Free Online Hash Generator

What Is a Hash Function?

A cryptographic hash function takes any input — a word, a file, a terabyte of data — and produces a fixed-length digest (the "hash"). The same input always produces the same output, but changing even one character produces a completely different hash. This property, called the avalanche effect, is what makes hashes useful for data integrity verification.

When to Use Each Algorithm

• SHA-256 / SHA-512 — Recommended for all security-sensitive uses: code signing, certificate fingerprints, API request signing, and data integrity checks. Part of the SHA-2 family.
• SHA-384 — A truncated variant of SHA-512, common in TLS certificates and government applications.
• SHA-1 — Deprecated for security. Still used in legacy systems and Git object IDs, but do not use for new designs. Collision attacks are known.
• MD5 — Cryptographically broken. Use only for non-security checksums (e.g., download file integrity where you control both sides). Never for passwords or signatures.

Worked Example

Type hello in the input above. You'll immediately see:
SHA-256: 2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824
MD5: 5d41402abc4b2a76b9719d911017c592

These hashes are one-way — you cannot reverse them to recover the original text. This makes them ideal for storing password digests (though for passwords, use bcrypt or Argon2, not raw SHA).

File Integrity Checking

When you download software, publishers often provide a SHA-256 checksum alongside the file. After downloading, hash the file with this tool and compare — if the hashes match, the file arrived intact and untampered. This is the primary use of MD5/SHA-256 in package managers and software distribution.

Learn more about password security and hashing in our guide →