FormData V/S Base64.

When you're working with images in web or app development, you usually have two common ways to send them to a server: FormData and Base64.

FormData Image

FormData is like packing your image into a suitcase and sending it as-is. It’s clean, lightweight, and fast. You just attach the image file directly (like a .jpg or .png) and send it to the server. This is the same method used when you upload an image using an HTML form.

Best for:

• Fast uploads

• High-quality images

• Bulk uploading (because it doesn’t increase the image size)

 

Base64 Image

Base64 is like converting your image into a long string of text. It’s useful when you need to embed images directly inside code (like in HTML or JSON). But here's the catch — Base64 increases the size of the image by about 33%, making uploads slower and heavier.

Best for:

• Quick previews in UI

• Embedding in JSON or sending small data in emails

Not great for:

• Bulk uploads

• Large image files

 

Which One Is Better?

• For normal use and especially bulk uploads, FormData is much better. It's faster, more efficient, and uses less bandwidth.

• Use Base64 only if you have a specific reason (like sending data inline in text).