What is a hash used for?

Hashes are used for password storage, file integrity verification, digital signatures, and data deduplication.

SHA-256 is cryptographically secure and widely used in TLS, Bitcoin, and digital certificates.

Can a hash be reversed?

No. Hash functions are one-way. You cannot retrieve original input from its hash.

What is the difference between MD5 and SHA-256?

MD5 produces 128-bit hashes and is no longer cryptographically safe. SHA-256 produces 256-bit hashes and is secure.

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Hash Generator

Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512, SHA-3 hashes from text or files. 100% browser-based.

Input Text

0 characters

Hash Algorithms

MD5 SHA-1 SHA-256 SHA-512 SHA-384

Uppercase HMAC mode

What is a Cryptographic Hash?

A cryptographic hash function takes any input (text or file) and produces a fixed-length string called a hash or digest. The same input always produces the same hash, but even a single character change produces a completely different hash. Hashes are one-way — you cannot reverse a hash to get the original data.

Common uses include verifying file integrity (checksums), storing passwords securely, digital signatures, and message authentication codes (HMAC).

Hash Algorithms Explained

Algorithm	Output Length	Status	Use Case
MD5	128-bit (32 hex)	Legacy	File checksums (not for security)
SHA-1	160-bit (40 hex)	Deprecated	Legacy systems
SHA-256	256-bit (64 hex)	Secure	Password hashing, Bitcoin
SHA-384	384-bit (96 hex)	Secure	TLS certificates
SHA-512	512-bit (128 hex)	Secure	High-security applications