SHA-256 Hash Generator
Compute SHA hashes of any text or file — done locally with the Web Crypto API, nothing uploaded.
Hashes are computed locally with the Web Crypto API — nothing is uploaded. MD5 is deliberately not offered: it's broken for security use; SHA-256 is the modern standard.
How it works
A hash is a fixed-length fingerprint of data: change one byte of the input and the output changes completely. The two everyday uses are verifying downloads (compare against the publisher's checksum) and deduplicating or identifying content. All four SHA variants are computed at once so you can match whichever one the other side published. Files are hashed straight from disk in your browser — handy for large ISOs you'd never upload to a web service.
FAQ
Why is there no MD5?
MD5 has been cryptographically broken for years — collisions can be manufactured cheaply, so it can't be trusted for integrity or security. Browsers' Web Crypto API doesn't even implement it. If a legacy system demands MD5, treat that as a bug to fix; otherwise use SHA-256.
Can a hash be reversed to get the original?
No — hashing is one-way. But identical inputs always produce identical hashes, which is why common passwords can be found in precomputed tables. That's a reason to hash passwords with dedicated slow algorithms (bcrypt, argon2), not plain SHA.
How do I verify a downloaded file's checksum?
Pick the file with the file input here, then compare the SHA-256 line against the checksum published on the download page. If they match exactly, the file wasn't corrupted or tampered with in transit.