Tools

Free Online Hash Generator — MD5, SHA-256, SHA-512

Instantly generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 hashes from any text — all five algorithms simultaneously, 100% in your browser.

MD5 128 bit Not recommended for security use
SHA-1 160 bit Not recommended for security use
SHA-256 256 bit
SHA-384 384 bit
SHA-512 512 bit

Privacy

All hashing is performed locally in your browser using the Web Crypto API and a pure-JS MD5 implementation. Your text is never sent to our servers.

What is a Hash Function?

A hash function takes any input text and produces a fixed-length output string — the hash. The process is one-way: you cannot reverse a hash to retrieve the original text. Hash functions are deterministic: the same input always produces the same output. They are widely used in computer science for data integrity verification, password storage, digital signatures, and content addressing.

MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512: When to Use Each

Choose the right algorithm for your use case:

MD5 (128-bit)

Deprecated for security. Suitable for non-critical file checksums and legacy systems. Produces a 32-character hex string.

SHA-1 (160-bit)

Deprecated for digital signatures, still used in Git commit hashes. Produces a 40-character hex string.

SHA-256 (256-bit)

Gold standard. Used in TLS certificates, JWT tokens, and Bitcoin. Produces a 64-character hex string.

SHA-384 (384-bit)

SHA-2 variant for high-security contexts. Produces a 96-character hex string.

SHA-512 (512-bit)

Maximum resistance. Higher computational overhead. Produces a 128-character hex string.

Common Hash Generator Use Cases

Practical applications of cryptographic hashing:

File Integrity Verification

Compare hash values to verify downloaded files are complete and unmodified.

Password Hashing

Store hashed (plus salted) passwords instead of plaintext in databases.

Digital Signatures & TLS

SSL/TLS certificates rely on SHA-256 or SHA-384 for signature algorithms.

Cache Busting

Append a content hash to asset filenames to invalidate browser caches on deploy.

Content Addressing

Git, IPFS, and other systems use hashes to uniquely identify content.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Hash functions are one-way: it is computationally infeasible to reverse a hash. You can only verify that a given input produces the same hash as a stored value.

Both are part of the SHA-2 family. SHA-256 produces a 256-bit (64-char hex) digest; SHA-512 produces a 512-bit (128-char hex) digest. SHA-512 offers a larger security margin but has more computational overhead.

MD5 is considered cryptographically broken and should not be used for security-sensitive purposes such as password hashing or digital signatures. It is still acceptable for non-security uses like quick file checksums.

No. All hash computation happens entirely in your browser using the Web Crypto API (for SHA-*) and a pure JavaScript MD5 implementation. No data ever leaves your device.