DevStudio's Hash Generator computes SHA-256, SHA-1, SHA-384, SHA-512, and MD5 digests of text and files entirely inside your browser using the WebCrypto SubtleCrypto API. Paste a string and you receive every digest format in hexadecimal and Base64 representations side by side, ready to compare with a published checksum or paste into a build configuration. File hashing streams the input in chunks so you can hash gigabyte-sized installers, ISO images, or backup archives without holding the whole file in memory and without a single byte ever leaving your device — there is no upload, no temporary server-side processing, and no telemetry on the file contents. Common workflows include verifying that a downloaded binary matches the integrity hash published by the upstream project, generating content-addressable identifiers for caching layers, building a deterministic fingerprint of a configuration file for change detection, computing the SHA-256 of a request body before signing it for an AWS V4 signature, and producing a quick checksum to share alongside a file you have just sent over a chat or email channel. The tool clearly labels which algorithms are still considered cryptographically secure (the SHA-2 family) and which are broken for security purposes (MD5 and SHA-1, both vulnerable to chosen-prefix collision attacks) so you do not accidentally rely on a deprecated digest in a new system. MD5 and SHA-1 remain useful for non-security checksumming such as detecting accidental file corruption or fingerprinting cache keys, where collision resistance against an adversary is not required. For password storage you should use a slow, salted algorithm such as bcrypt, scrypt, or argon2 instead of any of these general-purpose hashes — the page includes a brief explanation of why fast hashes are unsafe for credentials. Output is shown in both lowercase and uppercase hex, plus Base64 and Base64URL, so you can match whatever format your downstream system expects.
SHA-256 is the modern default for file integrity verification. It is fast, available everywhere, and resistant to known cryptographic attacks. SHA-512 is a longer-output alternative when you need extra collision margin, and it can actually be faster than SHA-256 on 64-bit hardware. Avoid MD5 and SHA-1 for any new integrity check that an adversary might attempt to subvert, because both have practical chosen-prefix collisions.
MD5 is broken for any security purpose. Researchers have demonstrated practical chosen-prefix collisions, which means an attacker can produce two different files with the same MD5 hash — fatal for code signing, certificate pinning, or download integrity. MD5 is still acceptable for non-adversarial uses such as detecting accidental disk corruption or building cache keys, but treat any system that relies on MD5 for security as legacy.
Drag the file into DevStudio's Hash Generator or click to select it, choose your algorithm, and the tool reads the file in chunks via the FileReader API and feeds each chunk to SubtleCrypto. The digest is computed as bytes are streamed, so even multi-gigabyte ISO images are hashed without exhausting browser memory. The file stays on your device throughout — no upload to any server, no telemetry on file contents.
Both belong to the SHA-2 family and are considered cryptographically secure. SHA-256 produces a 32-byte digest and is the most widely deployed choice. SHA-512 produces a 64-byte digest, offers a larger collision margin, and is often faster on 64-bit CPUs because its internal state and operations are sized to 64-bit words. Pick based on what your downstream system expects — both provide adequate security for foreseeable use.
No. General-purpose hashes such as SHA-256 are designed to be fast, which makes them poor for password storage because an attacker can also compute them quickly when cracking leaked databases. Use a slow, salted password hash such as bcrypt, scrypt, or argon2. These algorithms add a configurable work factor and a per-password salt that turn brute-force attacks from feasible into impractical at typical password lengths.