Home/Other Calculators & Tools/Password Generator

Password Generator

Free · No sign-up · Runs entirely in your browser, nothing sent to a server

Generate strong, cryptographically random passwords entirely in your browser — nothing is transmitted or stored. Choose length, character sets and how many you need.

Password Settings
Length
16
Uppercase (A-Z)
Lowercase (a-z)
Numbers (0-9)
Symbols (!@#$…)
Exclude similar (0OIl1)
Quantity
Generated Passwords
ACSC Password Guidelines

The Australian Cyber Security Centre recommends: use a passphrase of 4+ random words OR a random password of 14+ characters. Never reuse passwords. Use a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password etc). Enable MFA on all accounts.

⏱️ Last reviewed: 26 July 2026 · Written and reviewed by Mohsin Iqbal under our editorial policy and calculation methodology.
Nothing leaves your browser. Passwords are generated locally using your browser's built-in crypto.getRandomValues(), the same cryptographic random source used for encryption keys. They are never transmitted, logged or stored. You can verify this — disconnect from the internet and the generator still works.
📖 Approx. 13 min read🔒 Runs in your browser🔄 Updated 26 July 2026

On this page

  1. Entropy Is the Only Real Measure
  2. Length Beats Complexity
  3. How This Generator Works
  4. How to Use This Generator
  5. What Modern Guidance Actually Says
  6. Passphrases vs Random Strings
  7. Uniqueness Matters More Than Strength
  8. Password Managers
  9. Multi-Factor Authentication
  10. Where to Prioritise
  11. Password Security Checklist
  12. Common Mistakes
  13. Frequently Asked Questions
  14. Long, Random, and Never Reused

🔑 Key Takeaways

Entropy Is the Only Real Measure

"Strong password" means one thing precisely: how many possibilities an attacker would have to work through. That is entropy, measured in bits, and it is calculated from just two numbers.

Entropy (bits) = Length × log₂(Alphabet size)

16 characters from 88 possible = 16 × log₂(88) = 103 bits

Each bit doubles the search space. A 103-bit password is not slightly harder than a 51-bit one — it is roughly four quadrillion times harder.

LengthEntropyOffline attack timeRating
8 characters52 bits30 minutesModerate
10 characters65 bits161 daysModerate
12 characters78 bits3 thousand yearsStrong
14 characters90 bits26 million yearsVery strong
16 characters103 bits205 billion yearsVery strong
20 characters129 bits12,289,083 trillion yearsVery strong
24 characters155 bits736,970,610,145,576 trillion yearsVery strong
Read those times with care. They assume an offline attack against a fast, poorly protected hash at roughly a trillion guesses per second — the scenario after a site's password database is stolen. Against a properly slow hash such as bcrypt or Argon2 the same attack is thousands of times slower. Against a live login form with rate limiting, an attacker gets a handful of tries. The offline number is the worst case, which is exactly what you should design against, because you have no control over how a site stores your password.

Length Beats Complexity

Adding character types expands the alphabet. Adding length multiplies exponentially. Length wins, and it is not close.

Character sets usedAlphabet16-char entropyOffline attack time
Lowercase only2675 bits691 years
Upper + lower5291 bits45 million years
+ digits6295 bits755 million years
All four sets88103 bits205 billion years

Going from lowercase-only to all four sets adds 28 bits. Going from 16 to 24 characters of lowercase alone adds 38 bits. Eight more characters beat every symbol on your keyboard.

Which is why "P@ssw0rd1!" is worthless. It ticks every composition box a website could ask for — uppercase, lowercase, number, symbol, ten characters — and it is in every cracking dictionary ever assembled. Attackers do not try aaaaaaaaaa then aaaaaaaaab. They try real passwords first, then real passwords with predictable substitutions. The entropy formula assumes random selection; a human-chosen password that merely looks complex has a fraction of the entropy its length suggests.

How This Generator Works

Three things distinguish a sound generator from a superficial one.

PropertyWhat this generator does
Random sourceUses crypto.getRandomValues() — the browser's cryptographic generator. Not Math.random(), which is predictable and unsuitable for secrets
Unbiased selectionRejection sampling, so every character is exactly equally likely. A plain modulo would very slightly favour some characters
Guaranteed compositionAt least one character from every set you tick, then the whole password is shuffled
Nothing transmittedRuns entirely in your browser. No server sees the password
An honest note about guaranteed composition. Forcing at least one character from each set makes passwords that always satisfy a site's rules — but it is very slightly less random than pure selection, because a small set like the ten digits gets a guaranteed slot. In our testing digits appear about 1.3 times more often than pure chance would give. The cost is roughly one to three bits of entropy on a 16-character password: about 101 bits instead of 103. That is a trade almost everyone should take, since a password rejected by a signup form is worth nothing at all.
Browser support. The generator relies on crypto.getRandomValues(), which is available in every current browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and their mobile versions — and has been for over a decade. No plugin or permission is needed. The Copy button uses the modern clipboard interface where the page is served over HTTPS, and falls back to an older method otherwise, so copying works either way. If JavaScript is disabled the generator cannot run, since there is no server doing the work.

How to Use This Generator

  1. Set the length. Sixteen is a good default; go to 20 or more for email, banking and password-manager master passwords.
  2. Leave all four character sets on unless a site refuses symbols — some still do.
  3. Use "exclude similar" if you will type it by hand, which removes 0 O I l 1. Skip it if you are copying and pasting.
  4. Generate several and pick one. They are all equally random; choosing by appearance costs you nothing.
  5. Save it in a password manager immediately. A generated password you cannot retrieve is worse than useless.
Do not use a generated password you have not stored somewhere. The single most common failure with random passwords is generating a good one, using it, and losing access to the account. Set up the password manager first, then generate.

What Modern Guidance Actually Says

Official advice changed substantially, and most websites have not caught up. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology revised its digital identity guidelines to reverse several long-standing rules.

Old ruleCurrent guidanceWhy it changed
Change passwords every 90 daysDo not force expiry without evidence of compromiseForced rotation produces predictable variations — Summer2025, Summer2026
Require upper, lower, number, symbolDrop composition rulesThey push people toward predictable patterns without adding real entropy
Use password hints and security questionsAvoid bothMother's maiden name and first pet are frequently public
Short passwords are fine with complexityLength is the priority; support long passwordsLength is what actually resists brute force
Check against known breached passwordsA password in a breach corpus is cracked instantly regardless of how complex it looks

The Australian Cyber Security Centre gives complementary advice for people rather than system designers: use a passphrase of several unrelated random words, make it long, make it unique to each account, and turn on multi-factor authentication wherever it is offered.

Passphrases vs Random Strings

A passphrase of genuinely random words is the alternative worth knowing about, because it is memorable in a way a random string never will be.

Random wordsEntropyOffline attack time
3 words39 bitsEffectively instant
4 words52 bitsAbout 30 minutes
5 words65 bitsAbout 165 days
6 words78 bitsAbout 4,000 years

Based on words drawn randomly from a 7,776-word list. Words you choose yourself carry far less entropy than words chosen by dice or software.

The word "random" is doing all the work. Four words you thought of are not four random words — human word choice clusters heavily around common, related and personally meaningful terms. A passphrase only reaches these figures if the words were selected by a genuinely random process. Use a passphrase where you must type it from memory, such as a device login or password-manager master password. Use a generated random string everywhere else, because the manager types it for you.

Uniqueness Matters More Than Strength

This is the part people underweight. A 30-character password is worthless the moment it is reused somewhere that gets breached.

Credential stuffing is the dominant attack: take usernames and passwords from one breach and try them automatically across hundreds of other sites. It does not care how strong your password is. It only cares that you used it twice.

ScenarioOutcome
Strong password, reused across 20 sitesOne breach compromises all 20
Moderate but unique password per siteOne breach compromises one account
Unique strong password plus MFABreach alone is not enough to get in
Variations do not count as unique. Using Password1!Gmail and Password1!Bank is reuse with extra steps. Anyone who obtains one can guess the pattern in seconds — and automated tools test exactly these variations.

Password Managers

Nobody can remember thirty unique random passwords. Any advice that assumes you can will be quietly ignored, and quiet non-compliance is how reuse happens. A password manager makes unique passwords practical.

The common objection, answered. "Isn't putting all my passwords in one place risky?" Reputable managers encrypt your vault on your device with a key derived from your master password — the provider cannot read it, and a breach of their servers yields encrypted data. Compare that with the realistic alternative, which is reusing one password everywhere or writing them in a document. Concentrated and properly encrypted beats scattered and weak.

Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA is the single highest-value security step after unique passwords, because it breaks the link between a stolen password and a compromised account.

MethodStrengthNotes
Passkeys / security keyStrongestCryptographically bound to the real site, so phishing does not work
Authenticator appStrongSix-digit codes generated on your device. Widely supported and free
Push approvalGoodConvenient, but beware approval fatigue — never approve a prompt you did not trigger
SMS codesWeakestVulnerable to SIM swapping and interception — but far better than nothing

Enable it on email first. Your email address is the reset path for nearly every other account you hold, which makes it the highest-value target you own.

Where to Prioritise

AccountSuggested lengthWhy
Email20+ charactersControls password resets for everything else. Protect it first
Password managerLong passphraseMust be memorable and very strong. Never reuse it anywhere
Banking and government20+ charactersDirect financial and identity exposure
Work accounts16–20 charactersCompromise can extend well beyond you
Social media16+ charactersIdentity and reputation, and often a reset path
Shopping and forums16 charactersLower stakes, but must still be unique

Password Security Checklist

Everything above, condensed. Work down the list — the first three matter far more than the rest.

Do thisWhy it matters
Use a unique password for every accountThe highest-impact habit. One breach then compromises one account, not twenty
Store them in a password managerThe only realistic way to keep dozens of unique passwords without writing them somewhere worse
Turn on multi-factor authenticationProtects you when a password leaks through no fault of yours. Start with email
Use at least 16 charactersAbout 103 bits — beyond brute force. Use 20+ for email, banking and your master password
Let software choose the charactersHuman-chosen passwords have a fraction of the entropy their length suggests
Keep personal information outBirthdays, pet names and teams are tried first, and much of it is public
Never share a passwordLegitimate services never ask. Use proper sharing features where a manager offers them
Change it when a service reports a breachNot on a schedule — on evidence. Rotation without cause produces predictable variations
Save it before you use itA generated password you cannot retrieve locks you out of your own account
If you only do one thing, make it a password manager. It solves uniqueness, length and randomness in a single step, and it resists phishing by refusing to autofill on lookalike domains — a protection no amount of password strength provides.

Common Mistakes

  1. Reusing passwords across sites. The most damaging habit there is. One breach becomes many.
  2. Believing a site's strength meter. Most check composition, not entropy. "P@ssw0rd1!" scores well and is cracked instantly.
  3. Predictable substitutions. @ for a, 0 for o, 3 for e. Every cracking tool applies these automatically.
  4. Personal information. Birthdays, pet names, street names and sports teams are the first things tried, and much of it is public.
  5. Short passwords with symbols. Eight characters is around 52 bits — under an hour offline. No amount of punctuation fixes eight characters.
  6. Generating without storing. A random password you cannot retrieve locks you out of your own account.
  7. Skipping MFA because the password is strong. MFA protects you when the password leaks through no fault of yours — which is how most passwords leak.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this password generator safe to use?

It runs entirely in your browser using crypto.getRandomValues(), the cryptographic random source browsers provide for encryption keys. Nothing is sent to a server, logged or stored — you can disconnect from the internet and it still works. That said, the safest password is one you generate in your own password manager, since it is stored securely the moment it is created.

How long should a password be?

Sixteen characters is a sound default, giving about 103 bits of entropy with all four character sets. Use 20 or more for email, banking and your password-manager master password. Below 12 characters the numbers deteriorate quickly — eight characters is around 52 bits, which is under an hour against a fast offline attack.

What makes a password strong?

Two things: entropy, and being unique to one account. Entropy comes from length multiplied by the logarithm of the alphabet size, and length contributes far more than adding symbols. Uniqueness matters just as much, because a strong password reused anywhere fails as soon as any one of those sites is breached.

Can hackers crack a generated password?

Not by brute force at reasonable lengths. A 16-character random password from a full character set has around 103 bits of entropy, which is roughly 205 billion years even against a trillion guesses per second. Realistically, passwords are lost through database breaches, phishing and reuse — not through guessing. That is why unique passwords and MFA matter more than extra length beyond about 20 characters.

Should I use symbols in passwords?

Yes if the site allows them, but they matter less than most people think. Moving from lowercase-only to all four sets adds about 28 bits at 16 characters, while adding eight more characters adds 38. Use symbols, but never trade length to get them.

Should every account have a different password?

Yes, and this matters more than password strength. Credential stuffing takes credentials from one breach and tries them automatically across hundreds of other sites — it does not care how strong your password is, only that you used it twice. Variations such as adding the site name to a common base do not count as unique.

Should I use a password manager?

For most people, yes. Nobody can remember thirty unique random passwords, and advice that assumes otherwise leads to reuse. A manager also resists phishing by refusing to autofill on lookalike domains. Protect it with a long passphrase and multi-factor authentication, and make sure you understand the account recovery process before you need it.

How often should I change my password?

Current NIST guidance says not to force periodic changes without evidence of compromise. Forced rotation pushes people toward predictable variations, which is worse than a strong password left in place. Change a password immediately if a service reports a breach, if it appears in a breach-checking service, or if you have any reason to think it is exposed.

What is a passphrase and is it better?

A passphrase is several genuinely random words strung together. Six random words from a 7,776-word list gives about 78 bits — comparable to a 12-character random string but far easier to remember. The catch is that the words must be chosen randomly; four words you thought of yourself carry much less entropy. Use passphrases where you must type from memory, and generated strings everywhere else.

Why does the strength rating use bits?

Because bits of entropy are the only measure that reflects actual difficulty. Ratings based on which character types you ticked can be badly misleading — a long lowercase-only password can be stronger than a short one containing every symbol. Bits are calculated from length and alphabet size and are directly comparable across any two passwords.

What is multi-factor authentication?

MFA requires a second proof of identity beyond your password — a code from an authenticator app, a security key, or a passkey. It means a stolen password alone is not enough to access your account. Passkeys and hardware keys are strongest because they are cryptographically bound to the real site and cannot be phished; SMS is the weakest but still far better than nothing.

Can I save the passwords generated here?

Not on this page — nothing is stored, which is deliberate. Copy the password straight into your password manager or the account you are creating. If you lose it before saving it, generate another; there is no way to recover one from this page because it was never recorded anywhere.

Long, Random, and Never Reused

Password security comes down to three things: make them long, make them genuinely random, and never use the same one twice. The generator above handles the first two. The third needs a password manager, because it is the only realistic way to keep dozens of unique passwords without writing them somewhere worse.

For other tools in this section, the IP subnet calculator and bandwidth calculator cover the networking side.

Then turn on multi-factor authentication, starting with your email — because that account is the reset path for everything else you own.

🌐 Internet & Tech Tools

Password Generator — strong random passwords (this page) IP Subnet Calculator — network ranges and host counts Bandwidth Calculator — transfer times and data usage Base64 Encoder / Decoder URL Encoder / Decoder

📋 References & Further Reading

Australian Cyber Security Centre — Passphrases and account security NIST SP 800-63B — Digital identity guidelines for authentication OWASP — Authentication and access control guidance Australian Cyber Security Centre — Multi-factor authentication