Generate SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 hashes. All processing stays in your browser.
Start typing to see hashes generated in real time
100% client-side processing
Your data never leaves your browser. All hashing is performed locally using the Web Crypto API (SubtleCrypto) built into your browser.
A hash function takes an input of any size and produces a fixed-length string of characters, called a digest. The same input always produces the same output, but even a tiny change to the input produces a completely different hash. This makes hashing useful for verifying data integrity, storing passwords securely, and creating digital signatures.
Unlike encryption, hashing is a one-way process. You cannot reverse a hash to recover the original input. This property is what makes cryptographic hash functions valuable for security. When you hash a password before storing it, even if an attacker gets the stored hash, they cannot directly recover the original password from it.
This tool supports four SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) variants. SHA-1 produces a 160-bit (40-character hex) digest. While still widely used for checksums and non-security purposes, SHA-1 is considered cryptographically broken for collision resistance and should not be used for security-sensitive applications like certificates or digital signatures.
SHA-256 and SHA-384 are part of the SHA-2 family and produce 256-bit and 384-bit digests respectively. SHA-256 is the most commonly used hash algorithm today, powering everything from Bitcoin mining to TLS certificates. SHA-512 produces a 512-bit digest and offers the highest security margin. For most practical purposes, SHA-256 provides more than sufficient security, but SHA-512 can be faster on 64-bit processors.
Hash functions are foundational to modern security. Password storage systems hash passwords before saving them, so the actual password is never stored in plain text. When you log in, the system hashes your input and compares it to the stored hash. This way, even a database breach does not directly expose passwords.
Digital signatures use hashing to create a compact representation of a document, which is then encrypted with a private key. Anyone can verify the signature by decrypting it with the public key and comparing the result to their own hash of the document. Code signing, software distribution, and legal document verification all rely on this approach.
When you download software, the publisher often provides a SHA-256 hash of the file. After downloading, you can hash the file yourself and compare the result to the published hash. If they match, the file was not corrupted during download and has not been tampered with.
This tool lets you hash files directly in your browser. Simply drag a file onto the drop zone or click to browse. The file is read and processed entirely on your device using the Web Crypto API. No data is uploaded to any server, making it safe to verify sensitive files without exposing their contents.
No. All hashing is performed entirely in your browser using the Web Crypto API (SubtleCrypto). Your text and files never leave your device. There are no network requests involved in the hashing process. You can verify this by opening your browser's developer tools and watching the Network tab while using the tool.
For most purposes, SHA-256 is the best choice. It offers strong security, wide compatibility, and is the standard for TLS certificates, code signing, and blockchain applications. Use SHA-512 if you need a larger digest or are working on a 64-bit system where it may be slightly faster. Avoid SHA-1 for any security-sensitive application, as it has known collision vulnerabilities.
No. Cryptographic hash functions are designed to be one-way. Given a hash output, there is no mathematical method to recover the original input. The only way to find the input is through brute force, trying every possible input until one produces the matching hash. For strong algorithms like SHA-256 with sufficiently long inputs, this is computationally infeasible.
SHA-256 produces a 256-bit (64-character hex) digest, while SHA-512 produces a 512-bit (128-character hex) digest. SHA-512 has a larger internal state and processes data in 64-byte blocks instead of 32-byte blocks. On 64-bit processors, SHA-512 can actually be faster than SHA-256. Both are part of the SHA-2 family and are considered cryptographically secure.
There is no hard limit imposed by this tool. The Web Crypto API can handle files of any size. However, very large files (over 1 GB) may take several seconds to process and could temporarily increase memory usage in your browser. For extremely large files, a command-line tool like sha256sum may be more practical.
