Calculator
What the Hash Generator does
Hash Generator: generates Hash from Text to hash and Algorithm.
From Text to hash and Algorithm, this tool derives Hash. Results refresh instantly, so trying variations costs nothing but a moment.
Randomness quality matters here in a way it does not for most tools. That is usually what brings people rotating an API key here.
There is no back end here. The calculation runs where you are sitting, not on a server somewhere.
The method, a field-by-field reference and a worked example built from the defaults are all on this page.
What do the Hash Generator fields mean?
The Hash Generator uses 2 inputs. Every field is populated on load; treat those numbers as a template rather than a suggestion.
| Field | What to enter | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Text to hash | paste or type any amount of text | The quick brown fox |
| Algorithm | choose from SHA-256, SHA-1, SHA-384 or SHA-512 | SHA-256 |
How does the Hash Generator work?
Each output is derived from the inputs above in a single pass; there is no hidden state carried between runs, so the same inputs always give the same generated output.
Validation is deliberately strict: silently coercing a bad value is how wrong numbers get trusted.
What a typical run looks like
You provide: Text to hash and Algorithm
What happens: the file is read into memory by your browser, processed locally, and offered back as a download. It is never uploaded.
You get back: a download link for the new file and a short note on what changed.
Timing comes down to your own hardware, and the practical size limit is how much memory the browser will hand the tab.
Which of these four algorithms you should actually use
Of the four algorithms offered here, one is broken for adversarial use and three remain current best practice. All are computed with the browser’s native Web Crypto API, not a JavaScript reimplementation.
| SHA-1 | 160-bit digest | Broken: a practical collision was published in 2017 (Google/CWI’s SHAttered). Do not use it anywhere an attacker could supply the input. |
|---|---|---|
| SHA-256 | 256-bit digest | Current default. No practical attack exists after two decades of analysis. |
| SHA-384 | 384-bit digest | Same SHA-2 family as SHA-256 with a larger output, mainly used where a longer digest is specifically required. |
| SHA-512 | 512-bit digest | Often faster than SHA-256 on 64-bit hardware despite the larger output, due to its internal word size. |
Worth knowing
- This tool does not offer MD5. Collisions can be computed in seconds on ordinary hardware, which puts it a full step beyond SHA-1 on the broken scale.
- A hash is a fingerprint, not encryption: the same input always produces the same output, there is no key, and for these algorithms there is no way to recover the input from the digest, with one important exception for short or common inputs, covered next.
- None of these four algorithms is an appropriate way to store a password, no matter how strong. A bare hash (even SHA-512) is fast, and speed is exactly what an attacker with a leaked database wants. Password storage needs a deliberately slow, memory-hard function: bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2.
- For file integrity or deduplication, where nobody is trying to trick you, any of the four works equally well. SHA-256 is the practical default unless something specifically requires a different digest size.
Read next: How Hashing Works: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and Why Two Are Broken
How to use it
- Paste your content into Text to hash.
- Pick a value for Algorithm: the options are SHA-256, SHA-1, SHA-384 or SHA-512.
- Live output means you can search for a target value by nudging an input up and down.
- The panel reports Hash.
- Share the link rather than a screenshot. It carries the values with it.
What this tool does not do
- Randomness comes from your browser cryptographic source, which is suitable for real secrets.
- Randomness comes from your browser's cryptographic random source, which is suitable for passwords and keys.
- It cannot detect a typo that happens to fall inside the valid range.
Frequently asked questions
Only Text to hash and Algorithm. Each field is pre-filled with a sensible default, which makes it easy to isolate the effect of a single variable.
It is not stored or transmitted. The calculation happens locally and leaves no trace with us.
It is free to use, with no premium tier holding back the useful parts.
It matches what you would get working it out by hand, with fewer opportunities to slip.