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Encoders, converters & dev utilities
Text to Binary Converter — ASCII & UTF-8, with Steps
Convert text like "Hi" into binary and see how each character becomes bits. Every character is encoded to one or more bytes (UTF-8), and each byte is written as 8 bits. For ASCII characters the code point is under 128, so it is one byte: H is 72 = 01001000, i is 105 = 01101001, giving "Hi" → 01001000 01101001. Non-ASCII characters need multiple UTF-8 bytes, which is where naïve "one byte per character" tools break: the euro sign € (U+20AC) is 3 bytes E2 82 AC → 11100010 10000010 10101100. This tool uses TextEncoder for correct UTF-8, shows the step-by-step, and runs 100% in your browser. Free, no login.
Text → binary = each character → its UTF-8 byte(s) → each byte as 8 bits (ASCII code points < 128 are one byte)
- Byte-exact worked example: "Hi" → H=72=01001000, i=105=01101001 → 01001000 01101001
- Multi-byte UTF-8: "€" (U+20AC) = 3 bytes E2 82 AC → 11100010 10000010 10101100 (where naïve charCodeAt tools fail)
- Uses TextEncoder for correct UTF-8 — not one-byte-per-JS-char truncation
- 100% client-side; also shows ASCII-decimal and hex for the same bytes
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert text to binary?
Each character is turned into its byte value(s) using an encoding (UTF-8), and each byte is written as 8 binary digits. For plain ASCII letters this is one byte each: "Hi" becomes H = 72 = 01001000 and i = 105 = 01101001, so "Hi" is 01001000 01101001. The tool shows this step by step and can also display the ASCII-decimal and hex forms.
Why do accented or non-Latin characters produce more bits?
Because they are not ASCII. UTF-8 encodes characters above code point 127 using two, three, or four bytes, and each byte is 8 bits. The euro sign € (U+20AC), for example, is three UTF-8 bytes E2 82 AC, which is 24 bits: 11100010 10000010 10101100. Tools that assume one byte per character corrupt these; this converter uses TextEncoder so multi-byte characters, emoji, and CJK text encode correctly.
What is "Hi" in binary?
"Hi" is 01001000 01101001. H has ASCII code 72, which is 01001000, and i has code 105, which is 01101001. Written together with a space between bytes, that is 01001000 01101001. Both characters are ASCII, so each is a single 8-bit byte.