Hashing, Checksums & Message Digests
One-way functions for integrity, authenticity, and identity. Hash text and files with every digest from CRC8 to SHA-512.
SHA Hash Generator
Every SHA digest of your text, computed live
MD5 · 128-BITMD5 Generator
Legacy MD5 digests for checksums and lookups
HMAC · SHA-2HMAC Generator
Keyed message authentication codes
CRC · 8/16/32CRC Checksum
Cyclic redundancy checks for data integrity
FILE · SHA/MD5File Checksum
Drag a file, get its hashes, compare against a published sum
SHA-3 · KECCAKSHA-3 / Keccak
The newest NIST hash standard, plus Ethereum's Keccak-256
BLAKE · 2b/2s/3BLAKE2 & BLAKE3
The fastest modern cryptographic hashes
RIPEMD-160RIPEMD-160
The 160-bit hash Bitcoin uses for addresses
Whirlpool & GOST
ISO and GOST standard hashes
Choosing the right hashing & checksums tool
A cryptographic hash turns any input into a fixed-size fingerprint. It's one-way — there's no key and no way back — and changing a single bit of input changes about half the output. Hashes verify downloads, identify Git commits, underpin digital signatures and, with a secret key mixed in (HMAC), authenticate webhooks and API requests.
SHA-256 is the safe default for anything security-relevant; SHA-3 offers a structurally different design as a hedge, and BLAKE3 is the fastest option for large files. MD5 and SHA-1 still detect accidental corruption but are broken against deliberate attacks — never use them for signatures or anything an attacker controls. And none of these fast hashes are suitable for storing passwords; use the password-hashing tools instead.
Encoding vs Encryption vs Hashing: The Difference, With Examples
Encoding, encryption and hashing all turn data into gibberish, but only one keeps secrets. Learn the difference with real Base64, AES and SHA-256 examples and when to use each.
6 MIN READSYMMETRIC · AESAES-GCM vs CBC vs CTR vs ECB: Which AES Mode Should You Use?
AES is only as safe as its mode. Compare ECB, CBC, CTR and GCM — how each works, how each fails, and why AES-GCM (or ChaCha20-Poly1305) is the right default in 2026.
7 MIN READHASHING · HOW-TOHow to Verify a SHA-256 Checksum on Windows, macOS and Linux
Step-by-step commands to check a file's SHA-256 hash on Windows (PowerShell, certutil), macOS and Linux — plus how to verify the checksum file itself with GPG, and what a mismatch means.
5 MIN READHASHING · SECURITYIs MD5 Still Safe? When MD5 and SHA-1 Are (and Aren't) OK to Use
MD5 and SHA-1 are broken — but not for everything. Learn exactly which attacks exist, where MD5 and SHA-1 are still acceptable, where they are dangerous, and what to use instead.
5 MIN READJWT · WEB SECURITYHow to Decode a JWT — and 7 Security Mistakes That Get Tokens Forged
What's inside a JSON Web Token, how to decode and verify one safely, and the real-world JWT vulnerabilities — alg:none, key confusion, weak secrets — with the fix for each.
6 MIN READ