MD5 Calculator

MD5 Calculator is a straightforward and intuitive software application that lets you easily find out the MD5 checksum of any file, regardless of its format. It also integrates a feature for comparing two signatures to find out if they are identical.

Windows Explorer integration

The setup procedure is a fast and easy task which doesn't require special attention, thanks to the fact that it bundles familiar options.
Worth mentioning is that .NET Framework must be installed in order for this app to work, and that, once set up, MD5 Calculator can be accessed by opening the right-click menu of any selected file.

Calculate and compare MD5 hashes

Clicking its entry from the context menu brings up a small window with a plain and simple structure, where the file's MD5 hash is displayed. You can convert the small letters to uppercase with one click, as well as type or paste another MD5 signature in order to compare the two.
As far as the result interpretation is concerned, different hashes are signalled by "", while matching ones are indicated by "=". It's possible to copy the hash to the Clipboard, open another file using a file browser, as well as disable the Windows Explorer context menu integration.

Evaluation and conclusion

As expected, the software utility swiftly calculated MD5 checksums in our tests while remaining light on system performance, using low CPU and memory. Everything worked smoothly, thanks to the fact that it didn't freeze, crash or prompt error dialogs.
To sum it up, MD5 Calculator provides users with a simple and efficient means of discovering the MD5 signature of any file via the Explorer right-click menu, as well as for comparing two hashes. However, it doesn't come loaded with more advanced options or support for additional hash types (e.g. SHA256)