Free Hash Generator Online

Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 hashes from text or files, entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded - all hashing runs locally.

100% free
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Runs in your browser

Text to hash 0 chars

⚠️ Security warning

MD5 and SHA-1 are cryptographically broken and should never be used for security purposes like password storage or digital signatures. Use SHA-256 or higher for any security-sensitive application. For password hashing specifically, use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 - never use general-purpose hash functions directly on passwords.

Hash Comparison

Paste two hashes to verify they match - useful for checking a file against a published checksum. Comparison is case-insensitive.

Hash 1

Hash 2

Which hash should I use?

Use case	Recommended hash
File integrity check	SHA-256
Password storage	Use bcrypt / Argon2, NOT these
Git commit hashing	SHA-1 (legacy) / SHA-256
Digital signatures	SHA-256 or SHA-512
Quick checksums	MD5 (not secure, fast only)

Guide

What is a hash function?

A hash function takes any input (a word, a paragraph, or a whole file) and produces a fixed-length string of characters called a digest. The same input always yields the same digest, but even a one-character change produces a completely different result, and you cannot reverse a digest back into the original. This tool computes MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 digests locally in your browser.

Verifying file integrity

The most common everyday use is checking that a download is intact and unaltered. A site publishes the expected hash of a file; you hash your downloaded copy and compare. If the two digests match, the file is byte-for-byte identical to the original. If they differ, the file was corrupted in transit or tampered with.

Which algorithm should you use?

MD5 and SHA-1 are fast but cryptographically broken: attackers can engineer collisions, so they should not be used for security, only for non-adversarial checksums. The SHA-2 family (SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512) is the current standard for integrity and digital signatures. SHA-512 uses 64-bit operations and can be faster on 64-bit hardware, while SHA-256 produces a shorter digest; both are considered secure.

Do not use plain hashes for passwords

Storing passwords as a plain SHA-256 hash is unsafe, because fast hashes let attackers guess billions of candidates per second. Passwords should be protected with a slow, salted password-hashing algorithm designed for the job, such as bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2. General-purpose hashes like the ones here are for integrity and fingerprinting, not credential storage.

Last updated: July 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a hash function?

A hash function takes input data of any size and produces a fixed-size string of characters (the hash). The same input always produces the same hash, but even tiny changes to the input produce a completely different hash. Hashes are one-way - you cannot reverse a hash back to the original data.

Is MD5 secure?

No. MD5 has known collision vulnerabilities since 2004, meaning two different inputs can produce the same hash. It should never be used for security purposes like passwords or digital signatures, but remains useful for non-security checksums like detecting accidental file corruption.

What is the difference between SHA-256 and SHA-512?

Both are part of the SHA-2 family. SHA-256 produces a 256-bit (64 hex character) hash, while SHA-512 produces a 512-bit (128 hex character) hash. SHA-512 is more collision-resistant but slightly slower to compute.

Should I use a hash function to store passwords?

No. General-purpose hash functions like SHA-256 are designed to be fast, which makes them vulnerable to brute-force attacks on passwords. Use a dedicated password hashing algorithm like bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2, which are deliberately slow and include salting.

How do I verify a file’s integrity using a hash?

Generate a hash of the downloaded file and compare it to the hash published by the source (often shown as "SHA-256 checksum"). If the hashes match exactly, the file has not been corrupted or tampered with.