Work out base encoding size instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Base encodings trade size for a restricted character set. Base64 packs three bytes into four characters for a 33 percent increase, Base32 uses five bytes per eight characters for 60 percent, and hex doubles the size. Line wrapping adds two bytes per break in MIME contexts, which is why an email attachment is noticeably larger than the file it carries.
Encoded size
Base64: ceil(bytes/3) x 4; Base32: ceil(bytes/5) x 8; hex: bytes x 2; Base58: about bytes x 1.365; add 2 bytes per wrapped line
Base32 avoids case sensitivity and visually similar characters, so it survives being typed, spoken or embedded in DNS labels and case-insensitive filenames.
No. It is a reversible encoding with no key. Anything Base64-encoded is plainly readable to anyone who decodes it.