Base85 Encoder & Decoder | ASCII85 & Z85
Encode text to Base85 (ASCII85 or Z85) or decode Base85 back to readable text—right in your browser. 25% more efficient than Base64, supports both Adobe ASCII85 and ZeroMQ Z85 variants, works with UTF-8, and never uploads your data.
How to Use This Tool
- 1
Choose Encode (text → Base85) or Decode (Base85 → text).
- 2
Select variant: ASCII85 (Adobe) or Z85 (ZeroMQ).
- 3
Paste or type your input; Live mode updates instantly (use Manual for large data).
- 4
Copy the output or download it as a .txt file.
- 5
Use Swap to send output back to input and switch modes fast.
Use Cases & Examples
Space-Efficient Data Storage
Reduce encoded data size by ~8% compared to Base64 in storage-constrained environments and embedded systems.
PDF & PostScript Encoding
Adobe PDF and PostScript use ASCII85 for embedding binary data (images, fonts) in text format.
ZeroMQ Message Encoding
ZeroMQ protocol uses Z85 for encoding binary data in text-based message formats and configuration files.
API Data Transfer
Encode binary data more efficiently than Base64 in JSON/XML payloads for REST APIs.
Configuration Files & Logs
Store binary content in text-only systems (configs, env vars, logs) with better space efficiency than Base64.
What is Base85?
Base85 represents 4 bytes using 5 ASCII characters, achieving 25% overhead compared to Base64's 33%.
ASCII85 uses <~ ~> delimiters and compresses all-zero groups to 'z' for better efficiency in documents.
Z85 (ZeroMQ) uses a different 85-character set optimized to avoid shell special characters like quotes and backslashes.
Base85 is not encryption—use transport security or cryptographic algorithms for confidentiality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.What's the difference between Base85 and Base64?
A. Base85 encodes 4 bytes into 5 ASCII characters (25% overhead), while Base64 encodes 3 bytes into 4 characters (33% overhead). Base85 produces ~8% smaller output, making it more space-efficient.
Q.What's the difference between ASCII85 and Z85?
A. ASCII85 is Adobe's variant with <~ ~> delimiters and special 'z' compression for all-zero groups. Z85 is ZeroMQ's variant with a different character set optimized to avoid shell special characters and no compression.
Q.Can I encode Unicode characters with Base85?
A. Yes. Full UTF-8 support handles all Unicode correctly, including Korean, Chinese, Japanese, emojis, and special characters.
Q.Is Base85 secure for protecting sensitive data?
A. No. Like Base64, Base85 is encoding, not encryption—anyone can decode it. Use TLS/HTTPS or cryptographic algorithms (e.g., AES/RSA) for security.
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