Bcrypt Hash Generator: Secure Password Hashing Explained
Learn how bcrypt hashing protects passwords, how salt rounds and cost factors work, and how to generate bcrypt hashes securely in your browser.
February 10, 2026
What Is Bcrypt Hashing?
Bcrypt is a password hashing function designed by Niels Provos and David Mazieres in 1999, based on the Blowfish cipher. Unlike general-purpose hash functions like MD5 or SHA-256, bcrypt was specifically built for password storage. Its defining feature is that it is intentionally slow, making brute-force attacks computationally expensive and impractical.
When you hash a password with bcrypt, the result is a fixed-length string that cannot be reversed to reveal the original password. This one-way nature is what makes hashing ideal for storing credentials in databases.
Why Bcrypt Is the Gold Standard for Password Storage
Many data breaches have exposed millions of passwords stored in plain text or with weak hashing algorithms. Bcrypt addresses the core vulnerabilities of older approaches in several important ways:
- Built-in salt: Every bcrypt hash includes a unique random salt, which means two users with the same password will have completely different hashes. This defeats rainbow table attacks.
- Adaptive cost factor: Bcrypt uses a configurable work factor (also called cost factor or salt rounds). Increasing this value doubles the computation time, allowing you to keep up with advancing hardware.
- Time-tested security: After more than two decades, bcrypt remains a recommended choice by security experts and organizations like OWASP.
How Bcrypt Works: Salt Rounds and Cost Factor
The bcrypt algorithm works in a straightforward process. First, a random 16-byte salt is generated. Then, the password and salt are combined and run through the Blowfish key schedule a number of times determined by the cost factor. A cost factor of 10 means 2^10 (1,024) iterations, while a cost factor of 12 means 2^12 (4,096) iterations.
The resulting hash string contains all the information needed for verification: the algorithm version, the cost factor, the salt, and the hash itself. A typical bcrypt hash looks like this:
$2b$12$WApznUPhDubN0oeveSXHp.RA5nHOc7F9MhGDqMnJLKmmR6dBssGHi
Choosing the Right Cost Factor
The recommended minimum cost factor today is 10, but many security professionals suggest using 12 or higher. The ideal value depends on your server hardware: the hashing operation should take between 250 milliseconds and one second. Too low and an attacker can try passwords quickly; too high and your users experience slow login times.
How to Use the Simple-Toolz Bcrypt Generator
Our bcrypt generator tool makes it easy to create secure password hashes directly in your browser. Here is how to use it:
- Navigate to the bcrypt generator tool on Simple-Toolz.
- Enter the password you want to hash in the input field.
- Select your desired salt rounds (cost factor). The default of 10 is a good starting point.
- Click generate to produce your bcrypt hash.
- Copy the resulting hash for use in your application or database.
Client-Side Security
One of the key advantages of our tool is that all processing happens entirely in your browser. Your password is never transmitted to any server. This means you can safely hash sensitive passwords without worrying about interception or logging. The computation runs using JavaScript directly on your device.
Best Practices for Password Hashing
Beyond choosing bcrypt, follow these best practices to keep your users safe:
- Never store plain text passwords. Always hash passwords before saving them to a database.
- Use a cost factor of at least 10. Increase it periodically as hardware gets faster.
- Do not implement your own hashing. Use well-tested libraries like bcryptjs or the native bcrypt module in your programming language.
- Combine hashing with other security measures. Enforce minimum password lengths, implement rate limiting on login attempts, and consider multi-factor authentication.
- Re-hash passwords when upgrading. If you increase the cost factor, re-hash passwords when users log in next.
By following these guidelines and using a reliable bcrypt generator, you can significantly improve the security of your application's authentication system.