Hash Generator
Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, and other hash values from text input.
Input
Hash Values
Options
How Hash Functions Work
What is a Hash Function?
A hash function is a mathematical algorithm that maps data of arbitrary size to a fixed-size value. The values returned by a hash function are called hash values, hash codes, digests, or simply hashes.
Hash functions are commonly used in cryptography, data integrity verification, password storage, and data structures like hash tables.
Key Properties of Hash Functions
- Deterministic: The same input will always produce the same hash value.
- Fixed Output Size: Regardless of input size, the output hash has a fixed length.
- Fast Computation: Calculating the hash value is efficient.
- Pre-image Resistance: It’s computationally infeasible to reverse a hash to find the original input.
- Collision Resistance: It’s difficult to find two different inputs that produce the same hash.
- Avalanche Effect: A small change in the input produces a significantly different hash output.
Common Hash Functions
MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5)
Produces a 128-bit (16-byte) hash value. While fast, it’s considered cryptographically broken and unsuitable for security applications.
SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1)
Produces a 160-bit (20-byte) hash value. Like MD5, it’s no longer considered secure against well-funded attackers.
SHA-256
Part of the SHA-2 family, it produces a 256-bit (32-byte) hash value. Widely used and considered secure for most applications.
SHA-384 and SHA-512
Also part of the SHA-2 family, producing 384-bit and 512-bit hash values respectively. Used when higher security is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this hash generator secure?
Yes, all hashing is performed locally in your browser. Your input data never leaves your device or gets sent to our servers.
Which hash function should I use?
For security-critical applications, we recommend using SHA-256 or stronger (SHA-384, SHA-512). MD5 and SHA-1 are provided for compatibility with legacy systems but should not be used for security purposes.
Can hash functions be reversed?
Cryptographic hash functions are designed to be one-way functions, meaning they cannot be reversed to obtain the original input. However, for simple or common inputs, attackers might use rainbow tables (precomputed hash values) to find matching inputs.
Why do I get different hash values for the same input on different websites?
Different hash generators might handle character encoding, line endings, or whitespace differently. Our tool trims whitespace by default (which can be disabled), and uses UTF-8 encoding for processing input.