MD5 vs SHA-256 — Comparison, Security, and When to Use Each

MD5

MD5 produces a 128-bit (32 hex) hash. It was designed in 1991 and was widely used for file integrity checks and password hashing.

Security status: BROKEN. Collisions can be generated in seconds on commodity hardware. MD5 passwords can be cracked using rainbow tables. Do not use MD5 for any security purpose.

Still useful for: Non-cryptographic checksums, legacy system compatibility, detecting accidental file corruption.

SHA-256

SHA-256 produces a 256-bit (64 hex) hash. It is part of the SHA-2 family, designed by the NSA and published in 2001.

Security status: SECURE. No practical attacks against SHA-256 exist. It is used in TLS, Bitcoin, code signing, password hashing, and government security standards.

Quick Reference

| | MD5 | SHA-256 | |---|-----|---------| | Hash length | 128 bits | 256 bits | | Speed | Faster | Slower | | Collision resistance | Broken | Secure | | FIPS compliant | No | Yes | | Recommended | Only legacy use | Yes |

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