MD5 vs SHA-256
MD5 vs SHA-256 compared — hash length, speed, collision resistance and security, plus free hash generators for both.
MD5 and SHA-256 are both hash functions, but they are not interchangeable: MD5 is fast and short (128-bit) but cryptographically broken, while SHA-256 (256-bit, part of SHA-2) is the modern secure standard.
MD5 vs SHA-256 at a glance
| MD5 | SHA-256 | |
|---|---|---|
| Output length | 128-bit (32 hex) | 256-bit (64 hex) |
| Speed | Faster | Slower (acceptable) |
| Collision resistance | Broken (collisions known) | Strong |
| Security use | Not safe | Recommended |
| Good for | Non-security checksums | Integrity, signatures, passwords (with salt+KDF) |
When to use MD5
Use MD5 only for non-security checksums — quick deduplication or detecting accidental corruption. Never use it for passwords, signatures or anything an attacker could target.
When to use SHA-256
Use SHA-256 for anything security-related: file integrity, digital signatures, and (with a salt and a proper KDF like bcrypt/argon2) password storage.
Tools for MD5 & SHA-256
MD5 Hash Generator
Compute MD5 digest of text or files (up to 50 MB) in your browser. Output in hex or Base64.
Open toolSHA-256 Hash Generator
Compute SHA-256 digest of text or files in your browser using Web Crypto API. Output in hex or Base64.
Open toolSHA-1 Hash Generator
Compute SHA-1 digest of text or files in your browser using Web Crypto API. Useful for Git commit hashes and legacy systems.
Open toolHash Generator — All Algorithms
Compute MD4, MD5, SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, SHA3, Keccak-256, CRC-32 and NTLM hashes of text or files in your browser.
Open toolMD5 vs SHA-256
Is MD5 still safe to use?
Not for security. Practical collision attacks exist, so MD5 must not be used for signatures, certificates or passwords. It is fine only for non-adversarial checksums like detecting accidental file corruption.
Is SHA-256 enough for passwords?
A raw SHA-256 is too fast for password storage. Use a salt and a dedicated password KDF (bcrypt, scrypt or argon2). SHA-256 itself is correct for file integrity and signatures.