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AES Encrypt & Decrypt — AES-256-GCM Password Encryption in Browser

Encrypt and decrypt text with AES-256-GCM and a password. PBKDF2-SHA256 key derivation, runs entirely in your browser.

Free No signup Client-side Privacy friendly Updated

Strength:

Working…

How to use

  1. 1 Pick Encrypt or Decrypt.
  2. 2 Enter your password — use the strength meter as a rough guide.
  3. 3 Paste plaintext (encrypt) or Base64 ciphertext (decrypt), then click the action button.
  4. 4 Copy the output. The password never leaves your browser.

Why use this tool

  • AES-256-GCM authenticated encryption — tampering is detected, unlike raw AES-CBC.
  • PBKDF2-SHA256 with 100,000 iterations slows offline brute-force attacks on weak passwords.
  • Random 16-byte salt and 12-byte IV per encryption — same plaintext + password produces different output every time.
  • Pure WebCrypto — runs in your browser, no servers see your password or plaintext.

Frequently asked questions

Does my data leave my browser?

No. The tool uses native WebCrypto. Your password and plaintext never reach our servers.

Why AES-GCM and not CBC?

GCM is authenticated encryption — any tampering with the ciphertext (or IV/salt) is detected on decrypt. CBC is unauthenticated and dangerous to deploy raw without a separate MAC.

Why 100,000 PBKDF2 iterations?

It is the OWASP-recommended baseline for PBKDF2-SHA256. It slows brute-force attempts against weak passwords — but is not a substitute for a strong password. For really sensitive data, use 600,000+ iterations or switch to Argon2.

What is the output format?

Base64 of concatenated salt (16 bytes) || IV (12 bytes) || ciphertext+tag. The decrypt path slices these off and reconstructs the key.

Can I lose data if I forget the password?

Yes. There is no recovery — that is the whole point. Pick something memorable and store it in a password manager.

What is AES Encrypt & Decrypt?

An AES Encrypt & Decrypt tool is a tool that encrypts and decrypts text using AES-256-GCM with a user-supplied password. It derives the encryption key from the password using PBKDF2 with SHA-256, providing authenticated encryption that detects tampering. All cryptographic operations run entirely client-side in the browser, so plaintext, passwords, and ciphertext are never sent to a server.

Features

AES-256-GCM

Authenticated encryption: any change to the ciphertext is detected on decrypt, so tampering fails loudly.

PBKDF2 key derivation

Your password is stretched into a 256-bit key with PBKDF2-SHA-256 and a random salt.

100% client-side

Uses the native Web Crypto API — nothing is uploaded, logged, or escrowed.

Example

Input

Plaintext "hello" + password "s3cret"

Output

Base64 envelope: salt ‖ IV ‖ ciphertext ‖ GCM tag (differs every run due to a random salt/IV; the same password decrypts it back to "hello").

Common use cases

  1. 1

    Share a secret safely

    Encrypt a note or credential and send the ciphertext; the recipient decrypts with the shared password.

  2. 2

    Store sensitive text

    Keep an encrypted blob in notes or a repo instead of plaintext.

  3. 3

    Learn authenticated encryption

    See how salt, IV, ciphertext, and the GCM tag combine — and why a wrong password fails.

Summary

Zerethon's AES tool encrypts and decrypts text with AES-256-GCM and a password, entirely in your browser via the Web Crypto API. The key is derived from the password with PBKDF2-SHA-256, and GCM provides authenticated encryption that detects tampering. Plaintext, password, and ciphertext never leave your device.

Category
Developer
Pricing
Free
Privacy
Browser-based
Signup
Not required

References

Privacy

Your data never leaves your browser unless explicitly stated. AES Encrypt & Decrypt runs entirely client-side — no server upload, no logging, no tracking of your input.

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