MD5 and SHA-256 are cryptographic hash functions that turn any input into a fixed-length fingerprint. MD5 produces 128 bits and is fast but broken - practical collision attacks exist. SHA-256, part of the SHA-2 family, produces 256 bits and remains secure.
The right choice hinges on whether you need security or just a cheap checksum. MD5 still appears in non-security contexts like cache keys, but it must never protect anything an attacker could tamper with.
| Aspect | MD5 | SHA-256 |
|---|---|---|
| Output length | 128 bits (32 hex chars) | 256 bits (64 hex chars) |
| Speed | Faster | Slower but still fast |
| Collision resistance | Broken | Strong |
| Security use | Unsafe | Recommended |
| Typical use | Cache keys, legacy checksums | Signatures, passwords, integrity |
For anything touching security, use SHA-256; MD5 is cryptographically broken and should never guard authenticity. MD5 survives only as a fast, non-adversarial checksum. And remember: even SHA-256 alone isn't right for passwords - those need a slow, salted algorithm like bcrypt or Argon2.
Generate MD5 hashes of text, with an option to hash each line separately.
Generate secure SHA-256 hashes of text, with an option to hash each line separately.
Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256 and SHA-512 hashes of any text at once in a table.
