How to use the Hash Generator (MD5, SHA-256…)
- Type or paste text.
- Hashes update as you type.
- Click any hash to copy it.
About this tool
A cryptographic hash function maps any input to a fixed-length fingerprint. Change a single character and the hash changes completely; the same input always produces the same output. Developers use hashes to verify downloads, deduplicate files, build cache keys and sign API requests.
Which algorithm?
- SHA-256 — today's default for integrity checks, Git's next object format and most signing schemes.
- SHA-512 / SHA-384 — longer output; often faster than SHA-256 on 64-bit CPUs.
- SHA-1 and MD5 — broken for security (practical collisions exist). Still fine for non-adversarial checksums and legacy compatibility.
Don't store passwords as plain SHA or MD5 hashes. Use a slow password-hashing function such as Argon2id, bcrypt or scrypt.
Frequently asked questions
Can a hash be reversed?
Not mathematically, but short or common inputs can be found with lookup tables — which is why passwords need salts and slow hashes.
Why does my hash differ from another tool?
Check for trailing newlines or spaces, and encoding. We hash the UTF-8 bytes exactly as typed.
Can I hash files?
File hashing is on the roadmap; for now use the command line: sha256sum file.