MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 & SHA-512 — for text or any file.
Processed on your device
MD5—
SHA-1—
SHA-256—
SHA-512—
About Hash Generator
A hash function turns any input — a password, a file, a sentence — into a fixed-length fingerprint. Change one byte of the input and the hash changes completely, which makes hashes ideal for verifying downloads, deduplicating files and checking data integrity. The everyday use case: a vendor publishes the SHA-256 checksum next to a download link; you hash your downloaded copy and compare — if even one character differs, the file was corrupted or tampered with in transit. This tool computes MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 for text or files, locally in your browser via the Web Crypto API — which also means hashing a confidential file is safe here, since it's read on your device and never uploaded. Note the fixed lengths: MD5 is always 32 hex characters, SHA-1 is 40, SHA-256 is 64 and SHA-512 is 128, regardless of whether you hash one word or a one-gigabyte file.
How to use Hash Generator
1
Choose text or file
Type/paste text, or switch to File mode and drop in any file — even large ones.
2
Read the hashes
All algorithms are computed at once: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512.
3
Compare
Checking a download? Compare the SHA-256 here against the checksum published by the vendor — they must match exactly.
Frequently asked questions
Is my file or text uploaded?
No. Hashing runs locally using the Web Crypto API and JavaScript — nothing leaves your device, which also makes hashing large files fast.
Which algorithm should I use?
SHA-256 is the modern default for integrity checks. MD5 and SHA-1 are broken for security purposes but still common for legacy checksums and deduplication.
Can a hash be reversed to get the original?
No — hashing is one-way. The only way to 'reverse' one is to guess inputs until one matches, which is why strong, unique passwords matter.
Why are MD5 and SHA-1 considered broken?
Researchers can deliberately craft two different inputs with the same hash (a collision) — demonstrated for MD5 in 2004 and SHA-1 in 2017. They still detect accidental corruption fine, but must not be used where an attacker could substitute a file.
Can I use these hashes to store passwords?
No — fast hashes like SHA-256 are exactly what password crackers want, since they can test billions of guesses per second. Password storage needs deliberately slow, salted algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2.