SHA-256 Hash Generator — Free Online Checksum Tool

Generate SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 hashes from text or any file.

🔒 Runs in your browser — files never uploaded ⚡ No signup 💯 Free

…or hash a file Verify a download against its published checksum · up to 500 MB
Use SHA-256 or better for anything security-related. SHA-1 is broken against collision attacks and is shown here only because older projects still publish SHA-1 checksums. MD5 is not offered at all: it is thoroughly broken, and the browser's built-in crypto engine deliberately does not implement it.

Note that a plain hash is not a safe way to store passwords — for that you need a slow, salted algorithm such as bcrypt or Argon2.

Produce cryptographic hashes from text or a file, and verify a download against a published checksum. Files are hashed on your own device — even a 500 MB ISO never leaves your machine, which also means there is no upload wait.

How to use Hash Generator

  1. Type text in the box, or drop a file to hash it.
  2. All four algorithms compute at once.
  3. To verify a download, paste the publisher's checksum into the comparison field — we tell you which algorithm matched.

Verifying a download

When a project publishes a SHA-256 checksum alongside a release, hashing your copy and comparing confirms the file arrived intact and was not tampered with in transit. Paste the published value into the comparison box and the tool identifies which algorithm produced a match.

Which algorithm to use

SHA-256 is the sensible default for everything today. SHA-512 is not meaningfully more secure in practice but is faster on 64-bit hardware. SHA-1 is included only because older projects still publish SHA-1 checksums — it is broken against deliberate collisions and should not be used for anything new.

Hashes are not for storing passwords

A plain hash is fast, and that is exactly the problem: modern hardware tries billions of guesses per second. Passwords need a deliberately slow, salted algorithm such as bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2. Never store a bare SHA-256 of a password.

Why there is no MD5

MD5 is thoroughly broken — collisions can be produced in seconds on ordinary hardware. The browser's built-in crypto engine deliberately does not implement it, and shipping a hand-written MD5 to make a broken algorithm convenient is not a trade worth making.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded to hash them?

No. Hashing uses your browser's built-in WebCrypto engine and runs entirely on your device. Even a 500 MB file never leaves your machine, which is also why there is no upload wait.

Why is there no MD5 option?

MD5 is thoroughly broken — collisions can be generated in seconds. The browser's crypto engine deliberately does not implement it, and we would rather not make a broken algorithm convenient. Use SHA-256.

Can I use a hash to store passwords?

No. Plain hashes are fast, so an attacker can try billions of guesses per second. Passwords need a slow, salted algorithm such as bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2.

How do I verify a downloaded file?

Drop the file here, then paste the checksum the publisher listed into the comparison box. We tell you which algorithm matched. A match confirms the file is intact and unmodified.

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