Hash Generator
This free hash generator produces MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 digests for any text you provide, outputting each hash as a hexadecimal string. It is a quick, reliable way to see how different hashing algorithms transform the same input.
How Hashing Works
A cryptographic hash function takes any input and produces a fixed-size string of bytes, typically displayed in hexadecimal. A tiny change to the input completely changes the output, which is why hashes are used to verify integrity, index data, and store passwords.
The same text always produces the same hash for a given algorithm, so comparing hashes lets you confirm whether two inputs are identical without sharing the data itself. On this page, the same input produces three different hash lengths: SHA-256 gives 64 hex characters, SHA-1 gives 40, and MD5 gives 32.
- SHA-256 produces a 256-bit digest shown as 64 hex characters.
- SHA-1 produces a 160-bit digest shown as 40 hex characters.
- MD5 produces a 128-bit digest shown as 32 hex characters.
- Hashing is one-way: you cannot recover the input from its hash.
Using the Hash Generator
Use this tool to generate example digests for documentation, verify that a file or string matches a known hash, or explore how algorithms differ. Enter any text and press Generate to see all three formats side by side.
For real security decisions, remember that MD5 and SHA-1 are no longer considered collision-resistant and should not be used for security-critical work — SHA-256 is the safer default.