What file types can I convert to Binary?

You can convert absolutely any file type to Binary (Base2) format—images (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG), documents (PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, CSV), archives (ZIP, RAR, TAR), audio files (MP3, WAV, FLAC), video files (MP4, AVI, MOV), executables, databases, and more. Binary encoding works at the fundamental bit level, converting each byte to exactly 8 binary digits (0s and 1s), so it handles all file formats equally. The encoded output is always a text string using only characters 0 and 1, with exactly 8 bits per byte. This makes Binary perfect for learning how computers store files, understanding file formats at the bit level, examining file headers and magic numbers, teaching computer science fundamentals, visualizing actual bit patterns, and demonstrating how all digital data is ultimately stored as bits.

How do I encode a file to Binary?

Click the upload area or drag and drop your file onto the page. The tool will immediately read the file, convert its binary content to Binary (Base2) format, and display the encoded text. You can then copy the Binary string to your clipboard or download it as a text file. The encoding happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript—your file is never uploaded to any server. For even small files, the output will be extremely large because Binary has 800% overhead (8 times the original size). The tool shows file details including name, type, size, and the resulting Binary string length. Remember that Binary encoding creates massive output—a tiny 1 KB file becomes 8 KB of binary text (8 bits per byte), making it impractical for anything except educational purposes and small file analysis.

Why does Binary encoding increase file size by 800%?

Binary encoding has 800% overhead because each byte (8 bits) is represented by exactly 8 binary characters (0 or 1). For example, a single byte like ASCII "A" (value 65) becomes "01000001" (8 characters). This is massively larger than Hex which uses 2 characters per byte (100% overhead) or Base64 which uses 1.33 characters per byte (33% overhead). A 100-byte file becomes 800 binary digits plus spacing for readability—typically displayed as groups of 8. While Binary is extremely verbose and completely impractical for data transmission or storage, it is invaluable for education because it shows exactly how computers store every single bit. Use Binary only for learning computer fundamentals, viewing actual bit patterns, understanding file headers at the bit level, teaching binary number systems, and examining small portions of files for educational analysis.

Is there a file size limit for Binary encoding?

While there is no hard limit imposed by the tool, practical browser memory limitations apply, and Binary encoding is only recommended for very small files due to the massive 800% size increase. A 1 KB text file becomes 8 KB of binary digits. A 10 KB image becomes 80 KB of binary text. A 100 KB file creates 800 KB of binary output plus spacing. Most browsers can technically handle up to 10-50 MB of text, but encoding even a 1 MB file to Binary produces 8 MB of output and will likely slow down or crash your browser. For educational purposes, stick to files under 10 KB. If you need to analyze larger files, use Hex encoding instead (100% overhead vs 800%), or examine only the file header (first 100-500 bytes) in Binary format to understand file signatures and magic numbers.

Can I encode images and photos to Binary?

Technically yes, but it is only practical for very small images or analyzing image headers. A tiny 10 KB favicon becomes 80 KB of binary text. A typical 3 MB smartphone photo would become 24 MB of binary digits plus spacing—far too large for browsers to handle comfortably and providing no practical value. Instead, use Binary encoding to examine image file headers and magic numbers for educational purposes. For example, encode the first 1 KB of a PNG to see the file signature "10001001 01010000 01001110 01000111" (binary for bytes 0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47 which spell PNG signature). This teaches file format fundamentals. For full image encoding, always use Hex (2x size) or Base64 (1.33x size) instead. Binary is a learning tool, not a practical encoding for actual files.

What does the Binary output look like for a file?

The Binary output is an extremely long string of 0s and 1s, typically formatted with spaces separating each 8-bit byte for readability. For example, a tiny 3-byte file might encode to "01001000 01100101 01101100" while even a small 1 KB file produces 8,192 binary digits (8 bits per byte times 1,024 bytes). The output length in bits is exactly 8 times the original file size in bytes. You can copy this entire string to clipboard, save it to a text file for analysis, examine file signatures at the bit level, or study how different byte values appear in binary. Each group of 8 bits represents one byte: "01001000" is byte 72 (ASCII "H"), "11111111" is byte 255 (maximum unsigned value), etc. To recover the original file, decode the Binary string using a Binary to File decoder, which converts each group of 8 bits back to the original bytes.

How do I read file signatures in Binary?

File signatures (magic numbers) identify file types by their first few bytes. After encoding a file to Binary, examine the first 32-64 bits (first 4-8 bytes). Common signatures in binary: PNG images start with "10001001 01010000 01001110 01000111" (binary for 0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47 which represent PNG header); JPEG images start with "11111111 11011000 11111111"; PDF documents start with "00100101 01010000 01000100 01000110" (binary for %PDF); ZIP archives start with "01010000 01001011 00000011 00000100" (binary for PK signature); GIF images start with "01000111 01001001 01000110" (binary for GIF). Examining file signatures in Binary format provides the deepest understanding of how file formats work at the fundamental bit level, making it perfect for teaching computer science, file format analysis, and understanding data structures. This shows students the actual bits computers use to identify files.

Is my file safe when using this encoder?

Yes, completely safe! All file encoding happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your file is never uploaded to any server, never transmitted over the internet, and never stored anywhere except temporarily in your browser memory while encoding. Once you close or refresh the page, all data is immediately cleared from browser memory. This client-side approach ensures complete privacy—even sensitive files can be safely encoded without leaving your device. However, remember that Binary is encoding, not encryption. Anyone with the Binary string can decode it back to your original file using simple tools, so keep binary-encoded sensitive data secure. Binary encoding provides zero security—it simply shows data exactly as computers store it in memory. The massive size increase actually makes Binary less practical for sharing data than just sharing the original file.

What is the difference between Binary and Hex for files?

Both encode files to text, but Binary (Base2) is educational while Hex (Base16) is practical. Binary uses 2 characters (0, 1) and has 800% overhead—a 1 KB file becomes 8 KB of binary text. Hex uses 16 characters (0-9, A-F) and has 100% overhead—the same 1 KB file becomes only 2 KB of hex text. Binary shows actual bits that computers use, making it perfect for teaching computer fundamentals, learning binary number systems, understanding bit-level operations, visualizing how bytes are stored in memory, and examining file formats at the deepest level. Hex is far more compact and practical for debugging files, examining memory dumps, verifying checksums, analyzing file corruption, and any real-world file analysis. Use Binary only for education and very small files (under 10 KB). Use Hex for all practical file analysis and debugging tasks where you need human-readable representation of binary data.

Should I use Binary or Base64 for file encoding?

Never use Binary for file encoding in production—always use Base64 or Hex instead. Binary is 6 times larger than Base64 (800% overhead vs 33% overhead) and 4 times larger than Hex (800% vs 100%). A 100 KB file becomes 800 KB in Binary, only 133 KB in Base64, or 200 KB in Hex. Binary is purely educational—it reveals how computers actually store file data as bits and helps students understand computer science fundamentals, binary number representation, file format structures, bit-level data organization, and how all digital information is ultimately bits. For all practical purposes—embedding files in HTML, API data transmission, email attachments, database storage, or any production use—always choose Base64 for efficiency or Hex for debuggability. Binary is a teaching tool that demonstrates computer fundamentals, not a practical encoding method for real files.

File to Binary Encoder Online

Convert any file to Binary (Base2) format instantly. Upload images, PDFs, documents and view as actual bits. Perfect for learning computer science and understanding file formats. 100% free, secure, and works in your browser.

File EncodeFile Decode

Upload file

Drag and drop a file here, or click to select

Select File

Other Binary tools

Binary Encoder•Binary Decoder•Binary to File