Which hash should I use?

SHA-256 or stronger. MD5 and SHA-1 are broken for security purposes.

Hash Generator — SHA-256, SHA-512, SHA-1 Checksums

Q: Is hashing the same as encryption?

No — encryption is reversible with a key, hashing is a one-way fingerprint.

SHA Hash Generator

Compute SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 digests of any text using the native WebCrypto API. All four hashes update live as you type — nothing leaves your browser.

Text to Hash:

Digests (hex)

SHA-256	—
SHA-512	—
SHA-384	—
SHA-1 (legacy)	—

MD5 and SHA-1 are cryptographically broken — use SHA-256 or stronger for anything security-related. This page requires HTTPS (or localhost) for the WebCrypto API.

What are Cryptographic Hashes Used For?

A cryptographic hash converts any input into a fixed-length fingerprint. The same input always produces the same digest, while changing a single character produces a completely different one — which makes hashes ideal for file integrity checks, digital signatures, and comparing secrets without storing them.

SHA-256 (part of the SHA-2 family) is the current general-purpose standard, used by TLS certificates and Bitcoin alike. SHA-1 and MD5 are considered broken for security purposes because practical collision attacks exist — they survive only for legacy checksums.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why is MD5 not offered?

A: MD5 is cryptographically broken and the WebCrypto API deliberately does not implement it. Use SHA-256 instead.

Q: Is hashing the same as encryption?

A: No. Encryption is reversible with a key; hashing is one-way. You cannot recover the original text from a hash.

Q: Can two texts share the same SHA-256 hash?

A: In theory yes (inputs are infinite, digests are finite), but no SHA-256 collision has ever been found.