Generate and verify bcrypt password hashes instantly using this free online tool. Supports configurable salt rounds (cost factor) and real-time password matching. This tool also works as a bcrypt password verifier, allowing you to match plain text passwords against existing bcrypt hashes.
Confused about whether bcrypt is still the right choice for modern applications? Read my practical comparison of Argon2 vs bcrypt vs scrypt, based on real-world implementations and security trade-offs.
Generate Bcrypt Hash
Verify Bcrypt Password
Key Features of Bcrypt
How Bcrypt Works
Bcrypt vs Argon2
While bcrypt is widely used and secure, modern applications increasingly adopt Argon2id, which offers better resistance against GPU and ASIC attacks. For new applications, OWASP recommends Argon2id as the preferred password hashing algorithm. Try our Argon2 Password Hash Generator for modern password security.
| Algorithm | Strength | GPU Resistance | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bcrypt | Strong | Moderate | Existing systems |
| Argon2id | Very Strong | High | New applications |
Advantages
- Brute-Force Resistant — slow hashing and salting make dictionary attacks impractical
- Adjustable Work Factor — scale security as hardware improves without changing your code
- Widely Trusted — battle-tested across millions of production systems for decades
Limitations
- Intentionally Slow — can impact performance under high-volume authentication scenarios
- 72-Byte Limit — passwords longer than 72 bytes are silently truncated by bcrypt
- No Memory Hardness — unlike Argon2id, bcrypt does not resist memory-efficient GPU attacks as effectively
Python Example
Here's a basic example of how bcrypt is used in code:
Usage Guide
- Enter any plain text in the Generate panel and choose a salt round (12 is recommended). Click Generate Hash to produce the bcrypt hash.
- The salt is random — the same password produces a different hash each time. This is expected and correct behavior.
- To verify a password, paste the stored bcrypt hash and the candidate plain text in the Verify panel and click Match.
- Hashes starting with
$2a$vs$2y$are different bcrypt variants. Some older systems only accept$2a$. If verifying fails, check the prefix and cost factor match. - For migrating to newer rounds, re-hash the user's password on next login using the updated cost factor — no need to force a password reset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bcrypt is a password hashing algorithm designed for secure password storage. It incorporates automatic salting and an adjustable cost factor to resist brute-force and rainbow table attacks. It is not suitable for encrypting data — only for one-way password hashing.
Yes, bcrypt remains secure when used with an appropriate cost factor (12 or higher). However, Argon2id is OWASP's current recommendation for new applications because it offers memory-hard resistance against GPU-based attacks.
A cost factor of 12 is recommended for most modern systems — it hashes in roughly 250ms, which is acceptable for login flows. High-security systems may use 13 or 14, as long as server response times stay within user expectations. Benchmark on your own hardware to choose wisely.
No. Bcrypt is a one-way function — hashes cannot be reversed to retrieve the original password. Verification works by re-hashing the candidate password with the stored salt and comparing the result.
$2a$ is the original bcrypt prefix; $2y$ was introduced to fix a bug in PHP's implementation. Both are functionally equivalent in most modern libraries. If verifying fails across systems, check that the prefix and cost factor match what was used during generation.
Yes. Bcrypt silently truncates passwords longer than 72 bytes. For users with very long passphrases, this means only the first 72 bytes are hashed. If this is a concern, pre-hash the password with SHA-256 before passing it to bcrypt.
This tool processes all hashing server-side and does not store, log, or transmit any input. No account is required. We recommend not using any online tool for production secrets — generate and store hashes within your own secure infrastructure.
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