SHA-1 vs SHA-256 vs SHA-512: Which Hash Should You Use?

Security and performance comparison of the most common hash algorithms for integrity verification.

Output Size

SHA-1: 160 bits (40 hex chars). SHA-256: 256 bits (64 chars). SHA-512: 512 bits (128 chars).

Security

SHA-1 is broken for collision attacks. SHA-256 and SHA-512 are both secure.

Performance

SHA-256 is faster on 32-bit systems; SHA-512 is faster on 64-bit systems.

Recommendation

Use SHA-256 as the default. It's the industry standard.

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