How to generate a hash
- Type or paste text into the box.
- MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 hashes appear instantly, updating as you type.
- Tap Copy next to the one you need.
The text is encoded as UTF-8 before hashing, which matches most programming languages and command-line tools.
Which hash should you use?
| Algorithm | Length | Use today |
|---|---|---|
| MD5 | 32 hex characters | Legacy checksums only |
| SHA-1 | 40 hex characters | Legacy systems, Git object IDs |
| SHA-256 | 64 hex characters | Checksums, file verification, signatures |
| SHA-512 | 128 hex characters | Where a longer hash is required |
For anything new, use SHA-256. MD5 and SHA-1 have known weaknesses: researchers can create two different inputs with the same hash, so they're no longer trusted for security. They're still fine for spotting accidental changes, such as a corrupted download.
Hashes are one-way
A hash can't be reversed to reveal the original text. But short or common text can be guessed: attackers keep huge tables of hashes for common passwords. That's why passwords should never be stored as plain MD5 or SHA hashes; password storage uses special slow algorithms such as bcrypt or Argon2, with a unique salt for each password.
Checking a value
To check whether two pieces of text are identical, hash both and compare. Even a single extra space, a different line ending or a hidden character changes the hash completely, which makes hashing a reliable way to spot tiny differences.
Hashing files
This tool hashes text you type. To hash a file, such as an APK, ISO image or ZIP archive, and compare it with a hash published by the developer, use the APK & file SHA-256 checker.
Hashing runs in your browser; nothing you type is uploaded.