SHA Hash Generator

What a hash is good for

A cryptographic hash turns any text — a word, a password, a whole document — into a fixed-length string of hexadecimal characters. The same input always produces the same output, but even a one-character change scrambles the result completely. You can't run a hash backwards to recover the original text, which is exactly why hashes are used to verify data instead of storing it in the clear. This tool computes SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512 from the text you type.

When you'd actually reach for this

Developers use it constantly: checking that a downloaded file's SHA-256 matches the checksum a project published, generating a cache key or ETag from content, building a test fixture, or confirming that two strings really are byte-for-byte identical. A SHA-256 hash is always 64 hex characters; SHA-1 is 40, SHA-384 is 96, and SHA-512 is 128 — so if your output length looks off, you picked a different algorithm than you meant to. One gotcha worth knowing: hashing "hello" and "hello " (with a trailing space) gives totally different results, and so do differing line endings, so watch your whitespace when a checksum won't match.

How it works

Everything runs through your browser's built-in WebCrypto engine, the same audited implementation your browser uses for HTTPS. Your text is hashed locally and never leaves the page.

How to use it

1. Type or paste your text into the input box.
2. Pick the algorithm you need — SHA-256 is the sensible default for most checksums and integrity checks.
3. Read the hash, shown as lowercase hex, and copy it with the copy button.
4. Change the algorithm or edit the text to instantly recompute and compare.

FAQ

Should I use this to store passwords?

No. Plain SHA hashes are too fast for password storage — real systems use a slow, salted algorithm like bcrypt or Argon2. This tool is for integrity checks and verification, not securing a login database.

Why is SHA-1 still here if it's considered weak?

SHA-1 is broken for security purposes, but it's still widely used for non-security tasks like Git commit IDs and legacy checksums, so it's included for compatibility. Choose SHA-256 or higher for anything that matters.

Can I get the original text back from a hash?

No — hashing is one-way by design. There is no "decode" button anywhere, on this tool or any other, because the information needed to reverse it simply isn't kept.

Is it free?

Yes, it's free and supported by ads on the page. Nothing you type is uploaded.