Hash Generator | MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512
Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 hashes from text with instant, in-browser results—no uploads. Ideal for checksums, fingerprints, and quick integrity checks. For password storage, use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 instead.
How to Use This Tool
- 1
Enter or paste text (all Unicode supported).
- 2
In Live mode, MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 update as you type.
- 3
Copy any hexadecimal digest with one click.
- 4
Compare against a published checksum to verify file integrity.
Use Cases & Examples
File Integrity & Checksum Verification
Compute a digest and compare it with a vendor-published checksum to confirm downloads are authentic and unmodified.
Password Verification (NOT storage - use bcrypt instead!)
Learn how login verification works conceptually—then implement password storage with bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 (not raw SHA-*).
Data Deduplication & Content-Addressable Storage
Use digests as stable fingerprints to deduplicate content and build content-addressable storage.
Blockchain, Cryptocurrency & Proof-of-Work
Hashes secure blocks, support proof-of-work, and form Merkle trees for efficient verification in distributed systems.
Digital Signatures & API Request Verification
Sign/verify digests and use HMAC to authenticate API/webhook requests.
Cache Keys & Data Indexing
Generate evenly distributed keys for caches, sharding, and indexing.
Cryptographic Hashes (Brief)
A cryptographic hash maps arbitrary data to a fixed-length digest and is one-way (preimage-resistant).
Desirable properties include determinism, collision resistance, and the avalanche effect (small input changes → large digest changes).
Prefer SHA-256/512 for security contexts; MD5/SHA-1 are deprecated for security but remain useful for non-security checksums.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Is hashing the same as encryption? Can I reverse a hash?
A. No. Hashing is one-way and irreversible, while encryption is reversible with the correct key. You cannot "decode" a cryptographic hash.
Q.Which hash algorithm should I use?
A. Use SHA-256 or SHA-512 for modern security needs. Keep MD5/SHA-1 only for legacy/non-security checks such as quick checksums.
Q.Can two different inputs produce the same hash (collision)?
A. Yes, collisions can exist in theory. There are practical collisions for MD5 and SHA-1; no practical collision attacks are known for SHA-256/512 today.
Q.Is it safe to store passwords as hashes?
A. Do not store passwords with MD5/SHA-1/256/512. Use dedicated password hashing functions like bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 with salts and proper parameters.
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