diff --git a/argon2id.go b/argon2id.go
index 89874c1..eb68290 100644
--- a/argon2id.go
+++ b/argon2id.go
@@ -86,9 +86,8 @@ type Params struct {
 // the Argon2 reference C implementation and contains the base64-encoded Argon2id d
 // derived key prefixed by the salt and parameters. It looks like this:
 //
-//		$argon2id$v=19$m=65536,t=3,p=2$c29tZXNhbHQ$RdescudvJCsgt3ub+b+dWRWJTmaaJObG
-//
-func CreateHash(password string, params *Params) (hash string, err error) {
+//	$argon2id$v=19$m=65536,t=3,p=2$c29tZXNhbHQ$RdescudvJCsgt3ub+b+dWRWJTmaaJObG
+func CreateHash[T interface{ string | []byte }](password T, params *Params) (hash string, err error) {
 	salt, err := generateRandomBytes(params.SaltLength)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ func CreateHash(password string, params *Params) (hash string, err error) {
 // plain-text password and Argon2id hash, using the parameters and salt
 // contained in the hash. It returns true if they match, otherwise it returns
 // false.
-func ComparePasswordAndHash(password, hash string) (match bool, err error) {
+func ComparePasswordAndHash[T interface{ string | []byte }](password T, hash string) (match bool, err error) {
 	match, _, err = CheckHash(password, hash)
 	return match, err
 }
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@ func ComparePasswordAndHash(password, hash string) (match bool, err error) {
 // CheckHash is like ComparePasswordAndHash, except it also returns the params that the hash was
 // created with. This can be useful if you want to update your hash params over time (which you
 // should).
-func CheckHash(password, hash string) (match bool, params *Params, err error) {
+func CheckHash[T interface{ string | []byte }](password T, hash string) (match bool, params *Params, err error) {
 	params, salt, key, err := DecodeHash(hash)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, nil, err
diff --git a/argon2id_test.go b/argon2id_test.go
index 279f5f7..b13e51c 100644
--- a/argon2id_test.go
+++ b/argon2id_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,36 @@ func TestCreateHash(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCreateHashBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	hashRX, err := regexp.Compile(`^\$argon2id\$v=19\$m=65536,t=1,p=[0-9]{1,4}\$[A-Za-z0-9+/]{22}\$[A-Za-z0-9+/]{43}$`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	password, err := generateRandomBytes(16)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	hash1, err := CreateHash(password, DefaultParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if !hashRX.MatchString(hash1) {
+		t.Errorf("hash %q not in correct format", hash1)
+	}
+
+	hash2, err := CreateHash(password, DefaultParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if strings.Compare(hash1, hash2) == 0 {
+		t.Error("hashes must be unique")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestComparePasswordAndHash(t *testing.T) {
 	hash, err := CreateHash("pa$$word", DefaultParams)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -56,6 +86,41 @@ func TestComparePasswordAndHash(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestComparePasswordAndHashBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	password, err := generateRandomBytes(16)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	hash, err := CreateHash(password, DefaultParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	match, err := ComparePasswordAndHash(password, hash)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if !match {
+		t.Error("expected password and hash to match")
+	}
+
+	otherPassword, err := generateRandomBytes(16)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	match, err = ComparePasswordAndHash(otherPassword, hash)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if match {
+		t.Error("expected password and hash to not match")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDecodeHash(t *testing.T) {
 	hash, err := CreateHash("pa$$word", DefaultParams)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -71,6 +136,26 @@ func TestDecodeHash(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDecodeHashBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	password, err := generateRandomBytes(16)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	hash, err := CreateHash(password, DefaultParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	params, _, _, err := DecodeHash(hash)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if *params != *DefaultParams {
+		t.Fatalf("expected %#v got %#v", *DefaultParams, *params)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCheckHash(t *testing.T) {
 	hash, err := CreateHash("pa$$word", DefaultParams)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -89,6 +174,29 @@ func TestCheckHash(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCheckHashBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	password, err := generateRandomBytes(16)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	hash, err := CreateHash(password, DefaultParams)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	ok, params, err := CheckHash(password, hash)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected password to match")
+	}
+	if *params != *DefaultParams {
+		t.Fatalf("expected %#v got %#v", *DefaultParams, *params)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestStrictDecoding(t *testing.T) {
 	// "bug" valid hash: $argon2id$v=19$m=65536,t=1,p=2$UDk0zEuIzbt0x3bwkf8Bgw$ihSfHWUJpTgDvNWiojrgcN4E0pJdUVmqCEdRZesx9tE
 	ok, _, err := CheckHash("bug", "$argon2id$v=19$m=65536,t=1,p=2$UDk0zEuIzbt0x3bwkf8Bgw$ihSfHWUJpTgDvNWiojrgcN4E0pJdUVmqCEdRZesx9tE")
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 057c4e0..dab13f2 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 module github.com/alexedwards/argon2id
 
-go 1.12
+go 1.18
 
 require golang.org/x/crypto v0.14.0
+
+require golang.org/x/sys v0.13.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index ef6a0c6..b977763 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,40 +1,4 @@
-github.com/yuin/goldmark v1.4.13/go.mod h1:6yULJ656Px+3vBD8DxQVa3kxgyrAnzto9xy5taEt/CY=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190308221718-c2843e01d9a2/go.mod h1:djNgcEr1/C05ACkg1iLfiJU5Ep61QUkGW8qpdssI0+w=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210921155107-089bfa567519/go.mod h1:GvvjBRRGRdwPK5ydBHafDWAxML/pGHZbMvKqRZ5+Abc=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.14.0 h1:wBqGXzWJW6m1XrIKlAH0Hs1JJ7+9KBwnIO8v66Q9cHc=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.14.0/go.mod h1:MVFd36DqK4CsrnJYDkBA3VC4m2GkXAM0PvzMCn4JQf4=
-golang.org/x/mod v0.6.0-dev.0.20220419223038-86c51ed26bb4/go.mod h1:jJ57K6gSWd91VN4djpZkiMVwK6gcyfeH4XE8wZrZaV4=
-golang.org/x/mod v0.8.0/go.mod h1:iBbtSCu2XBx23ZKBPSOrRkjjQPZFPuis4dIYUhu/chs=
-golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190620200207-3b0461eec859/go.mod h1:z5CRVTTTmAJ677TzLLGU+0bjPO0LkuOLi4/5GtJWs/s=
-golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210226172049-e18ecbb05110/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v0D8zg8gWTRqZa9RBIspLL5mdg=
-golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20220722155237-a158d28d115b/go.mod h1:XRhObCWvk6IyKnWLug+ECip1KBveYUHfp+8e9klMJ9c=
-golang.org/x/net v0.6.0/go.mod h1:2Tu9+aMcznHK/AK1HMvgo6xiTLG5rD5rZLDS+rp2Bjs=
-golang.org/x/net v0.10.0/go.mod h1:0qNGK6F8kojg2nk9dLZ2mShWaEBan6FAoqfSigmmuDg=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20190423024810-112230192c58/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220722155255-886fb9371eb4/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
-golang.org/x/sync v0.1.0/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190215142949-d0b11bdaac8a/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210615035016-665e8c7367d1/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220520151302-bc2c85ada10a/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20220722155257-8c9f86f7a55f/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.5.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.8.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.13.0 h1:Af8nKPmuFypiUBjVoU9V20FiaFXOcuZI21p0ycVYYGE=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.13.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
-golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
-golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20210927222741-03fcf44c2211/go.mod h1:jbD1KX2456YbFQfuXm/mYQcufACuNUgVhRMnK/tPxf8=
-golang.org/x/term v0.5.0/go.mod h1:jMB1sMXY+tzblOD4FWmEbocvup2/aLOaQEp7JmGp78k=
-golang.org/x/term v0.8.0/go.mod h1:xPskH00ivmX89bAKVGSKKtLOWNx2+17Eiy94tnKShWo=
-golang.org/x/term v0.13.0/go.mod h1:LTmsnFJwVN6bCy1rVCoS+qHT1HhALEFxKncY3WNNh4U=
-golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
-golang.org/x/text v0.3.3/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
-golang.org/x/text v0.3.7/go.mod h1:u+2+/6zg+i71rQMx5EYifcz6MCKuco9NR6JIITiCfzQ=
-golang.org/x/text v0.7.0/go.mod h1:mrYo+phRRbMaCq/xk9113O4dZlRixOauAjOtrjsXDZ8=
-golang.org/x/text v0.9.0/go.mod h1:e1OnstbJyHTd6l/uOt8jFFHp6TRDWZR/bV3emEE/zU8=
-golang.org/x/text v0.13.0/go.mod h1:TvPlkZtksWOMsz7fbANvkp4WM8x/WCo/om8BMLbz+aE=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGmLbDWY5pfWTLqBcC2KZ6jyYvM4mQ=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191119224855-298f0cb1881e/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.1.12/go.mod h1:hNGJHUnrk76NpqgfD5Aqm5Crs+Hm0VOH/i9J2+nxYbc=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.6.0/go.mod h1:Xwgl3UAJ/d3gWutnCtw505GrjyAbvKui8lOU390QaIU=
-golang.org/x/xerrors v0.0.0-20190717185122-a985d3407aa7/go.mod h1:I/5z698sn9Ka8TeJc9MKroUUfqBBauWjQqLJ2OPfmY0=