Hash Generator

1. Enter text or click Calculate file hash.
2. All four hashes (SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512) appear together.
3. To verify a download, paste the checksum published by the provider into the comparison field.

What is a hash used for?

A hash is a fixed-length "fingerprint": any change, even to a single character, produces a completely different result. Common uses include:

• Verifying downloads: Linux distributions, installers, and ISO files publish an official SHA-256 hash. If the hash of your downloaded file matches, it arrived intact and unchanged.
• Proving a document hasn't changed: Save the SHA-256 hash of a contract or report, then recalculate and compare it later.
• Finding duplicate files: Files with the same hash have identical contents, even if their names differ.

Hash length by algorithm

To verify a file without a browser: on Windows, use certutil -hashfile arquivo.iso SHA256; on Linux, use sha256sum arquivo.iso; on macOS, use shasum -a 256 arquivo.iso.

Hashing is not encryption

You can't "decrypt" a SHA-256 hash—the calculation only works one way. Even so, a simple hash isn't suitable for storing passwords, because common passwords can be found through guessing. Systems should use slow, salted algorithms such as Argon2, bcrypt, scrypt, or PBKDF2. If you just need to turn data into text and back again, you're looking for Base64.