Secret Key Comparison Guide
Evaluate algorithms, encodings, and deployment models before you ship. Each comparison pairs a quick decision table with the generator that matches the winning option.
Comparison
HS256 vs HS512
Both are symmetric HMAC algorithms. HS512 simply consumes a longer key and outputs a 512-bit signature.
HS256 ≥ 32 bytes, HS512 ≥ 64 bytes
HS256 faster (~1.5x) but both trivial on modern CPUs.
HS256 for short-lived tokens, HS512 for compliance-heavy orgs.
Comparison
Base64 vs Base64URL vs Hex
Encoding determines how secrets travel through environment variables, URLs, and logs.
Base64 uses +/, Base64URL swaps them for -_ , Hex uses 0-9a-f.
Base64 ~1.33x bytes, Hex 2x bytes, Base64URL same as Base64 minus padding.
URLs & config (Base64URL), CLI tools (Hex), binary blobs (Base64).
Comparison
API Keys vs Webhook Secrets
They seem similar but usually live in different services and have different exposure patterns.
API keys authenticate inbound requests; webhook secrets sign outbound payloads.
API keys rotate via developer portal; webhook secrets rotate per integration.
API keys checked in headers, webhook secrets hashed & compared with payload.
Next Steps
Turn decisions into internal documentation
Link this page from Confluence, Notion, or Runbooks so teams always know which generator to reach for. Pair it with the long-form guides for deeper context.