Hash Generator (SHA)
Computes the SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 cryptographic digests of the text you enter. Uses the browser's Web Crypto API; the text is not sent to a server.
Digests
Enter text above; the digests appear instantly.
- SHA-256
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- SHA-512
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- SHA-384
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- SHA-1
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between SHA-256 and SHA-512?
Both belong to the SHA-2 family. SHA-256 produces a 256-bit digest (64 hex characters), SHA-512 a 512-bit digest (128 hex characters). SHA-512 is often faster on 64-bit architectures; SHA-256 is the common default thanks to its shorter output.
Why does this tool not generate MD5?
MD5 and SHA-1 are broken against collision attacks and are not recommended for security use. This tool uses the algorithms supported by the browser's native Web Crypto API — MD5 is deliberately absent from it. SHA-1 is kept only for comparison with legacy systems.
Can I use a hash to store passwords?
No. SHA is fast — which is a weakness for passwords; an attacker can try billions of guesses per second. For passwords use a deliberately slow, salted algorithm: bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2. In .NET, PBKDF2 (Rfc2898DeriveBytes) is also suitable.
Does the same input always produce the same hash?
Yes. Cryptographic hash functions are deterministic: the same byte sequence always yields the same digest. Even a single-bit change produces a completely different digest through the avalanche effect — which is why hashes are used for integrity verification.
How do I compute SHA-256 in .NET?
System.Security.Cryptography.SHA256.HashData(byte[]) returns the digest in one line. For streams use SHA256.Create() and ComputeHash. The output is a byte array; convert it to a hex string with Convert.ToHexString.