Advanced Hash Calculator
Supported Hash Algorithms
Advanced Hash Calculator offers 32 algorithms, covering both cryptographic hash functions and simple checksums. This reference lists each one with the length of the value it produces and a short note on its origin and typical use, followed by advice on picking the right one.
Contents
- Selecting an algorithm and output format
- Cryptographic hash functions
- Checksums and fast non-cryptographic hashes
- Picking the right algorithm
1. Selecting an algorithm and output format
The algorithm is set under Options > Settings > Hash Type, and the one currently in use is displayed in the status bar. Results are always written in hexadecimal, using one of four output formats: lowercase or uppercase, each with or without spaces.
For details on the Settings dialog and the rest of the program, see the Advanced Hash Calculator user guide.
2. Cryptographic hash functions
| Algorithm | Digest size | Background and use |
|---|---|---|
| MD2 | 128 bits | Created by Ronald Rivest in 1989. A legacy algorithm that is no longer regarded as secure. |
| MD4 | 128 bits | Rivest, 1990. Found in eDonkey2000 / eMule (ed2k) links and in NTLM. Not secure. |
| MD5 | 128 bits | The file checksum you will see published most often (md5sum). Good enough to spot corruption, but not suitable where security matters. |
| SHA-1 | 160 bits | An NSA design, used by Git and plenty of older protocols. Collisions for it are known. |
| SHA-224 | 224 bits | Member of the SHA-2 family; a truncated form of SHA-256. |
| SHA-256 | 256 bits | Member of the SHA-2 family and today’s most common checksum for downloadable software. Also used in TLS, code signing and Bitcoin. |
| SHA-384 | 384 bits | Member of the SHA-2 family; a truncated form of SHA-512. |
| SHA-512 | 512 bits | Member of the SHA-2 family that runs fast on 64-bit CPUs. |
| SHA3-224, SHA3-256, SHA3-384, SHA3-512 | 224–512 bits | The SHA-3 standard (FIPS 202), built on the Keccak sponge construction. |
| BLAKE2b | 512 bits | Defined in RFC 7693 and tuned for 64-bit platforms. Outpaces MD5 while matching SHA-3 in security. |
| BLAKE2s | 256 bits | Defined in RFC 7693 and tuned for platforms from 8 to 32 bits. |
| BLAKE3 | 256 bits | A modern tree hash with very high speed. Produces the same values as the b3sum utility. |
| RIPEMD-160 | 160 bits | Comes from the European RIPE project. Used for Bitcoin addresses and in OpenPGP. |
| Tiger, Tiger2 | 192 bits | By Anderson and Biham (1995), and the basis of Tiger Tree Hash in file-sharing networks. The only difference in Tiger2 is the padding. |
| Whirlpool | 512 bits | By Rijmen and Barreto, standardized in ISO/IEC 10118-3. |
| GOST 34.11-94 | 256 bits | The earlier Russian national standard GOST R 34.11-94, derived from the GOST 28147-89 block cipher. |
| Streebog-256, Streebog-512 | 256 / 512 bits | The Russian standard in force today, GOST R 34.11-2012 (RFC 6986). |
| SM3 | 256 bits | China’s national standard GB/T 32905-2016. |
3. Checksums and fast non-cryptographic hashes
The functions below run far faster than the cryptographic ones and catch accidental damage very well. They offer no protection, though, against someone who changes a file on purpose.
| Algorithm | Digest size | Background and use |
|---|---|---|
| CRC32 | 32 bits | The cyclic redundancy check found in ZIP, PNG, Ethernet and SFV files. |
| CRC32C | 32 bits | Uses the Castagnoli polynomial; relied on by iSCSI, SCTP, ext4, Btrfs and cloud storage services. |
| CRC64 | 64 bits | The CRC-64/XZ variant (ECMA-182 polynomial), the one xz and 7-Zip use. |
| Adler-32 | 32 bits | Mark Adler’s checksum, part of zlib. |
| xxHash32, xxHash64 | 32 / 64 bits | Yann Collet’s extremely fast hashes, computed with seed 0. |
| xxHash3 | 64 bits | XXH3_64bits, the latest and quickest member of the xxHash line, with seed 0. |
| MurmurHash3 | 128 bits | Austin Appleby’s MurmurHash3_x64_128, with seed 0. |
| FNV-1a | 64 bits | The Fowler–Noll–Vo hash in its 64-bit form. |
4. Picking the right algorithm
| Your goal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Checking a downloaded file | Whatever the publisher lists – in most cases SHA-256, occasionally MD5, SHA-1 or SHA-512. |
| Making your own checksum lists with strong security | SHA-256, SHA3-256 or BLAKE3. |
| Comparing many files quickly, e.g. for backups or finding duplicates | xxHash3 or BLAKE3. |
Learn more: Visit the Advanced Hash Calculator product page, or read the user guide to see how to add files, calculate hashes and export the results.