About the SHA3-384 Hash Generator
SHA3-384 is the FIPS 202 member that sits between the 256 and 512 bit variants, giving roughly 192 bits of collision resistance. Like the rest of the family it is a sponge: the message is absorbed into a 1600-bit state 104 bytes at a time, the Keccak permutation stirs that state for 24 rounds after each block, and the digest is squeezed back out at the end. Nothing about that structure resembles the chaining used by SHA-2, which is exactly why NIST wanted it.
The narrower rate is worth understanding. A larger digest demands a larger capacity, so SHA3-384 absorbs only 104 bytes per permutation where SHA3-256 absorbs 136. It therefore runs measurably slower on the same input, and that tradeoff is deliberate: capacity is what the security proof rests on. If throughput matters more than a 384-bit output, SHA3-256 is the sensible pick.
Where you actually meet this size is in suites that pair a hash with a 384-bit curve, so certificate chains built on P-384, some code signing manifests, and government profiles that specify a 192-bit security level. The digest also resists length extension by construction, so a keyed hash written as the digest of a secret followed by a message is safe here in a way it never is with SHA-512. Output can be hex in either case, or Base64 when the value has to travel inside a JSON field. Hashing runs locally through WebAssembly, so a large document never leaves the tab. To hold several algorithms side by side, open the All Hash Generator.
How to use
- Paste the text or manifest line you want to fingerprint on the left.
- Press Upload instead to read a file into the input pane.
- Select Base64 if the digest is destined for a header or a signature field.
- Copy the 96 character digest, or download it beside the artefact it describes.
Common questions
- How many characters is a SHA3-384 digest?
- Ninety six in hexadecimal, or 64 characters in Base64 once the padding is counted.
- Is SHA3-384 the same as SHA-384?
- No. SHA-384 is a truncated SHA-512 from the SHA-2 family, while SHA3-384 is built on the Keccak permutation. The same input gives two completely unrelated digests.
- Why is it slower than SHA3-256?
- It absorbs only 104 bytes per permutation instead of 136, because a larger output requires a larger capacity in the sponge state.
- Do I still need HMAC with SHA-3?
- For interoperability yes, but the sponge is not vulnerable to length extension, so a plain keyed prefix is already sound where the protocol allows it.