Hash Generator
Generate MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256/384/512 hashes from text or a file. It runs entirely in your browser, so the file never leaves your computer.
What a hash is actually for
A hash is a fixed-length fingerprint of some data. Any change to the input — a single flipped bit — produces a completely different hash. That property makes it useful for exactly one everyday job: proving two things are identical without comparing them byte by byte.
The common case is a download. A publisher lists the SHA-256 of their installer. You hash the file you received. If the two match, you have the file they shipped, intact and unaltered. If they do not, something went wrong between them and you.
Verifying without doing it by eye
Comparing two 64-character hex strings by eye is how mistakes happen. Paste the publisher's checksum into the verify box and the tool tells you whether it matches, and which algorithm matched.
It also works out which algorithm a checksum is from its length, so you do not have to know in advance whether you were handed SHA-256 or SHA-512.
MD5 and SHA-1: fine for one job, broken for another
Both are perfectly good at catching accidental corruption — a truncated download, a bad disk sector. For that everyday use they are not a problem.
Both are broken against a deliberate attacker. It is practical to construct two different files with the same MD5 or SHA-1. So if the hash is meant to prove nobody tampered with something, use SHA-256 or stronger. For checking a download arrived in one piece, whichever the publisher listed is fine.
Why offline matters more here than almost anywhere
A great many online hash tools upload your file or your text to their server to compute the hash. If you are hashing a password, a private key, a contract or a confidential document, that defeats the entire point of the exercise.
This computes in your browser. The file is read from disk and hashed locally, however large it is, and nothing is transmitted.
Questions
Common questions
What does this tool do?
It calculates hashes — MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 — from text you type or a file you drop in. A hash is a fixed-length fingerprint of data, used to verify that a file downloaded correctly or that two things are identical.
How do I hash text or a file?
For text, pick 'Hash text' and start typing — all the hashes update live. For a file, pick 'Hash a file' and drop it in; it's read on your computer and hashed. Click the copy button on any row to grab that hash.
How do I verify a download with a checksum?
Hash the file you downloaded, then paste the checksum the publisher listed into the 'Verify against an expected hash' box. The tool tells you whether it matches any of the computed hashes — a match means the file is intact and unaltered — and highlights which algorithm matched. It also recognizes the checksum's type by its length as you paste.
Why does offline matter for a hash tool specifically?
Many online hash sites send your text or file to their server to compute the hash. If you're hashing a password, a private file, or anything sensitive, that defeats the purpose. This tool computes everything on your own machine — nothing is uploaded — so it's safe for sensitive data.
Which hash should I use?
For verifying a download matches its checksum, use whichever the publisher listed (often SHA-256). For anything security-related, use SHA-256 or stronger. Avoid relying on MD5 or SHA-1 for security — see the next question.
Are MD5 and SHA-1 safe to use?
They're fine for checking that a file downloaded without corruption, which is a common everyday use. But both are considered broken for security purposes — they can be deliberately fooled — so don't use them where the hash needs to resist tampering. Use SHA-256 or stronger for that.
Does it handle large files?
Yes. The file is read and hashed on your own machine, so large files work — they just take a moment to read. Nothing is uploaded regardless of size.
Is my data private?
Completely. Every hash is computed in your browser on your own computer — no text and no file is ever uploaded or sent anywhere.
Our own software
Dictate it instead of typing it
Hold a key, say the sentence, and the words land in whatever Windows window you were already in. Runs on your own PC — no account, no upload, nothing to renew.
$79 launch price · $99 regular · buy once