Hash Generator

SHA-256 is a cryptographic hash function from the SHA-2 family that converts any input into a fixed 256-bit output (shown as 64 hexadecimal characters). It's used everywhere you need to verify that data hasn't been altered: checksums for file downloads, commit hashes in Git, blockchain technology, digital signatures, and signing API requests. Because the hash changes completely with the smallest change in input, any accidental or deliberate modification becomes immediately visible.

No, and that's exactly the point. SHA-256 is a one-way function: there is no mathematical operation to compute the original input back from the hash. This is fundamentally different from encodings like Base64, which you can trivially reverse with a decoder. The only practical path back is brute-forcing — trying every possible input until you find a match — which is computationally infeasible for arbitrary text. Note that for passwords you shouldn't use plain SHA-256 but a slow, salted hash function like bcrypt or Argon2 instead (SHA-256 is deliberately fast, which makes it unsuitable against brute-force attacks on passwords).

Both are hash functions, but MD5 (128-bit output, 32 hex characters) has been considered cryptographically broken for years: practical methods exist to find two different inputs that produce the same MD5 hash (a 'collision'). SHA-256 (256-bit output) is significantly more collision-resistant and is the current standard for applications where integrity and security matter. Only use MD5 for non-critical purposes like a quick duplicate check; for anything with a security component, SHA-256 (or higher) is the right choice.

No. The calculation happens entirely locally in your browser via your device's Web Crypto API (`crypto.subtle.digest`). Nothing is sent to any Westcube server (or anyone else's), nothing is logged, and nothing is retained. Close the tab and both your input and the hash are gone.