TEXT & DEVELOPER TOOLS
SHA-256 Hash Generator
Calculate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512 and HMAC hashes of text or a file, and check the result against a checksum you were given.
Quick answer: Paste text or choose a file, pick “All common hashes at once” or one algorithm, run it, and paste the expected hash to see whether it matches.
Use SHA-256 Hash Generator ↓Loading the tool…
How to use SHA-256 Hash Generator
- Choose text or a fileType or paste text, or use the file box for a download or document. Files are read locally and never uploaded.
- Pick the operation“All common hashes at once” shows MD5 through SHA-512 together. For a keyed hash, choose HMAC SHA-256, SHA-1 or SHA-512 and enter the secret key.
- Compare with the expected valuePaste the checksum published by the software vendor into the compare box. The tool reports a match or a mismatch.
- Copy or download the resultUse uppercase hex if the other system expects it, then copy the result or download it as a file.
About this tool
A hash is a short fingerprint of some data. If you download an installer and the published SHA-256 matches the one you compute, you know the file arrived intact. This page computes common hashes on your own device, so you can check a file or a string without sending it to a third party.
Common uses: Create a SHA-256 digest for quick file or text integrity comparisons, development checks and reproducible test cases.
Practical example: Hash the same exact text twice to confirm consistency, and compare the hexadecimal digest character by character with the trusted source.
Important limitation: A hash verifies sameness only when the inputs and algorithm match. It does not encrypt the input or prove who created it.
Hashes are calculated in your browser. Text and files are not sent to a server. Read the privacy information.
Which hash should you use?
For checking that a download is complete and unmodified, use the algorithm the publisher lists, which is usually SHA-256. MD5 and SHA-1 are still found on older download pages and are fine for catching accidental corruption, but they are broken for security purposes, because different inputs can be crafted to produce the same hash. Do not use them to protect anything an attacker might want to forge.
Hashes are not encryption and are not suitable for storing passwords as they are. A fast hash can be tried billions of times a second, so passwords need a slow, salted algorithm such as bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2. HMAC combines a hash with a secret key, and is how many APIs and webhooks sign messages. If an HMAC does not match, check the key, the exact text and any trailing newline or whitespace, since a single invisible character changes the result completely.
To verify a file, choose it with the file box rather than pasting its contents, because text boxes can alter line endings and encodings. Then paste the vendor’s hash into the compare field. A mismatch means the file is different from the one the publisher hashed, so download it again from the official source.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover the original text from a SHA-256 hash?
No practical reversal is provided by this tool; hashing is designed as a one-way transformation.
Does whitespace matter?
Yes. Spaces, line breaks, casing and invisible characters can all change the resulting hash.
Is my text sent to a server?
Hashes are calculated in your browser. Text and files are not sent to a server.
Why does a tiny change make a completely different hash?
Hash functions are designed so that any change, even one character or one trailing space, produces an unrelated output. That is what makes them useful for detecting tampering.
Is MD5 safe to use?
Only for non-security checks such as spotting accidental corruption. MD5 and SHA-1 can be deliberately forged, so use SHA-256 or stronger for anything that matters.
Can a hash be reversed to get the original text?
Not directly. Short or common inputs can be found by guessing, which is why password hashing needs a slow, salted algorithm rather than a plain hash.