transfer, compact binary configs, signed payloads a custom app verifies on scan. If you just want people to read text, the plain text type is simpler.
What is the difference between the two modes?: 'Encode my text' takes plain text and converts it to Base64 for you. 'I already have Base64' validates data that is already encoded (standard RFC 4648 with = padding) and puts it in the code untouched.
How much data fits?: A QR code holds about 2,900 bytes at the lowest error-correction level, and Base64 inflates data by about a third — so roughly 2 KB of original binary is the practical ceiling, less if you raise error correction. Smaller codes scan faster and print more forgivingly.
Is Base64 encryption?: No — it is only an encoding, and anyone who scans the code can decode it instantly. If the data is sensitive, encrypt it first and encode the ciphertext; the code itself is generated entirely in your browser, so nothing touches UseQR's servers either way.

Want the detail? How base64 QR codes work — the payload format, what scanners do with it, and where it breaks.