SHA-512 Hash Generator

Generate a SHA-512 (SHA-2, 512-bit) digest from any text or file. Hex, Base64, and Base64URL output — all computed locally in your browser.

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512-bit (64-byte) digest from the SHA-2 family. Higher security margin than SHA-256 with a larger internal state.

Hashing runs locally using the browser's SubtleCrypto API. Your text and files never leave your device.

Cryptographically secure

SHA-512 has no known practical collisions and provides an even larger security margin than SHA-256, with a 64-byte digest.

Instant, local hashing

Runs in your browser using the native SubtleCrypto API. Hashes update as you type — no roundtrip, no upload.

Three output encodings

Switch between Hex (128 chars), Base64 (with padding), and Base64URL (URL- and JWT-safe) without recomputing.

What is SHA-512?

SHA-512 is the 512-bit member of the SHA-2 family, published by NIST in FIPS 180-4. It takes any input — a single character, a multi-gigabyte file, or anything in between — and produces a fixed 64-byte digest. The same input always produces the same digest; a one-bit change produces a completely different digest (the avalanche effect). Its larger internal state gives it an even higher security margin than SHA-256.

When to use SHA-512

Use SHA-512 when you need the maximum security margin from the SHA-2 family: verifying downloads against a published checksum, signing code and packages, fingerprinting TLS certificates in high-security environments, or content-addressing files where collision resistance is paramount. On 64-bit CPUs, SHA-512 can be faster than SHA-256 for large files because it processes data in 1024-bit blocks. Do not use raw SHA-512 to store passwords — use a slow KDF like bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2.

Hex vs Base64 vs Base64URL

A SHA-512 digest is 64 raw bytes — but bytes are rarely displayed directly. Hex encoding gives a 128-character lowercase string and is the most common format for checksums. Base64 packs the same bytes into 88 characters (with = padding) and is common in HTTP headers and binary protocols. Base64URL is identical but replaces+// with -/_ and drops padding — required for JWT signatures and URL-safe IDs.

Frequently asked questions

What is SHA-512?

SHA-512 is a cryptographic hash function from the SHA-2 family, published by NIST in FIPS 180-2. It maps any input to a fixed 512-bit (64-byte) digest, usually displayed as 128 hexadecimal characters.

What is SHA-512 used for?

TLS/SSL certificates (in SHA-384/SHA-512 cipher suites), code and package signing, file integrity verification, certificate transparency logs, and anywhere a higher security margin than SHA-256 is desired.

Is SHA-512 secure?

Yes. As of 2026, SHA-512 has no known practical collision or preimage attacks and is considered cryptographically secure. Its larger block size and internal state give it an even higher security margin than SHA-256.

How is SHA-512 different from SHA-256?

SHA-512 uses a 1024-bit block size and 512-bit internal state, producing a 64-byte digest. SHA-256 uses a 512-bit block and produces a 32-byte digest. SHA-512 is generally slower but has a larger security margin. On 64-bit hardware, SHA-512 can actually be faster than SHA-256 for large inputs.

What is the difference between SHA-512 and SHA-384?

SHA-384 is essentially SHA-512 with a different initial hash value, truncated to 384 bits (48 bytes). It runs the same internal rounds but produces a shorter digest. SHA-512/256 is another variant that produces a 256-bit digest using SHA-512's internal rounds.

Is SHA-512 the same as SHA-3?

No. SHA-3 (Keccak) is a separate standard with a different internal construction (sponge function). SHA-512 is part of SHA-2 (Merkle–Damgård). Both are secure, but SHA-512 is far more common in existing protocols.

Should I use SHA-512 to hash passwords?

Not directly. Raw SHA-512 is too fast — an attacker can try billions of guesses per second on a GPU. Use a password-hashing function like bcrypt, scrypt, Argon2, or PBKDF2 (which may use SHA-512 internally with many iterations and a salt).

Why do hex, Base64, and Base64URL outputs look different?

They encode the same 64 raw bytes differently. Hex is 128 characters using 0-9 and a-f. Base64 is 88 characters (with padding). Base64URL replaces + and / with - and _ and removes padding — common in JWTs and URLs.

Is my input uploaded to a server?

No. All hashing runs in your browser using the native SubtleCrypto API. Your text and files never leave your device — safe for proprietary, internal, or sensitive content.

Part of our growing tool belt — all client-side, all free.