MD5 & SHA Hash Generator
Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 hashes of any text instantly, right in your browser.
Input
Hashes
How to use the MD5 and SHA hash generator
Type or paste your text and the tool computes MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 hashes as you type. Each hash has its own copy button. MD5 and SHA-1 are included for legacy uses such as file checksums, ETags and cache keys, never for security. SHA-256 and longer are the modern standard. Hashing runs in your browser, so your text is not sent anywhere.
Why hashes matter
A hash function turns any input into a fixed-length fingerprint. Change one character and the fingerprint changes completely. Webhook signatures use HMAC-SHA-256 to prove a payload came from the real sender. File downloads publish a SHA-256 value so you can check the file was not altered. Caches use hashes as stable keys for content.
Common uses
- Checking that a download matches its published SHA-256
- Computing ETag values for HTTP caching
- Creating a stable cache key from content
- Comparing two strings without storing them
- Creating idempotency keys for API calls
Why MD5 and SHA-1 are unsafe for security
Practical MD5 collisions were published in 2004, and today they can be produced in seconds on ordinary hardware. SHA-1 fell in 2017 when Google and CWI published the SHAttered collision. Both are still fine for non-security tasks like cache keys and accidental-corruption checks, but should never be used for passwords, digital signatures or anywhere an attacker could benefit from a collision.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use this for password hashing?
No. Use a dedicated password hashing algorithm such as bcrypt or Argon2. Plain SHA-256 is designed to be fast, which makes guessing passwords by brute force far too easy.
Why are the hashes different lengths?
Each algorithm has a fixed output size: MD5 is 128 bits (32 hex characters), SHA-1 is 160 bits (40), SHA-256 is 256 bits (64), SHA-384 is 384 bits (96) and SHA-512 is 512 bits (128). Longer hashes are harder to collide or brute force.
Can I get the original text back from a hash?
No. Hashes are one-way. The only way to "reverse" one is to guess inputs, either by brute force or with precomputed tables. That is why stored secrets should be salted before hashing.
Why does my hash not match another tool?
Usually because of hidden differences in the input, such as a trailing space, a line break or a different character encoding. This tool hashes the exact UTF-8 bytes you type.