Our SHA-256 Hash Generator on Developer Toolkit is pretty solid if you’re just looking to hash some text. If you enter your text into the Input Text then click on Generate, you can the hashed data. It is simple and it just works.
Example :
- Input
Hello, World! - Output (SHA-256)
dffd6021bb2bd5b0af676290809ec3a53191dd81c7f70a4b28688a362182986f
SHA-256 vs SHA-1
Here’s the deal. SHA-1 is kind of a dinosaur now, only legacy system are still using it due to cost of improving the code and the system. It’s 160-bit, which is decent, but collisions are way easier to pull off these days. SHA-256 is beefier at 256 bits, and it’s still strong enough for real-world use
- SHA-1 Example :
(Shorter, weaker, meh.)2ef7bde608ce5404e97d5f042f95f89f1c232871 - SHA-256 Example :
(Bigger, stronger, better.)a591a6d40bf420404a011733cfb7b190d62c65bf0bcda32b56d4efaa4c7e72f7
If you’re hashing passwords, files, or doing anything remotely security-focused, just use SHA-256. SHA-1 is fine if you’re working on some legacy system, but otherwise, I would recommend not to use it.
HMAC? Yeah, That’s Here
This tool also supports HMAC. That’s when you hash your data with a secret key. It’s essential if you’re doing API auth or verifying data integrity.
Example with HMAC-SHA-512 :
- Input: Hello, World!
- Key: mysecretkey
- Output:
803e01b1590d4c3d06a2e871ab64a47b4e57f176a4b4d013be7f57f901859bf3
Why care? Because without the key, nobody can recreate the same hash. So if you’re doing any kind of secure messaging or API work, you’re going to need HMAC. But, don’t forget your key. Otherwise, you can not access it either.
Bottom Line
SHA-256 is your go-to for modern hashing. It’s secure, solid, and not going anywhere soon. SHA-1? Only use it if you have to. And if you’re working with shared secrets (like APIs), throw HMAC in the mix. This tool handles it all, and it’s simple enough to use. Just hash and move on.
If you want something more secure, check out our SHA-512 Hash...