Is a 12-character password strong enough in 2026?

For a personal account with no financial data, a mixed-type 12-character password (~79 bits of entropy) is still reasonable. For email, banking, or payments, aim for 16–20 characters instead.

What happens if I use only numbers in my password?

At 8 digits, that's roughly 26 bits of entropy — a modern GPU can brute-force the entire space in under a second. Always enable at least three character types.

Is it safe to use an online password generator?

This generator runs entirely in your browser. No data is ever sent to a server — it behaves identically offline, using `crypto.getRandomValues()` for the actual randomness.

Should I ever reuse a generated password?

Never. If one site gets breached, attackers try the same password on other services in what's called credential stuffing. A generator paired with a password manager makes unique passwords effortless — no memorization needed.

What's the difference between a random password and a passphrase?

A random password mixes character types for maximum entropy per character; a passphrase strings together several random words and needs more length to reach the same strength. Both work well — passphrases are easier to type by hand, random passwords are shorter for the same security when stored in a manager.

Password Generator

Generate secure random passwords with custom length, uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. Strength meter included — 100% in your browser, no signup.

Updated May 2026

Generated Password

Select at least one character type

Password Length 18 Characters

8 64

Character Types

Shift + Enter to Copy · Space Space to Regenerate

Uses cryptographically secure random number generation.

How to use the password generator

A strong random password in seconds

1. Set the length

Drag from 8 to 64 characters — the strength meter updates live with every change.

2. Pick your character types

Uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols — the more types you enable, the stronger the result.

3. Copy it

Click Copy or press `Shift + Enter`. Hit Space anytime to generate a new one.

What this random password generator does

Real cryptographic randomness, not a lookup table

`crypto.getRandomValues()`

The same API browsers use for TLS handshakes — not the predictable Math.random() many online generators still rely on.

Real-time strength meter

Five segments from red to green, labeled from Very Weak to Very Strong as you adjust settings.

8 to 64 characters

From everyday account passwords to master passwords for a password manager or full-disk passphrases.

100% in your browser

Nothing is ever sent to a server — it keeps working offline once the page has loaded.

Example generated passwords

Actual output varies every time — that's the point of randomness

Configuration

Approximate entropy

8 chars, all types — `k7!Rp@2W`

~52 bits — marginal

12 chars, all types — `K#9mP@vL2nXq`

~79 bits — reasonable

18 chars, all types (default)

~118 bits — very strong

8 chars, numbers only — `47291836`

~26 bits — weak

When you'll reach for this tool

The most common scenarios people use a password generator for

Signing up for a new site

A unique password per site, paired with a password manager so you never have to remember it.

Email and social media logins

Prime targets for phishing and credential stuffing — use 16+ characters with every character type on.

Database and API credentials

System-to-system authentication benefits from maximum entropy — go for 32 to 64 characters.

Your password manager's master password

20+ characters — quite possibly the only password you'll actually need to memorize.

Common mistakes when generating passwords

Fewer than 12 characters

Even with every character type enabled, a short password still has low entropy.

Reusing the same generated password

A breach on any one service exposes every account that shares the credential.

Leetspeak substitutions (`p4ssw0rd!`)

Modern cracking tools apply these substitutions automatically — they add almost no real protection.

Generating a password but never saving it

A 20-character password is useless if you forget it and reset it to something weak instead.

Why use this password generator

It uses crypto.getRandomValues() — the same cryptographically secure API behind TLS connections — instead of Math.random(), which is deterministic and predictable.

Skip public AI chatbots for password generation too: 2026 research shows they tend to produce subtly patterned output that's less secure than it looks.

Quick Tools vs. making one up yourself

Real randomness is what actually matters

Quick Tools

Password made up or written by a chatbot

Randomness source

crypto.getRandomValues()

predictable or biased

Visual strength meter

yes

Never leaves the browser

yes

depends on the service

Regenerates on every change

yes

manual effort

Frequently asked questions

At least 12 for low-risk accounts, 16 for anything you actually care about, and 20+ for email, banking, or password managers. NIST SP 800-63B now recommends a minimum of 15 characters for general single-factor authentication.

References

NIST SP 800-63B

The official US government digital identity guidelines for passwords and authenticator security.

Have I Been Pwned

Check whether your email or passwords have appeared in a known data breach.

Bitwarden

A free, open-source password manager for storing what you generate here.

`P@ssw0rd1` Passes Your Validation. That's the Problem.