SHA Hash Generator
Compute SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 of any text, without the text leaving your browser.
Encoding| SHA-1 | |
|
|---|---|---|
| SHA-256 | |
|
| SHA-384 | |
|
| SHA-512 | |
What a hash is
A hash is a fixed-length fingerprint computed from any content. Change a single character and the fingerprint changes completely, and the content cannot be recovered from the fingerprint. It is used to verify that a file or message has not been altered.
Which algorithm to pick
SHA-256 is the normal choice today. SHA-1 is still widespread — Git uses it — but practical collisions are known and it must not be used where security matters. SHA-384 and SHA-512 produce longer fingerprints and suit cases where a regulation or protocol requires them.
Why MD5 is not here
MD5 has been broken for years: producing two different contents with the same hash is within reach of an ordinary computer. Its absence here is deliberate, and it is telling that browsers' cryptographic functions do not expose it either.
Hashes are not password storage
Storing passwords takes more than a hash: it takes functions designed to be slow, with a per-user salt — bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2. A SHA-256 of a password is brute-forced in very little time.
Frequently asked questions
No. The computation uses the browser's cryptographic functions and happens on your own machine, so it is safe to use with sensitive data.
No, the function cannot be reversed. For short and predictable content it can still be guessed by brute force, though: a hash does not hide a weak password.
Because it is considered broken: creating two different contents with the same hash is now within anyone's reach. A public tool should not encourage its use.