Most Popular Hashing Algorithms (With Use Cases)
Hashing is a fundamental technique in modern cryptography, cybersecurity, data storage, and web development. In this article, we’ll explore the most widely used hashing algorithms, what they’re good for, and their current status in terms of security.
Cryptographic Hash Functions
These algorithms are designed to securely encode data in a way that is irreversible and collision-resistant. They are commonly used in digital signatures, blockchain, JWTs, and more.
| Name | Output Size | Security | Common Uses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD5 | 128-bit | ❌ Broken | Checksums, Caching | Fast but vulnerable to collisions |
| SHA-1 | 160-bit | ❌ Weak | Legacy systems, SSL | Broken in 2017 (collision found) |
| SHA-256 | 256-bit | ✅ Secure | Web Crypto, Blockchain, JWT | Good balance of speed & security |
| SHA-384 | 384-bit | ✅ Secure | Digital signatures, TLS | More secure, longer output |
| SHA-512 | 512-bit | ✅ Secure | High-security encryption | Slower, very strong |
| SHA-3 | 256 / 384 / 512-bit | ✅ Very Secure | Post-quantum, Modern crypto | Keccak-based, newer standard |
Password Hashing Algorithms
These are specialized algorithms designed to securely hash passwords. They are intentionally slow to defend against brute-force attacks.
| Name | Type | Security | Uses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bcrypt | KDF | ✅ Strong | Password storage | Salted and adaptive workload |
| scrypt | KDF + Memory | ✅ Strong | Password storage | Memory-hard, resistant to GPU cracking |
| PBKDF2 | KDF | ✅ Moderate | Browser auth, fallback | Available in Web Crypto API |
| Argon2 | KDF | ✅✅✅ Modern | Secure password hashing | Winner of Password Hashing Competition |
Checksum & Fast Non-Cryptographic Hashes
These are not secure for cryptographic use but are fast and useful for data integrity or indexing.
| Name | Type | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| CRC32 | Checksum | ZIP files, network packets |
| Adler-32 | Checksum | File integrity verification |
| MurmurHash | Fast Hash | Hash tables, databases |
| xxHash | Very Fast Hash | File deduplication, backups |
Online Hashing Tools and Services
Need to hash something online quickly? Check out our collection of trusted online hashing tools: