Hash Generator
Generate cryptographic hashes from any text using MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 algorithms. All hashing is performed using the browser's native Web Crypto API — your input never leaves your device.
Hash Algorithm Comparison
MD5 (128-bit)
Fast but cryptographically broken. Still used for checksums and non-security file integrity checks. Not recommended for passwords or security.
SHA-1 (160-bit)
Deprecated for security use. Still found in legacy systems and Git commit IDs. Avoid for new security implementations.
SHA-256 (256-bit)
The current industry standard for security. Used in TLS certificates, Bitcoin, JWT signatures, and password hashing. Recommended for most use cases.
SHA-512 (512-bit)
Stronger than SHA-256 with a larger output. Used when maximum security is required. Slightly slower but more resistant to brute-force attacks.
Common Use Cases for Hash Generation
- File integrity verification — generate a hash of a file and compare it later to detect tampering
- Password storage — store SHA-256 or SHA-512 hashes of passwords instead of plain text (use bcrypt for production)
- API request signing — many APIs use HMAC-SHA256 to sign requests for authentication
- Data deduplication — hash records to quickly identify duplicates in large datasets
- Checksums — verify downloaded files match the expected hash provided by the publisher
- Cache keys — generate consistent cache keys from dynamic content
Important Security Notes
- MD5 and SHA-1 are not secure for cryptographic purposes — collisions have been demonstrated
- For password hashing, use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 — not raw SHA-256
- Hashing is a one-way function — you cannot reverse a hash to get the original input
- This tool uses the browser's native
SubtleCryptoAPI — no server processing
Use Base64 encoding for reversible text encoding.