Hash Generator
MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512 — hashed locally with Web Crypto.
output
algorithm
—
About hashing
A cryptographic hash is a one-way fingerprint: the same input always produces the same fixed-length digest, but the digest reveals nothing about the input. Hashing is how you compare secrets without storing them, detect file tampering, verify downloads, and key caches. This generator computes MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 in your browser — the SHA family via the Web Crypto API and MD5 via a small in-page implementation.
Which algorithm should I use?
SHA-256 is the default for anything security-relevant: password verification schemes (PBKDF2/argon2 wrap it), checksums, and integrity checks.SHA-512 is stronger and faster on 64-bit hardware, and its 64-byte output suits digital-signature contexts. SHA-1 and especiallyMD5 are cryptographically broken — SHA-1 collisions and MD5 collision attacks are practical — so use them only for legacy interop, deduplication, or non-adversarial checksums.
Important caveats
A raw hash of a password is not a secure way to store it — always use a slow, salted, memory-hard KDF such as scrypt, argon2, or bcrypt instead of a bare SHA-2 digest. Hashing is deterministic: the same text always hashes to the same value, which is precisely why hashes work for verification and precisely why they leak nothing when input has enough entropy.
Related tools
Compare two hashed documents with the JSON difftool, or base64-encode the raw bytes instead of reading them as hex with the Base64 encoder.
FAQ
Is hashing done locally?
Yes. SHA-* digests use the browser's Web Crypto API and MD5 runs a hand-rolled implementation — your input never leaves the page.
Why does MD5 differ from the others?
MD5 is not exposed by the Web Crypto API, so it is computed by a small in-page implementation. It is fine for checksums, but it is cryptographically broken — use SHA-256 or SHA-512 for security.