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Vigenère Cipher

Encrypt or decrypt text with the Vigenère keyword cipher.

Note: The Vigenère cipher shifts each letter by the corresponding letter of a repeated keyword. Case is preserved and non-letters pass through. It is a polyalphabetic cipher and not secure for modern use.

What Is a Vigenère Cipher?

The Vigenère Cipher tool encrypts and decrypts text using a polyalphabetic substitution where each letter is shifted by a different amount determined by a repeated keyword. Invented in the 16th century, it was famously considered unbreakable for over 300 years. This free online tool is useful for Vigenere cipher, Vigenère cipher online, Vigenere encrypt decrypt. Common use cases include classical cryptography, puzzles, history, and cryptography education. It is designed for quick browser-based hashing, encoding, decoding, encryption testing, checksum comparison, identifier generation, and cryptography education. For production security, follow the algorithm's current standards, key-management requirements, and application-specific security guidance.

How to Use This Vigenère Cipher

  1. 1
    Choose the directionSelect Encrypt or Decrypt where the tool provides both operations.
  2. 2
    Enter the settingsProvide the shift, keyword, rails, or other cipher parameters.
  3. 3
    Enter the textPaste the plaintext or ciphertext into the input field.
  4. 4
    Run the transformationThe tool applies the selected classical cipher locally.
  5. 5
    Review the resultCopy the transformed text for your puzzle, experiment, or educational exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Each keyword letter gives a shift value (A=0, B=1, ...). The shifts repeat across the message, so a longer keyword makes the ciphertext harder to break.
No. With enough ciphertext it is vulnerable to Kasiski examination and frequency analysis. It is a historical cipher, useful for puzzles and education.