The detailed guide below is currently available in English.
What a SHA-256 hash is good for
SHA-256 squeezes any input — a password, a file, a whole novel — into a fixed 256-bit fingerprint. Change one character anywhere and roughly half the output bits flip, which makes the digest a rigorous equality check: publish the hash of a download so readers can verify it, compare a freshly typed configuration against a known-good digest, or deduplicate content without storing it. Identical input always yields the identical digest, and no practical method is known for finding two inputs that share one.
Hashing is not encryption
The two get confused constantly, and the difference matters. Encryption is reversible by design: with the key you get the original back. A hash is one-way — the digest is not a scrambled copy of your text but a short summary from which the text cannot be recovered. That is exactly why passwords should be hashed, not encrypted, on a server; and it is also why a hashed password cannot be "unhashed" by this or any tool. For passwords in the real world, use a slow, memory-hard scheme such as Argon2 or bcrypt rather than raw SHA-256.
Nederland in het kort
Lokale kengetallen voor Nederland, handig bij alledaagse berekeningen:
- btw: 21 % algemeen, 9 % verlaagd; consumentenprijzen zijn inclusief btw.
- Betalen: Euro (€); iDEAL is de meest gebruikte betaalmethode, pin en contactloos gangbaar.
- Eenheden & getallen: Metrisch stelsel; decimale komma en punt als duizendtalscheiding: 1.234,56 €.
- Zorgverzekering: Verplicht; gemiddelde nominale premie ≈ 150–160 € per maand, met mogelijk recht op zorgtoeslag.
- Fooi: Niet verplicht; afronden is gebruikelijk omdat servicekosten vaak al op de rekening staan.
Peildatum: oktober 2026 · cijfers over 2025, officiële bronnen hierboven.
Veelgestelde vragen
Does my text get sent to a server?
No. The SHA-256 implementation runs in JavaScript on this page, so hashing happens on your device. The text you type never leaves the browser, which makes the tool safe for secrets you only need to fingerprint.
Why only SHA-256?
SHA-256 is the modern default: fast, widely supported, and unbroken. Older functions such as MD5 and SHA-1 are kept around only for legacy compatibility because collisions have been demonstrated against both, so this tool skips them.
Can two different texts have the same hash?
Mathematically yes — 256 bits cannot name every possible input uniquely — but no collision has ever been found for SHA-256, and finding one by brute force would take more energy than burning all the world’s fossil fuel. For any practical purpose, equal digests mean equal inputs.