SHA-256 Hash Generator

Generate secure SHA-256 (or SHA-1, SHA-512, MD5) hashes of any text — right in your browser.

Text to hash

Algorithm

Salt optional

How to Use This Generator

Type or paste text and choose an algorithm. The hash updates live. Add an optional salt to change the result.

SHA-256 is the recommended default for integrity checks.
Hashing is not encryption — never rely on a plain hash to protect passwords without salting and key stretching.

What is the difference between SHA-1 and SHA-256?

SHA-256 is longer (64 vs 40 hex chars) and cryptographically stronger. SHA-1 is considered broken for security uses.

Can a hash be reversed?

No. But weak inputs (like dictionary words) can be guessed by comparing against precomputed hash tables, so use salts.

Why does my input get a different hash elsewhere?

The bytes must match exactly — a trailing newline or different encoding (UTF-8 vs UTF-16) changes the result.

Is my text stored?

No. Hashing happens entirely in your browser.

Hash the string abc with the SHA-256 algorithm:

abc → ba7816bf8f01cfea414140de5dae2223b00361a396177a9cb410ff61f20015ad
The output is always 64 hex characters (256 bits), no matter how long the input is.

Hex digest — the hash shown as hexadecimal text; SHA-256 always has 64 characters, SHA-1 has 40, SHA-512 has 128.
Deterministic — the same input with the same algorithm and salt always produces the same digest, which is what makes hashes useful for verifying file integrity.
Salted — when a salt is used the digest changes, so identical inputs produce different hashes — useful to stop precomputed lookups.