Which hash algorithm should I use?

For data integrity verification and HMAC, use SHA-256 or SHA-512. For password hashing, do NOT use raw SHA — use bcrypt, Argon2, or scrypt instead, which are designed to be slow and resist brute-force attacks. MD5 and SHA-1 are cryptographically broken and should only be used for non-security purposes like checksums.

Can I hash a file with this tool?

This tool hashes text input. To hash a file, use the sha256sum command in Linux/macOS (sha256sum filename), or certutil -hashfile filename SHA256 in Windows. For browser-based file hashing, you would need to read the file as an ArrayBuffer and pass it to the Web Crypto API.

Is my input sent to a server?

No. All hashing runs entirely in your browser. Your text never leaves your device. You can verify this by checking the Network tab in your browser's developer tools — there are no outbound requests when you type.

Why do the same words hash differently with different algorithms?

Each algorithm uses a different mathematical function and produces a fixed-length output specific to that algorithm: MD5 produces 128-bit (32 hex char) outputs, SHA-256 produces 256-bit (64 hex char) outputs, and SHA-512 produces 512-bit (128 hex char) outputs. The same input fed to different algorithms will always produce completely different hashes.

Tool

Hash Generator

Compute cryptographic hashes using MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, or SHA-512. Uses the Web Cryptography API — all computation is client-side.

Last updated March 1, 2026

Runs entirely in your browser — no data sent to servers. Privacy policy

Prove it runs locally

Open DevTools → Network tab
Click Generate
Confirm zero outbound requests for the secret

Generation uses crypto.getRandomValues() in your browser. Privacy policy

Text to hash

Algorithm

Hash result (SHA-256)

Enter text above and click "Generate hash"

Uses the Web Cryptography API's SubtleCrypto interface. All computation is client-side.

Type or paste your input text into the text area. The hash is computed automatically as you type using your browser's Web Crypto API (SHA family) or a pure-JS implementation (MD5).

Select the hash algorithm from the dropdown: MD5 (legacy, 128-bit), SHA-1 (legacy, 160-bit), SHA-256 (recommended, 256-bit), SHA-384 (384-bit), or SHA-512 (512-bit). The output updates instantly.

The result is the hex-encoded hash of your input. Hash functions are one-way — the same input always produces the same output, but you cannot reverse the hash to recover the original input.

const crypto = require('crypto');

// SHA-256
const hash256 = crypto
  .createHash('sha256')
  .update('your input text')
  .digest('hex');
console.log(hash256);

// SHA-512
const hash512 = crypto
  .createHash('sha512')
  .update('your input text')
  .digest('hex');
console.log(hash512);

const crypto = require('crypto');

// SHA-256
const hash256 = crypto
  .createHash('sha256')
  .update('your input text')
  .digest('hex');
console.log(hash256);

// SHA-512
const hash512 = crypto
  .createHash('sha512')
  .update('your input text')
  .digest('hex');
console.log(hash512);

import hashlib

text = 'your input text'

# SHA-256
sha256 = hashlib.sha256(text.encode()).hexdigest()
print('SHA-256:', sha256)

# SHA-512
sha512 = hashlib.sha512(text.encode()).hexdigest()
print('SHA-512:', sha512)

# MD5 (legacy use only)
md5 = hashlib.md5(text.encode()).hexdigest()
print('MD5:', md5)

import (
    "crypto/sha256"
    "crypto/sha512"
    "fmt"
)

text := []byte("your input text")

// SHA-256
h256 := sha256.Sum256(text)
fmt.Printf("SHA-256: %x\n", h256)

// SHA-512
h512 := sha512.Sum512(text)
fmt.Printf("SHA-512: %x\n", h512)

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