Hash Generator
Generate SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 hashes from text or a file
Hash Output
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Picking a hash, and using it for the right job
A cryptographic hash takes any input, a sentence or a million-line file, and returns a fixed-size fingerprint: 256 bits for SHA-256. The same input always yields the same hash, and two different inputs almost never collide. The tool computes SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 over text with the browser SubtleCrypto API.
Which one to reach for
- SHA-256 is the modern default, behind TLS certificates, Bitcoin, and file-integrity checks. Use it for anything except password storage.
- SHA-512 is the wider-block cousin, a little faster on 64-bit machines, worth it when you have a specific need for the longer output.
- SHA-384 is SHA-512 with a truncated output: the same internal strength, a shorter digest to store or display. Reach for it when you want SHA-512-grade security without the full 512-bit string.
- SHA-1 is retired for security, since collisions were demonstrated in 2017, but still turns up in older systems and inside Git, so keep it for verifying legacy hashes only.
A hash only runs one way
You cannot turn a hash back into its input. That property is what makes it useful, since two parties can confirm they hold the same data without revealing it. The only route to an input that produces a given hash is to keep trying inputs until one matches, which stays out of computational reach for SHA-256 and the unbroken older functions. The output looks like random hex on purpose, because visible structure would mean the function was leaking something about its input.