SHA-256 Hash Generator
Type or paste text and get its SHA-256 hash, computed in your browser.
Input
SHA-256 · 64 hex
256-bitType text in the input panel to see its hash.
SHA-256 is the SHA-2 family workhorse — the current default for file checksums, TLS certificates, and blockchain work. No known practical attacks.
- Digest
- 256-bit
- Output
- 64 hex
Related tools
Guides
Type or paste text into this SHA-256 hash generator and the 64-character hex digest updates as you type. It's computed in your browser with the Web Crypto API, and your text isn't sent anywhere.
SHA-256 belongs to the SHA-2 family and produces a 256-bit hash. It's the usual choice today for download checksums and TLS certificates, Bitcoin's proof of work is built on it, and there's no known practical attack against it.
What a SHA-256 hash generator is for
A hash works like a fingerprint for data. The same input always gives the same hash, and changing a single character gives a completely different one. People use SHA-256 hashes for:
- Comparing against a checksum published next to a download
- Spotting whether a piece of text has changed
- Making cache keys or IDs from text in a backend
- Learning how hash functions behave
How to use the SHA-256 hash generator
- Type or paste text into the input box.
- The SHA-256 digest updates as you type. There's no button to press.
- Click the hash, or Copy digest, to copy it.
Things to watch for
- Whitespace counts. A trailing newline or space gives a completely different hash, which is the usual reason a result doesn't match one made with echo in a terminal.
- Text is encoded as UTF-8 before hashing, the same as most command-line tools.
- This page hashes text only. To hash a file, run shasum -a 256 on macOS or sha256sum on Linux.
- A plain SHA-256 hash is too fast for storing passwords. Use a password hashing function such as bcrypt or Argon2 for that.
Example SHA-256 hash output
The word hello, lowercase with no trailing newline, hashes to:
- hello → 2cf24dba5fb0a30e26e83b2ac5b9e29e1b161e5c1fa7425e73043362938b9824
Frequently asked questions
What is SHA-256?
Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit, one of the SHA-2 hash functions published by NIST. It produces a 256-bit hash, written as 64 hex characters.
Is this SHA-256 Hash Generator free?
Yes, with no sign-up.
Can I hash a file?
Not on this page. It only hashes text you type or paste. Use shasum -a 256 on macOS or sha256sum on Linux for files.
Is SHA-256 encryption?
No. A hash can't be turned back into the original text, while encrypted data can be decrypted with the right key.
Is SHA-256 more secure than MD5 or SHA-1?
Yes. MD5 and SHA-1 both have practical collision attacks. SHA-256 has none known, which is why it replaced them for checksums and certificates.
Built and maintained by Bipul Kumar. Found a wrong number or a broken result? Tell me and I'll fix it.