MD5 Hash Generator
Get the 32-character MD5 hash of text or a file instantly, computed locally in your browser.
Generate MD5 Hashes Online
MD5 turns any input into a fixed 128-bit fingerprint, written as 32 hex characters. The same input always produces the same hash, and a change of a single byte produces a completely different one. That makes MD5 a quick way to check that two files are identical or that a download was not corrupted.
This page opens the Hash Generator with the MD5 result highlighted. Hashing happens in your browser; neither text nor files are uploaded.
Where MD5 is still used
- Download checksums published next to older software releases and ISO images.
- ETags and cache keys in web servers and build tools.
- Deduplication: spotting identical files in a backup or media library.
- Legacy databases and APIs that store or expect MD5 values.
Where MD5 must not be used
Researchers can deliberately create two different inputs with the same MD5 hash, and have done so to forge certificates. Never use MD5 for passwords, digital signatures or anything an attacker could tamper with. For integrity checks against attackers use SHA-256; for passwords use a dedicated password hashing algorithm such as Argon2 or bcrypt.
MD5 on the command line
| System | Command |
|---|---|
| Linux | md5sum file.iso |
| macOS | md5 file.iso |
| Windows PowerShell | Get-FileHash file.iso -Algorithm MD5 |
| Windows cmd | certutil -hashfile file.iso MD5 |
For a string, remember that echo "text" | md5sum includes a newline; use echo -n to match the hash this page shows for the same text.
Checking a file against a published MD5
Drop the file into the File tab and paste the checksum from the download page into the verify box. A green match confirms the file is byte-for-byte what the publisher hashed. For a walkthrough covering every algorithm, see File Checksum Checker.