🔐 Password Hasher
Hash your passwords using industry-standard algorithms before storing them in databases. Hashing is a one-way encryption method that protects passwords even if your database is compromised.
⚠️ Security Notice:
Never store passwords in plain text! Always hash passwords before storing them in your database. Use Bcrypt for maximum security, especially for user authentication systems.
📋 How to Use the Password Hasher
- Enter the password you want to hash. Use the eye icon to check what you typed.
- Pick an algorithm: SHA-256, Bcrypt or MD5.
- Submit the form and copy the resulting hash.
- Store the hash, never the original password.
🎯 When to Use It
- Generating a test hash for a development or staging database.
- Comparing how SHA-256, Bcrypt and MD5 output look and how long each is.
- Learning how hashing differs from encryption: a hash cannot be reversed to recover the password.
💡 Tips & Common Pitfalls
- Choose Bcrypt for anything real. It is deliberately slow and adds a random salt, so the same password gives a different hash each time.
- SHA-256 and MD5 hashes here are unsalted and fast to compute, which makes them easy to crack with precomputed tables. Do not use them to store user passwords.
- The Bcrypt option hashes the SHA-256 of your password. To verify it in PHP, call password_verify(hash('sha256', $password), $stored).
- The password is sent to the server to be hashed, so use test values rather than a password you use for real accounts.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is password hashing?
Password hashing is a one-way encryption method that converts passwords into fixed-length strings. Unlike encryption, hashing cannot be reversed, making it ideal for secure password storage.
Which algorithm should I use?
Use Bcrypt for user passwords in production systems. It's specifically designed for password hashing and includes salt by default. SHA-256 is suitable for general hashing but not passwords. Avoid MD5 as it's considered insecure.
What's the difference between hashing and encryption?
Hashing is one-way (cannot be reversed), while encryption is two-way (can be decrypted). Use hashing for passwords, encryption for data you need to retrieve later.
Why is MD5 not recommended?
MD5 is cryptographically broken and vulnerable to collision attacks. It's fast, which makes it easy for attackers to crack passwords using brute force. Never use MD5 for password storage.
Is this tool secure?
Yes! All hashing happens in your browser or on our server. We never store or log your passwords. However, for maximum security, use this tool for testing only.