File hash · SHA-256 · MD5 checksum
Check that a downloaded file is the one the publisher released and was not corrupted in transit. Computes SHA-256, SHA-512, SHA-1 and MD5 of a file and tells you at once whether it matches the checksum you paste.
🔒 Your files are never uploadedHash of text
----A hash checks that content is identical; it is not encryption. For a secure password use the password generator. To see where two texts differ use compare text.
Why verify a checksum
Publishers of installers and operating-system images list a SHA-256 value next to the download. If the file you received produces the same value, not a single byte changed in transit and nobody swapped the file on the way. A one-character change produces a completely different hash, so comparing a few characters by eye is already strong evidence — this page compares the whole value for you. The same idea tells you whether a backup still matches the original or whether a document you were emailed was altered.
Which algorithm
SHA-256 — the current standard; most published checksums use it.
SHA-512 — a longer digest, used by some Linux distributions.
SHA-1 · MD5 — older; collisions can be manufactured, so they are no longer used for security. They remain common for
legacy checksums and for detecting transfer errors, which is why they are still offered.
SHA digests come from the browser's built-in crypto.subtle; MD5 is not available there, so it is implemented in the page (RFC 1321). Files are read in
chunks rather than loaded whole, so multi-gigabyte files work.
Why it runs in the browser — the files people verify are installers, disk images and internal documents. Uploading gigabytes to a hashing service would be slow and pointless; here the bytes never leave your machine and the page works offline.
Frequently asked questions
Is my file uploaded?
No. Hashing happens entirely in your browser and the file goes nowhere. It works with the internet switched off, which is why even large installers and internal data are fine to check here.
The value differs from the publisher's
First make sure the algorithm matches — a SHA-256 and an MD5 of the same file are naturally different. If it still differs, the download was probably interrupted or you have a different version. Download again; if it still does not match, do not run the file.
The published checksum has a prefix like "sha256: "
Paste it as it is. Characters that are not hexadecimal, and spaces, are ignored in the comparison. A whole line in the "hash filename" format works too — only the hash part is compared.
How long does a large file take?
A few seconds per gigabyte on an ordinary computer, with a progress indicator. Each extra algorithm you tick adds time.
What is the text hash for?
When a program or configuration needs the hash of a specific string, or to compare two long texts by a short value. Text is encoded as UTF-8 before hashing, so the result matches other tools.