Free ftfy Mojibake Decoder Alternative
The ftfy Mojibake Decoder at linestarve.com is a simple web wrapper around the respected ftfy Python library (v6.3.1), which can fix mojibake by detecting patterns of characters meant to be UTF-8 but decoded as something else. It's straightforward and effective for basic mojibake repair. However, the interface is minimal with no manual encoding selection, no explanation of what fixes were applied, and limited control over the repair process. If you want automatic detection plus manual encoding conversion options and transparency about repairs, Fixie's Mojibake Fixer offers more flexibility.
Try Mojibake Fixer Free →Mojibake Fixer vs ftfy Mojibake Decoder
| Feature | Fixie Mojibake Fixer | ftfy Mojibake Decoder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free |
| Signup Required | No | No |
| Privacy / Data Handling | Client-side processing | Server-side via ftfy |
| Auto-Detection | Yes | Yes (ftfy algorithm) |
| Manual Encoding Selection | Yes, UTF-8, Latin-1, Win-1252 | No manual control |
| Repair Transparency | Shows detected encoding | No explanation of fixes |
| Supported Encodings | UTF-8, Latin-1, Windows-1252 | Auto-detected via ftfy |
| Interface | Modern, clear controls | Minimal, basic |
Why Choose Fixie?
The ftfy Mojibake Decoder leverages the excellent ftfy Python library, which has been battle-tested on millions of tweets and texts with a false positive rate under 1 per million. The algorithm is smart, reliable, and handles multiple layers of mojibake simultaneously, even when complicated by curly quotes applied on top of encoding errors. For fully automatic repair with no configuration, ftfy's approach works well.
However, automatic detection doesn't always get it right, especially with mixed encodings or ambiguous cases. Sometimes you know the source encoding (like Latin-1 from an old database) and target encoding (UTF-8), and you want manual control to convert rather than relying on auto-detection. Other times, you want to understand what fixes were applied to verify the repair is correct.
Fixie's Mojibake Fixer provides both automatic detection and manual encoding conversion: try auto-repair first for quick fixes, or manually select source (UTF-8/Latin-1/Windows-1252) and target encodings if you know them, see which encoding was detected, and verify the repair matches your expectations. Both tools are free; choose ftfy wrapper for purely automatic repair, choose Fixie for transparency and manual control when auto-detection isn't enough.
How to Use Mojibake Fixer
Step 1: Open the Fixer
Go to fixie.tools/mojibake — no signup, instant access.
Step 2: Paste Garbled Text
Enter the mojibaked text that displays incorrectly due to encoding errors.
Step 3: Choose Repair Method
Try auto-detect for quick fixes, or manually select source and target encodings if you know them.
Step 4: Review Repaired Text
See the fixed text with encoding information displayed, then copy to use elsewhere.