What it does
A hash function turns any amount of text into a short, fixed-length fingerprint. The same input always gives the same hash, and changing even one character gives a completely different one. Hashes are used to verify downloads, detect duplicate content, build cache keys and sign data.
This tool calculates five common hashes at the same time, as you type:
- MD5 — 128 bits, 32 hex characters
- SHA-1 — 160 bits, 40 hex characters
- SHA-256 — 256 bits, 64 hex characters
- SHA-384 — 384 bits, 96 hex characters
- SHA-512 — 512 bits, 128 hex characters
How to use
- Type or paste text into the Text box, drop a file, or click Sample.
- All hashes update immediately. Click Copy next to the one you need.
- Choose Hex or Base64 output, and switch on Uppercase hex if the system you compare against uses capital letters.
Example
The sentence The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog has the MD5 hash 9e107d9d372bb6826bd81d3542a419d6 and the SHA-256 hash d7a8fbb307d7809469ca9abcb0082e4f8d5651e46d3cdb762d02d0bf37c9e592. Add a full stop at the end and every hash changes completely.
Notes
The text is converted to UTF-8 before hashing, which is what nearly every programming language and command-line tool does by default. A trailing newline counts: echo "abc" | md5sum hashes abc\n, while echo -n "abc" | md5sum hashes abc.
FAQ
› Which hash should I use?
Use SHA-256 or SHA-512 for anything new. MD5 and SHA-1 are broken for security purposes (collisions can be produced on purpose) but are still fine as quick checksums and are required by many older systems.
› Can I reverse a hash to get the original text?
No. Hash functions are one-way. "MD5 decrypt" sites only look up precomputed hashes of common words, which is why short or common passwords are unsafe.
› Should I hash passwords with SHA-256?
Not on its own. Passwords need a slow, salted algorithm such as Argon2, bcrypt or scrypt. Plain SHA hashes can be brute-forced very quickly.
› Why does my hash differ from another tool?
Check for a trailing newline or spaces, and the text encoding. This tool hashes the exact UTF-8 bytes of what you type, including any final newline.
› Is my text uploaded?
No. All hashes are calculated in your browser.