Hash Generator
Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 hashes from text or files to verify downloads and checksums. Free, computed in your browser.
MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 from text or files
Type text or choose a file, tick the algorithms you want and generate. Four are available: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512. The SHA family is computed with the browser's Web Crypto API, the same implementation the browser uses for TLS; MD5 is not exposed by Web Crypto, so a small JavaScript implementation handles it. Each result has its own copy button.
The common use is verifying a download. Publishers post a SHA-256 checksum next to an installer; hash the file here and compare the two strings. A single differing character means the file is not the one they published, whether through a corrupted download or something worse. MD5 and SHA-1 still appear on older download pages and remain fine for spotting accidental corruption, but both have known collision attacks and should not be relied on where an attacker could substitute a file.
None of these are suitable for storing passwords. They are fast by design, which is exactly what a password hash should not be; use bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2 on the server instead. Hashing happens on your device, so a confidential document can be checksummed without uploading it. The whole file is read into memory first, so very large files take a moment and depend on available RAM.
Frequently asked questions
Which hash should I use for passwords?
None of these. MD5 and the SHA family are fast, which lets attackers test billions of guesses per second. Store passwords with a deliberately slow, salted algorithm such as bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2id.
Is MD5 still safe to use?
For detecting accidental corruption, yes. For anything security-related, no: collisions can be produced on demand, so two different files can share an MD5. Prefer SHA-256 when you have the choice.
Why is my hash different from the one on the website?
Usually a stray newline or different line endings in pasted text, or hashing the file name instead of the file. Hex case does not matter; compare the strings ignoring upper and lower case.
Can a hash be reversed to get the original?
No. A hash is a one-way function; the only way back is to guess inputs and compare. Short or common inputs can be found in precomputed tables, which is why salting matters for passwords.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit, but the file is loaded fully into memory before hashing, so multi-gigabyte files may be slow or fail on devices with little RAM.