How Our Hash Generator Works: Cryptographic Algorithms
Technical explanation of MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 hash algorithms, their security properties, and appropriate use cases.
Supported algorithms
Our Hash Generator supports four hash algorithms:
| Algorithm | Output size | Security status |
|---|---|---|
| MD5 | 128 bits (32 hex) | Broken, do not use for security |
| SHA-1 | 160 bits (40 hex) | Broken, do not use for security |
| SHA-256 | 256 bits (64 hex) | Secure, recommended |
| SHA-512 | 512 bits (128 hex) | Secure, recommended |
How hashing works
Hash functions take input of any length and produce a fixed-length output called a hash or digest. The same input always produces the same hash, but even a tiny change to the input produces a completely different hash. Hashes are one-way: you cannot recover the input from the hash.
Implementation
SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 use the Web Crypto API's subtle.digest() function, which provides native browser implementation. MD5 is not supported by Web Crypto (because it is broken), so we use a JavaScript implementation.
Security recommendations
- Use SHA-256 or SHA-512 for data integrity verification
- Use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 for password storage (not plain hashes)
- Do not use MD5 or SHA-1 for any security-sensitive purpose
- MD5 and SHA-1 are still useful for non-security checksums and legacy compatibility
Privacy
All hashing happens in your browser. Your input text is never transmitted to any server, making this tool safe for hashing sensitive data.
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