# Hash Generator

> Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 hashes locally in your browser.

Canonical: https://host-tools.com/tools/hash-generator/

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## What does this tool do?

A hash function turns any input into a fixed-size "fingerprint". The same input always produces
the same hash, and changing a single character changes the whole hash. This tool computes MD5,
SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 locally in your browser.

## When to use each algorithm

- **MD5** and **SHA-1** are fast but cryptographically broken — use them only for checksums and
  legacy compatibility, never for security.
- **SHA-256** is the modern default for integrity checks, signatures and file verification.
- **SHA-384** and **SHA-512** are stronger variants of the SHA-2 family.

Hashes are one-way: you cannot recover the original input from its hash.