Which algorithm should I use?

SHA-256 for general use, SHA-3-256 if you need NIST's post-quantum resistant design, BLAKE3 for speed-sensitive applications. Avoid MD5 and SHA-1 for any security purpose.

What's streaming mode?

Instead of loading the entire input into memory, streaming processes data in chunks. Required for large files (>500MB) that would otherwise exhaust browser memory.

Is the hash computed client-side?

Yes — all hashing runs in your browser using the Web Crypto API. File contents and text input are never sent to any server.

Hash Generator v2 | DevTools Surf

DevTools Surf

Example: Hash Generator v2

A worked example, rendered from real sample data. Sign in to run the tool on your own input.

Input

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Output

Hash Algorithm: SHA256
Input: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Input Length: 43 characters (43 bytes)
Hash (Hex): d7a8fbb307d7809469ca9abcb0082e4f8d5651e46d3cdb762d02d0bf37c9e592
Hash Length: 64 characters
Streaming: Disabled

About Hash Generator v2

Hash Generator v2 preview - Security / Crypto tool

Generate cryptographic hashes with streaming. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Security / Crypto collection.

Use Cases

Generate SHA-256 checksums for file download verification pages.
Hash API request bodies to detect tampering before processing.
Create content-addressable identifiers for caching or deduplication.
Generate HMAC inputs from combined fields for request signing.

Tips

Use SHA-256 or SHA-3-256 for general-purpose hashing in 2024 — MD5 and SHA-1 are cryptographically broken for collision resistance.
Hash the same file with multiple algorithms simultaneously to generate a multi-algorithm checksum file for distribution.
Streaming mode handles files larger than available memory by processing chunks — necessary for hashing multi-GB files.

Fun Facts

MD5 was designed by Ron Rivest in 1991. By 2005 researchers demonstrated full MD5 collision attacks — two different inputs producing the same hash — making it unsuitable for security.
SHA-256 produces a 256-bit output from inputs of any length. The probability of two random inputs colliding is 1 in 2^256 — approximately 10^77, more than the number of atoms in the observable universe.
Git uses SHA-1 to identify commits and objects. In 2017, Google's SHAttered attack produced the first practical SHA-1 collision. Git migrated to SHA-256 object storage (available since Git 2.29 in 2020).

FAQ

Which algorithm should I use?: SHA-256 for general use, SHA-3-256 if you need NIST's post-quantum resistant design, BLAKE3 for speed-sensitive applications. Avoid MD5 and SHA-1 for any security purpose.
What's streaming mode?: Instead of loading the entire input into memory, streaming processes data in chunks. Required for large files (>500MB) that would otherwise exhaust browser memory.
Is the hash computed client-side?: Yes — all hashing runs in your browser using the Web Crypto API. File contents and text input are never sent to any server.

Related Security / Crypto Tools

HMAC Generator v2 JWT Encoder Bcrypt Hash Tester HMAC Generator Password Strength Analyzer TOTP / 2FA Generator SAML Response Decoder OAuth PKCE Generator