Hashes/Crypto
Hash Generator
Compute hashes of text or a file with thirteen algorithms at once: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, SHA3-256, SHA3-512, RIPEMD-160, BLAKE2b, BLAKE2s, BLAKE3, CRC32, and Adler-32.
A hash function turns arbitrary data into a fixed-length digest that's unique to that content — changing even one letter of the input completely changes the output. This tool computes a hash of text or a file using 13 popular algorithms at once, right in your browser.
Which algorithm to pick
- MD5 and SHA-1 — cryptographically broken (practical collision attacks exist) but still used for file-integrity checks where an attack is unlikely.
- SHA-256 / SHA-512 (the SHA-2 family) — the standard for signatures, certificates, and blockchains; no known practical attacks as of 2026.
- SHA3 and BLAKE2/BLAKE3 — newer designs; BLAKE3 in particular is very fast and parallelizes well on large files.
- CRC32 / Adler-32 — not cryptographic, meant only for detecting accidental corruption (e.g. in ZIP files), not for defending against deliberate tampering.
Common uses
- Verifying that a downloaded file isn't corrupted or tampered with, by comparing its hash to the one published by the developer.
- Generating a content-based cache key or identifier.
- Quickly comparing two large files or texts without a byte-by-byte diff.
Things to keep in mind
Hashing isn't encryption — it's one-way, so you can't recover the original data from a hash.
Plain fast hashes (MD5, SHA-256) are unsuitable for passwords — use a dedicated slow algorithm like bcrypt, Argon2, or PBKDF2 instead.
Article about this tool: Hash Generator: how MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 differ from each other
Frequently asked questions
Which hash algorithm should I use?
For general-purpose checksums (file integrity, deduplication), SHA-256 is a solid modern default. Avoid MD5 and SHA-1 for anything security-sensitive, since both are broken against deliberate collision attacks, even though they're still fine for quick, non-adversarial checks.
Can a hash be reversed back to the original input?
No. Cryptographic hash functions are one-way — you can only verify a match by hashing another input and comparing the result, not recover the original data from the hash itself.
Does this tool upload my file or text to compute the hash?
No. All hashing runs locally in your browser via the Web Crypto API — nothing is sent to a server, so it works offline too.
Why do we even need SHA-3 if SHA-2 is still secure?
SHA-3 was chosen as insurance against a future vulnerability in SHA-2 — it's built on a fundamentally different internal construction (Keccak). Since no practical attacks on SHA-2 have been found, SHA-256 remains the default standard, and SHA-3 gets used selectively.
Does a longer hash automatically mean better protection?
Not always. Output length matters, but an algorithm's strength depends primarily on its internal construction — SHA-1, with its 160-bit output, is vulnerable to collisions, while a well-designed modern algorithm with a shorter output can be more secure.