Generate MD5 checksum (Windows/macOS/Linux)

This practical guide shows how to compute an MD5 hash of a file or text on all major platforms. Use MD5 only for integrity checks—do not use it for password storage or cryptographic security.

Windows PowerShell

Open PowerShell
Run: Get-FileHash -Algorithm MD5 path\to\file
Compare the hash with the expected MD5 from the publisher.

macOS

Built-in: md5 /path/to/file
Or cross-platform: shasum -a 0 /path/to/file (auto MD5 on some systems)

Linux

md5sum /path/to/file
To verify against a checksum file: md5sum -c checksums.md5

Verify integrity

Always compare your computed MD5 with the official value from the software vendor. If they differ, do not trust the file.

MD5 checksum frequently asked questions

FAQs

Is MD5 safe?: MD5 is not collision-resistant and should not be used for security-critical purposes like password hashing or digital signatures.
Why use MD5 then?: It is still fine for accidental corruption detection and legacy workflows that expect MD5 checksums.
How to generate MD5 of a string?: Use our MD5 online tool on the homepage—everything runs in your browser, no upload.