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SPCXTools

Hash Generator

Calculate MD5 and SHA checksums for text or files and verify downloads against a known hash.

Runs locally — files never leave your device

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How to use Hash Generator

  1. 1Choose Text to hash typed text, or File to hash a file from your device.
  2. 2Type your text or pick a file. All five hashes — MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 — are calculated at once.
  3. 3Copy any hash with its Copy button; tick Uppercase if you need capital hex letters.
  4. 4To verify a download, paste the checksum published by the vendor into Verify a checksum. A matching hash is highlighted.

Generate MD5 and SHA hashes online

A cryptographic hash function turns any input — a word, a document, a 4 GB disk image — into a short, fixed-length fingerprint. Change a single bit of the input and the fingerprint changes completely. This hash generator computes the five most common fingerprints at once: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512. It works on both text and files, and everything is processed locally in your browser.

Features

  • Five algorithms in one go, so you never have to guess which one a website used.
  • Text and file input. Text is hashed as UTF-8; files are hashed byte for byte.
  • Checksum verification. Paste an expected value and the tool tells you which algorithm matches — or warns you that nothing does.
  • Uppercase output for systems that print hex in capitals.
  • Private and offline-capable: files never leave your device.

Typical uses

Verifying downloads. Software vendors often publish a SHA-256 checksum next to installers and ISO images. Hash the file you downloaded and compare: if the values match, the file is complete and has not been tampered with in transit.

Detecting duplicate files. Two files with the same SHA-256 hash are, for all practical purposes, identical. Hashing is a quick way to deduplicate photos or backups.

Development and APIs. Hashes are used for cache keys, ETags, content addressing, and signing schemes. Generating a reference value here helps when debugging code that calculates hashes.

Legacy systems. Some older tools still expect MD5 or SHA-1 checksums. They are fine for detecting accidental corruption, but should not be relied on to prevent deliberate tampering.

How hash functions differ

Algorithm Output length Status
MD5 128 bits (32 hex chars) Broken — checksums only
SHA-1 160 bits (40 hex chars) Broken — legacy use only
SHA-256 256 bits (64 hex chars) Recommended
SHA-384 384 bits (96 hex chars) Strong
SHA-512 512 bits (128 hex chars) Strong

"Broken" means researchers can deliberately create two different inputs with the same hash (a collision). SHA-256 and the longer SHA-2 variants have no known practical attacks.

If you need random identifiers rather than fingerprints, use the UUID Generator. To encode a file's raw bytes as text instead of hashing them, use Base64.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded to calculate the hash?
No. Files are read and hashed on your own device using the browser's Web Crypto API (and a built-in MD5 implementation). This means you can safely hash large or confidential files, and it works offline once the page has loaded.
Which hash algorithm should I use?
For checking file integrity or creating fingerprints, use SHA-256. MD5 and SHA-1 are still common for legacy checksums but are broken for security purposes — attackers can create two different files with the same hash. SHA-384 and SHA-512 offer longer outputs for specialised needs.
Can a hash be reversed to get the original text?
No. Hash functions are one-way. However, short or common inputs (like simple passwords) can be found by looking them up in precomputed tables, which is why passwords must be stored with dedicated slow algorithms such as bcrypt or Argon2, not plain SHA-256.
Why does my hash differ from another tool's result?
Hashes change completely with a single different byte. Common causes are a trailing newline or space, Windows vs Unix line endings (\r\n vs \n), or a different text encoding. This tool hashes text as UTF-8 exactly as typed.
Is hashing the same as encryption?
No. Encryption is reversible with a key; hashing produces a fixed-length fingerprint that cannot be turned back into the input.
How large a file can I hash?
Files up to several hundred megabytes work well on most computers. Very large files are limited by the memory available to your browser.

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