SHA-256 Hash Generator
Generate secure SHA-256 hashes from text, instantly, locally, and without uploading.
Your data is processed entirely in your browser and is never uploaded.
Tool workspace
Options
Generate a SHA-256 hash in three steps
Paste your text
Type or paste the message you want to hash: a password, a payload, a file checksum, anything.
Pick an encoding
Hex is the standard for checksums and APIs; Base64 is more compact for tokens and URLs.
Hash & export
Click Hash, then copy the digest or download it. The hashing never leaves your browser.
The default SHA-2 checksum, computed in your browser
SHA-256 is the 32-bit-word member of the SHA-2 family and the default hash across the modern web. TLS certificates, SSH key fingerprints, and most file checksums all use it. Given any message it produces a fixed 256-bit digest (32 bytes, rendered here as 64 hex characters or 44 base64 characters), and the same input always yields the same digest, while a single changed byte produces a completely different one. That makes it a strong integrity check: compare digests to verify that a file, payload, or message hasn't been altered. The hashing runs entirely in your browser via the native Web Crypto API. Nothing is uploaded, and no backend exists to receive it. Note that SHA-256 is a fast checksum, not a password function: use bcrypt for anything meant to withstand offline guessing.
Things to know
Empty input hashes nothing
With nothing to hash the tool reports empty output. Paste or type a message first, then the digest appears. Every input, no matter how small, produces a full 256-bit result.
A fixed-length digest
The output is always 64 hex chars (32 bytes) regardless of input length. One word in and a 10 MB file both yield the same digest size. That's why it's handy as a checksum.
Not for password storage
SHA-256 is fast, which makes it weak against brute force when the input is guessable. For passwords use a deliberately slow, salted function like bcrypt.
Try these
abc
SHA-256 of 'abc', a well-known, verifiable digest.
Hello, world!
Hash the classic greeting and compare it against a trusted reference.
{"id": 42, "status": "ok", "tags": ["ship", "verify"]}Paste any text or JSON you need to fingerprint. The digest size stays fixed.
pair this withStronger hash → SHA-512 Hash Generator·Legacy checksum → MD5 Hash Generator·Hash passwords instead → bcrypt Password Hasher
Go deeper
Quick answers
What is SHA-256 used for?
It is the backbone of modern digital security. It secures HTTPS connections (SSL/TLS), powers Bitcoin mining, tracks changes in Git repositories, and verifies that downloaded software hasn't been tampered with.
How do I check a SHA-256 checksum?
Paste the hash you were given into this tool, or use your terminal. On Mac/Linux useshasum -a 256 filename. On Windows use certutil -hashfile filename SHA256. If the output matches the expected hash, your file is safe.
Can SHA-256 be decrypted?
No. SHA-256 is a one-way mathematical function, not encryption. The original data is destroyed during the hashing process. Attackers can only "crack" hashes by guessing millions of inputs and comparing the results.
Is SHA-256 quantum resistant?
Mostly. A powerful quantum computer running Grover's algorithm would effectively halve SHA-256's security (from 256 bits to 128 bits). However, 128 bits is still considered computationally infeasible to brute-force, so it remains safe for the foreseeable future.
Is my text uploaded?
No. The hashing happens entirely in your browser using the native Web Crypto API.
Can I use this for passwords?
No. SHA-256 is too fast for password storage. Use the bcrypt generator instead.
Which encoding should I use?
Hex is standard for checksums and APIs. Base64 is more compact for URLs or tokens.