Menu

SHA3-256 Hash Generator

Generate SHA3-256 hash for any text input. Fast, secure, and easy to use.

About SHA3-256

SHA3-256 is a key member of the SHA-3 (Secure Hash Algorithm 3) family, standardized by NIST in 2015 (FIPS 202). It offers a strong 256-bit security level, making it a direct and more modern alternative to SHA-256.

Key Features

  • 256-bit output length (64 characters in hexadecimal).
  • Part of the SHA-3 standard, based on the Keccak sponge function.
  • Immune to length extension attacks that affect SHA-2.
  • Designed for excellent performance across various platforms.

Security Benefits

  • Provides 128 bits of collision resistance and 256 bits of preimage resistance.
  • Different internal structure than SHA-1 and SHA-2, offering diversity against cryptanalytic breakthroughs.
  • Considered highly secure against all known practical attacks.

Common Use Cases

  • Digital Signatures: Often used alongside algorithms like ECDSA or RSA.
  • Hash-based Message Authentication Codes (HMAC): Creating HMAC-SHA3-256.
  • File Integrity Verification: Generating checksums to detect modifications.
  • Blockchain Technology: Used in various consensus mechanisms and data structures.
  • Secure Protocols: Integrated into protocols like TLS 1.3 (though less common than SHA-256).

SHA3-256 vs SHA-256

SHA3-256:

  • Based on Keccak sponge construction.
  • Resistant to length extension attacks.
  • Can be more efficient in hardware.
  • Different internal structure (provides diversity).

SHA-256:

  • Based on Merkle–Damgård construction.
  • Vulnerable to length extension attacks (needs HMAC).
  • Often faster in software on CPUs.
  • Currently more widely adopted.

Both offer 256-bit output and similar standard security levels, but SHA3-256 provides structural advantages and diversity.