SHA256 & MD5 Hash Generator
Compute SHA-256 and SHA-512 digests of any text instantly using the browser's built-in SubtleCrypto implementation. Both digests update as you type, so you can verify a checksum or compare two strings without installing command line tools.
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How it works
- 1
Paste or type the text you want to hash.
- 2
SHA-256 and SHA-512 digests are computed with the Web Crypto API as you type.
- 3
Compare the digest against the one you were given, or copy it for your records.
- 4
Change a single character to watch the whole digest change — the avalanche property hashes rely on.
What people use it for
- Verifying that a string or configuration value matches a published checksum.
- Comparing two long strings quickly by comparing their digests.
- Generating a deterministic cache key or identifier from text input.
- Demonstrating hashing behaviour when teaching or documenting a system.
Supported formats & options
| Algorithms | SHA-256 and SHA-512, both from the Web Crypto API |
|---|---|
| Input | Any UTF-8 text typed or pasted into the box |
| Output | Lowercase hexadecimal digest |
Key advantages & benefits
Two digests at once
SHA-256 and SHA-512 are computed side by side, so you can match whichever length the other system expects.
Native crypto implementation
Digests come from the browser's SubtleCrypto engine rather than a hand-written JavaScript implementation.
Live updates
Results refresh as you type, which makes the effect of small input changes obvious.
Nothing uploaded
The text you hash stays in the tab — useful when you are checksumming something sensitive.
Limits & things to know
- MD5 and SHA-1 are not offered. Browsers deliberately exclude MD5 from SubtleCrypto, and both are broken for security purposes.
- This tool hashes text, not files. Hashing a large file byte-for-byte is a different operation and is not supported here.
- A hash is not encryption: it cannot be reversed, and hashing a password without a salt and a slow key-derivation function (bcrypt, scrypt, Argon2) is not secure password storage.
Troubleshooting
The digest does not match a command line tool
Check for a trailing newline. `echo text | sha256sum` hashes the newline too — use `echo -n`, or remove the trailing newline here, to compare like for like.
Nothing appears
SubtleCrypto is only available in a secure context. Open the page over HTTPS rather than plain HTTP or a local file.
Privacy & data handling
Hashing runs entirely in the browser through the Web Crypto API. The text you paste is never sent to our server, so checksumming a token or private string does not expose it.
Hash Generator — MD5, SHA-1 & SHA-256 Online Free
Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 hashes from any text or file directly in your browser. A free online hash generator for verifying downloads, comparing file integrity, generating checksums and building content fingerprints.
- SHA-256 and SHA-512 checksums — the modern secure hash functions to use when you are verifying an integrity checksum published alongside a download.
- MD5 and SHA-1 for legacy compatibility — still needed for older systems and de-duplication, though neither should be relied on for security-critical work today.
- Verify file integrity — hash a downloaded installer and compare it against the publisher's published checksum to confirm nothing was altered in transit.
- Text and file input — hash a pasted string or an entire file — large files are read in chunks so the tab stays responsive.
- Nothing is uploaded — hashing uses the Web Crypto API locally, so sensitive files and secret strings never leave your device.
Free and unlimited. Note that hashing is one-way: for reversible encoding use the Base64 Converter, and for secrets use the Password Generator.
Frequently asked questions
Are SHA-256 hashes reversible?
No, cryptographic hash functions are one-way mathematical algorithms.
Why is MD5 not available?
Browsers deliberately omit MD5 from the Web Crypto API because it is broken for security purposes, and this tool uses the browser's implementation rather than shipping its own. If a system still requires MD5, that is a good reason to change the system.
Can I reverse a hash back to the original text?
No. Hashing is one-way by design. What attackers do instead is hash enormous lists of likely inputs and look for a match, which is exactly why passwords need a salt and a slow key-derivation function rather than a plain SHA digest.
Should I use SHA-256 or SHA-512?
Use whichever the system you are matching expects. SHA-512 is not meaningfully more secure for ordinary use; it is simply longer and can be faster on 64-bit hardware.
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