Generate MD5 hashes from any text. See the 128-bit digest in hex or base64. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is transmitted.
Use ⌘ + D to bookmark this toolhash output appears here — one hash per line
MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5) is a cryptographic hash function designed by Ronald Rivest in 1991. It takes any input and produces a fixed 128-bit (16-byte) hash value, typically rendered as a 32-character hexadecimal string.
MD5 was widely used for verifying data integrity and storing password hashes. However, serious vulnerabilities were discovered starting in 1996, and practical collision attacks were demonstrated in 2004. Today, MD5 is considered cryptographically broken and unsuitable for security-critical applications — but it remains useful for non-security checksums.
| Use Case | Safe? | Why | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Password Hashing | No | Rainbow tables crack common passwords instantly | bcrypt, Argon2 |
| Digital Signatures | No | Collision attacks can forge signatures | SHA-256, SHA-512 |
| SSL Certificates | No | Exploited by Flame malware in 2012 | SHA-256 |
| File Checksums | Yes | Accidental corruption detection is fine | SHA-256 (preferred) |
| Cache Keys | Yes | No security requirement, fast computation | — |
| Data Deduplication | Caution | Works for low-stakes dedup, not adversarial | SHA-256 |
MD5 collision attacks are practical and well-documented. Never rely on MD5 where an adversary could craft malicious inputs.
MD5 is still widely used to verify file downloads haven't been corrupted during transfer. While not secure against intentional tampering, it reliably detects accidental bit errors and incomplete downloads.
Storage systems use MD5 to quickly identify duplicate files by comparing hashes instead of entire file contents. For non-adversarial environments this offers a fast, space-efficient comparison method.
Web servers and CDNs generate MD5 hashes of content to create unique cache identifiers. The speed of MD5 makes it practical for high-throughput caching where security isn't a concern.
Many older applications, APIs, and protocols still require MD5 hashes for backward compatibility. Gravatar uses MD5 hashes of email addresses, and some package managers still publish MD5 checksums alongside newer algorithms.
Generate strong, random passwords with customizable length, character sets, and options.
Generate strong, memorable passphrases from random words. Easier to remember, just as secure.
Generate multiple unique passwords at once. Perfect for IT admins and account provisioning.
Generate cryptographically secure API keys, tokens, and secrets in multiple formats.
Generate strong, easy-to-share WiFi passwords for your home or office network.
Create a scannable QR code for your WiFi network. Guests connect instantly.
Generate cryptographically random PIN codes. Perfect for device locks and access codes.
Test how strong your password is. See estimated crack time, entropy, and suggestions.
Generate SHA-512 hashes using the native Web Crypto API. 512-bit security for signatures and integrity.
No. MD5 is cryptographically broken — collisions can be generated in seconds. It should never be used for password hashing, digital signatures, or SSL certificates. It remains useful for non-security checksums like file integrity verification and cache key generation.
MD5 is a one-way function — you cannot mathematically reverse it. However, attackers use precomputed rainbow tables and brute-force searches to find inputs that match common hashes. Short or common strings are trivially crackable.
A collision occurs when two different inputs produce the same MD5 hash. In 2004, researchers demonstrated practical collisions, and by 2012, the Flame malware exploited MD5 collisions to forge Microsoft code-signing certificates.
For checksums, use SHA-256 or SHA-512. For password hashing, use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2. For digital signatures and certificates, use SHA-256 or SHA-3. There is no modern security use case where MD5 is the right choice.
MD5 produces a fixed 128-bit (16-byte) digest. When encoded in hexadecimal, each byte becomes 2 hex characters, resulting in exactly 32 characters regardless of input length.