PasswordGenerator101

Create strong, random passwords to keep your accounts safe

★★★★★

"Best password generator I've found. Fast, secure, and no annoying sign-up required."

DM
David M.
Business Owner
★★★★★

"Use it daily at work. The customization options are exactly what I need."

AT
Amanda T.
System Administrator
Click Generate to Create Password
Password Strength -
16

Why Use a Password Generator?

Strong passwords are your first line of defense against hackers and unauthorized access. Our generator creates truly random passwords that are virtually impossible to guess.

Tips for Secure Passwords

What Our Users Say

★★★★★

"Simple and effective. I use this every time I need to create a new account. Love that nothing is stored on their servers."

MK
Mike K.
Software Developer
★★★★★

"I recommend this to all my clients. The strength indicator helps people understand what makes a good password."

JR
James R.
IT Consultant

What Makes a Password Strong?

A strong password is your primary defense against unauthorized access to your accounts. Understanding what makes a password secure can help you protect your digital identity and sensitive information.

1. Length Matters Most

The single most important factor in password strength is length. Every additional character exponentially increases the time required to crack a password through brute-force attacks.

2. Character Diversity

Using a mix of different character types dramatically increases the possible combinations:

A 12-character password using all four types has over 475 sextillion possible combinations.

3. True Randomness

Human-created passwords tend to follow predictable patterns. We substitute letters with similar-looking numbers (@ for a, 3 for e), add numbers at the end, or capitalize only the first letter. Attackers know these patterns and exploit them.

Pro tip: Use a random password generator like ours to create truly unpredictable passwords that don't follow human patterns.

4. Uniqueness

Each account should have its own unique password. If one account is compromised in a data breach, your other accounts remain safe. Password managers make it practical to use unique passwords everywhere.

5. Entropy: The Technical Measure

Security experts measure password strength in "bits of entropy." Higher entropy means more randomness and security:

Password Best Practices: What to Avoid

Creating a strong password isn't just about what you include—it's also about what you should never use. Here's why common password choices put your security at risk.

Never Use Personal Information

Avoid using any of the following in your passwords:

Why Personal Information Is Dangerous

Hackers use a technique called "social engineering" to gather personal information about targets. They scour social media profiles, public records, and data breaches to compile details about potential victims.

Real-world example: In targeted attacks, hackers create custom "dictionaries" containing variations of a victim's personal information. A birthday of March 15, 1990 generates attempts like "0315", "1990", "March15", "031590", and hundreds of variations—all tested within seconds.

Avoid Common Words and Patterns

The 2024 Most Common Passwords

These passwords are cracked instantly because they're the first ones attackers try:

  1. 123456
  2. password
  3. 123456789
  4. 12345678
  5. qwerty

If you use any of these, change them immediately to randomly generated passwords.

Password vs. Passphrase: Understanding the Difference

Both passwords and passphrases can secure your accounts, but they work differently. Understanding when to use each can help you balance security with usability.

Aspect Password Passphrase
Format Random mix of characters
Kx9#mP2$vL4@
Multiple random words
correct-horse-battery-staple
Typical Length 12-20 characters 20-40+ characters
Memorability Difficult to remember Easier to remember
Typing Speed Slower (special characters) Faster (regular words)
Security Level Very high (with sufficient length) Very high (with 4+ random words)
Best Use Case With password managers Master passwords, memorized logins

When to Use a Password

Random character passwords are ideal when:

When to Use a Passphrase

Passphrases work better when:

Security note: A 4-word passphrase using random dictionary words (like "correct-horse-battery-staple") has about 44 bits of entropy. To match the security of a 16-character random password (~100 bits), you'd need 7-8 random words. Both approaches are valid—choose based on your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The traditional advice of changing passwords every 30-90 days is now considered outdated. Current security best practices from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) recommend changing passwords only when:

  • You suspect your account has been compromised
  • A service you use reports a data breach
  • You've shared your password with someone temporarily
  • You notice suspicious activity on your account

Frequent mandatory changes often lead to weaker passwords as users make minor, predictable modifications. Focus instead on using strong, unique passwords for each account.

Reputable online password generators are safe when they meet these criteria:

  • Client-side generation: The password is created in your browser, not on a server
  • No data transmission: Your password is never sent over the internet
  • Cryptographic randomness: Uses secure random number generation (like Web Crypto API)
  • HTTPS connection: The website uses SSL encryption

Our generator meets all these requirements. Your passwords are generated entirely in your browser using the cryptographically secure crypto.getRandomValues() function and are never transmitted or stored anywhere.

For most purposes, 16 characters is the sweet spot, offering excellent security while remaining practical. Here's a breakdown:

  • 8 characters: Minimum acceptable (many sites require this)
  • 12 characters: Good for general accounts
  • 16 characters: Recommended for important accounts
  • 20+ characters: Excellent for high-security needs (banking, primary email)
  • 64+ characters: Maximum security for encryption keys and critical systems

Yes, absolutely. Password managers are one of the most effective security tools available. Benefits include:

  • Generate and store unique passwords for every account
  • Auto-fill credentials securely
  • Sync across all your devices
  • Alert you about weak, reused, or compromised passwords
  • Store other sensitive information (credit cards, secure notes)

Popular trusted options include Bitwarden (free/open source), 1Password, Dashlane, and the built-in managers in iOS and Chrome. The only password you need to memorize is your master password—make it a strong passphrase.

Yes. Even the strongest password can be compromised through phishing, data breaches, or keyloggers. Two-factor authentication adds a second layer that requires something you have (phone, security key) in addition to something you know (password).

Enable 2FA on all important accounts, especially:

  • Email accounts (often used for password resets)
  • Financial accounts (banks, investment platforms)
  • Social media accounts
  • Cloud storage services
  • Password manager

Hardware security keys (like YubiKey) offer the strongest 2FA protection, followed by authenticator apps. SMS-based 2FA is better than nothing but can be vulnerable to SIM-swapping attacks.

Adding symbols increases the "character space" available for each position in your password. Here's the math:

  • Lowercase only: 26 possible characters per position
  • Add uppercase: 52 characters per position
  • Add numbers: 62 characters per position
  • Add symbols: 90+ characters per position

For a 12-character password, the difference is enormous: lowercase-only has about 95 trillion combinations, while full character set has over 475 sextillion combinations—billions of times harder to crack.

Theoretically, yes—but practically, no. A well-constructed password can take longer to crack than the age of the universe.

With current technology, a 16-character random password using all character types would take approximately:

  • Standard computer: Billions of years
  • Supercomputer: Millions of years
  • Theoretical quantum computer: Still thousands of years

Attackers don't usually try to brute-force strong passwords. Instead, they target weak passwords, use stolen credentials from data breaches, or employ phishing attacks. Your goal is to make your password hard enough that attackers move on to easier targets.

Use the free service Have I Been Pwned (haveibeenpwned.com) to check if your email or passwords have appeared in known data breaches. You can:

  • Enter your email to see which breaches included your account
  • Check if a specific password has been exposed (done securely without transmitting the full password)
  • Set up notifications for future breaches involving your email

Many password managers also include breach monitoring as a built-in feature, automatically alerting you when credentials need to be changed.

Actually, this advice is nuanced. Writing down passwords is acceptable in some situations:

  • At home: A paper stored securely (locked drawer, safe) is safer than reusing weak passwords or storing them in an unencrypted file
  • Backup for password manager: Write down your master password and store it securely (bank safe deposit box) in case you forget it

However, you should never:

  • Write passwords on sticky notes at your desk
  • Store passwords in an unencrypted document or spreadsheet
  • Keep passwords in your wallet or phone case
  • Share passwords via email or text message

The best solution is a reputable password manager with a strong master passphrase you can memorize.

Both protect passwords, but they work differently:

Hashing is a one-way function. Your password is transformed into a fixed-length string (hash) that cannot be reversed. Websites store the hash, not your actual password. When you log in, they hash your input and compare it to the stored hash.

Encryption is a two-way function. Data is scrambled using a key and can be unscrambled with the same key (symmetric) or a paired key (asymmetric). Password managers use encryption to store your passwords so you can retrieve them.

Good websites use hashing (specifically bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2) to store passwords. If a site can email you your password, they're storing it insecurely—consider that a red flag.

Your Privacy & Security

100% Private & Secure

We take your security seriously. Unlike many online tools, our password generator is designed with privacy as a core principle, not an afterthought.

Our Promise: Every password is generated entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No passwords are ever transmitted to our servers, stored in databases, or logged in any way. We literally cannot see your passwords.

🔒
Client-Side Generation Passwords are created locally in your browser, never on our servers.
🖥
No Data Storage We don't save, log, or track any passwords you generate.
🔐
Cryptographic Security We use the Web Crypto API for true random number generation.
🌐
No Network Requests Password generation works offline—no internet connection required.

Technical Details

Our generator uses crypto.getRandomValues(), a cryptographically secure pseudo-random number generator (CSPRNG) built into modern browsers. This is the same level of randomness used by security professionals and meets standards for generating encryption keys.

You can verify our privacy claims by:

Password copied to clipboard!