Hash Generator: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256

A hash generator runs data through a cryptographic hash function to produce a short, fixed-length string that identifies it. The same input always gives the same hash, and the slightest change gives a completely different one, so hashes are used to verify downloads, detect duplicate files, build cache keys and identify Git commits.

This tool computes MD5, SHA-1 and SHA-256 together for text or a file, entirely in your browser, and compares the result with a checksum you paste so you can confirm a download is intact. The algorithms are implemented directly and checked against standard test vectors.

A hash is a fixed-length fingerprint: change one character of the input and the whole hash changes. MD5 (128 bits) and SHA-1 (160 bits) are fine for spotting accidental corruption but are broken for security, because collisions can be manufactured. Use SHA-256 for anything that matters.

None of these is suitable for storing passwords, because they're designed to be fast. Password storage needs a slow, salted algorithm such as Argon2, bcrypt or scrypt.