Hash Generator

A cryptographic hash is a one-way function that converts any input data into a fixed-length string of characters. It's useful for verifying data integrity (ensuring files haven't been modified), securely storing passwords (without keeping the actual password), creating digital signatures, and blockchain technology. The same input always produces the same hash, but you cannot reverse the hash to get the original input.

For most security purposes, we recommend SHA-256 as it offers an excellent balance of security and performance. For password hashing, consider using our HMAC options with a secret key. Avoid MD5 and SHA-1 for any security-critical applications as they have known vulnerabilities. For simple checksums (like verifying file downloads), CRC32 or Adler-32 are fast options, though not cryptographically secure.

100% Safe. Our Hash Generator runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript and the Web Crypto API. Your text, passwords, and files are never uploaded to any server. All hashing computations happen locally on your device, making it completely private and secure—even for sensitive data like passwords or proprietary documents.

Yes! Our tool processes files in memory chunks, allowing you to hash files of any size your browser and device can handle. There's a progress bar showing the hashing status for larger files. For very large files (500MB+), processing time depends on your device's speed, but the tool will complete the operation successfully.

Both are secure and NIST-approved. SHA-256 is part of the SHA-2 family, widely used in Bitcoin and SSL certificates. SHA-3 (Keccak) uses a completely different internal structure called a "sponge construction" and was designed as a backup in case SHA-2 vulnerabilities were found. Both produce 256-bit hashes at their default settings, but SHA-3 is considered more future-proof due to its unique design.

HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code) combines a secret key with the hash function to create an authenticated hash. Use HMAC when you need to verify both the integrity (data hasn't been modified) and authenticity (data came from someone with the secret key) of a message. It's commonly used in API authentication, secure cookies, and JWT tokens.

Our tool supports four output formats: Hexadecimal (the most common, using 0-9 and a-f), Base64 (used in email and data URLs), Binary (raw 0s and 1s), and Decimal (numerical representation). You can also toggle between uppercase and lowercase hex output depending on your needs.

MD5 has known collision vulnerabilities, meaning attackers can create two different inputs that produce the same hash. This makes it unsuitable for security applications like password storage or digital signatures. However, MD5 is still acceptable for non-security uses like checksums for file downloads where malicious modification isn't a concern.