SHA-256 File Checker

Calculate a file’s SHA-256 in your browser, then compare it with a trusted reference for that exact download. Files up to 128 MiB are supported. Start with Try abc example (3 bytes) if you want to see a working comparison before choosing your file.

A checksum answers whether bytes agree with a reference. It does not scan for malware, inspect a digital signature or decide whether an application is safe. If you need to check the source website first, use the download site checker.

Compare a file with the publisher’s SHA-256

The checker calculates a hash in your browser. It does not upload the selected file or submit its filename or hash. Use files up to 128 MiB; for larger files, use the commands below. A catalogue filename hint is not an exact reference. The small example uses three known text bytes.

No file selected. Choose your file or try the small example.

A SHA-256 value has 64 hexadecimal characters. Compare the exact release, platform and filename from a trusted publisher source.

Choose a file to begin.

Which result did you get?

Result What it establishes Next step
Match / Mismatch with an expected hash The bytes agree / disagree with the SHA-256 you supplied. Verify that reference’s source, version, language, platform and architecture. Keep an unexplained mismatch unopened.
Catalogue reference match The calculated digest appears in one of our stored catalogue records. Open the entry for its source and method. The entry’s general review date is not a per-file measurement date; the record does not prove a current release or safe software.
Reference needed A filename appears in the catalogue with different bytes, but no expected hash was supplied. Find an exact trusted reference. A filename can be reused across builds, languages or official sources; the name alone is not a malware verdict.
Hash calculated; no comparison made We calculated a digest without an expected reference or catalogue match. Paste the trusted expected SHA-256 for that specific file to compare.

We measured two official WinRAR installers with the same filename and version but different bytes. This is why an unfamiliar hash or a filename hint cannot decide the source of a file.

Try a small example you can reproduce

The example is exactly the ASCII bytes 61 62 63: abc, with no newline and no byte-order mark. Its SHA-256 is ba7816bf8f01cfea414140de5dae2223b00361a396177a9cb410ff61f20015ad. We checked these bytes independently with Python and PowerShell on 11 October 2026. The example button creates the bytes locally and compares them with that value.

To reproduce it in PowerShell, open a folder where you want to create a small test file. These commands create or overwrite sa-example-abc.txt in that folder; use another name if that file already exists.

[System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes((Join-Path (Get-Location) 'sa-example-abc.txt'), [byte[]](0x61, 0x62, 0x63))
Get-FileHash -LiteralPath '.\sa-example-abc.txt' -Algorithm SHA256

Renaming the file keeps its bytes and hash unchanged. Adding one LF newline produces four bytes 61 62 63 0a and a different SHA-256: edeaaff3f1774ad2888673770c6d64097e391bc362d7d6fb34982ddf0efd18cb. Text editors and text-writing commands can add encoding bytes or newlines; the two files then contain different bytes even if the text looks similar. Read the dated measurement record.

Check larger files on your computer

Open a terminal in the folder containing the downloaded file. Replace installer.exe with the actual filename, keeping quotation marks around paths with spaces.

Windows PowerShell

Get-FileHash -LiteralPath ".\installer.exe" -Algorithm SHA256

macOS Terminal

shasum -a 256 "installer.dmg"

Linux terminal

sha256sum "installer.AppImage"

Where can I find the expected value?

Look on the publisher’s release page for a SHA-256 value or a signed checksum file. Some publishers do not provide one. Softwares Academy shows publisher checksums where available on its software entries; use the source-check date and the exact filename. See how our source checks work, or browse the software catalogue.

Privacy and limitations

This checker does not upload the selected file or submit its filename or hash. It uses the browser’s built-in SHA-256 implementation and reads the selected file into memory. The size limit helps avoid excessive memory use. Website analytics and advertising are described in our privacy policy. Clear the checker when you finish using a shared computer.

Check a Windows digital signature separately

A file hash does not identify the certificate used to sign an installer. Follow our Windows digital-signature guide to read the status and publisher without launching the downloaded file.

Technical reference

The calculation uses the Web Crypto digest API. This tool compares a supplied hash and does not scan files for malware, verify a digital signature or assess the software publisher.