MD5 Hash Generator

Use MD5 for checksums, not for security. MD5 is fine for checking that a file or text is unchanged, but it is broken for passwords and digital signatures. For those, use a modern method such as SHA-256 or stronger.

Check a checksum (optional)

Each result below will show whether it matches.

Hash some text

Your MD5 hash will appear here

Hash a file

Everything is calculated in your browser. Your text and files are never uploaded or stored.

How to generate an MD5 hash

  1. To hash text, type or paste it into the box. The MD5 hash appears as you type.
  2. To hash a file, click the file box or drag files onto it. The hash shows when the file has been read.
  3. Click Copy to copy a hash.
  4. To check a file or text against a hash you were given, paste that hash into the checksum box. Each result shows whether it matches.

What is an MD5 hash?

An MD5 hash is a fixed-length fingerprint of some data. It is always 32 characters in hexadecimal, whatever the size of the input. The same input always gives the same hash, and even a tiny change gives a completely different one. For example, the MD5 hash of the word hello is 5d41402abc4b2a76b9719d911017c592.

What is MD5 still good for?

  • Checking downloads: many websites publish an MD5 checksum so you can confirm that a file arrived complete and unchanged.
  • Finding duplicate files: files with the same hash are almost certainly identical.
  • Working with older systems: some legacy software, databases and APIs still use MD5 identifiers.

When you should not use MD5

MD5 is no longer secure. Researchers can create two different files with the same MD5 hash, and attackers can crack MD5 password hashes very quickly. Do not use it to store passwords or to prove that a file has not been tampered with by someone malicious. Use a modern method such as SHA-256, or a proper password hashing method such as bcrypt, scrypt or Argon2.

Is it safe and private?

Yes. Hashes are calculated entirely in your web browser on your own device. Your text and files are never uploaded to a server or stored anywhere, and files are read in small pieces so even large files can be checked. This tool needs no outside libraries.

Good to know

  • Text is converted to UTF-8 before hashing, which matches most tools and programming languages. Different line endings or extra spaces give a different hash, so copy text exactly.
  • With “Hash each line separately”, empty lines are skipped, and each result is shown next to its line.
  • The checksum box accepts hexadecimal in upper or lower case, and Base64.
  • You can hash up to 20 files at a time, each up to 2 GB. Large files take a little while, and a progress bar shows how far along they are.

Need to encode data instead? Try our Base64 Encoder/Decoder or URL Encoder & Decoder.

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