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Password Strength Checker

Check how strong a password really is: common passwords, words, names, keyboard patterns and dates detected, crack-time estimates and tips.

Is your password as strong as you think? Many password meters only count characters and symbols, so they rate P@ssw0rd as strong. This checker uses zxcvbn, the open-source estimator created at Dropbox, which looks for the patterns real attackers try first: the most common passwords, English words and names, words with l33t substitutions (@ for a, 0 for o), keyboard patterns like qwerty, repeated characters, sequences like abc or 123, and dates and years.

Type or paste a password and you get a score from very weak to very strong, the estimated number of guesses needed, how long it would take to crack in four typical attack scenarios, the weak parts it found, and suggestions to improve it. Everything runs in your browser: the password is never stored, never added to the page address and never sent anywhere.

How to use Password Strength Checker

  1. Type or paste a password into the box (use Show password to see it).
  2. Read the score and the verdict.
  3. Check the crack-time estimates and the weak parts found.
  4. Follow the suggestions, or create a new random password with the Password Generator.

Features

  • zxcvbn estimator: recognises common passwords, words, names and patterns.
  • Score from 0 (very weak) to 4 (very strong) with a meter.
  • Guesses needed and bits of strength.
  • Crack times for online and offline attacks.
  • The weak parts found and how to fix them.
  • Runs in your browser: the password is never stored or sent.

The four attack scenarios

How fast a password falls depends on how it is attacked. An attacker guessing on a website's login page is slowed down by rate limits; an attacker who has stolen a database of password hashes can guess offline, and how fast depends on how the site hashed the passwords. The checker estimates all four cases from the number of guesses the password needs.

ScenarioGuessing speedExample
Online, rate-limited100 guesses per hourA login page that locks or slows down after failures
Online, not limited10 guesses per secondA poorly protected login
Offline, slow hash10,000 guesses per secondStolen hashes made with bcrypt or Argon2
Offline, fast hash10 billion guesses per secondStolen hashes made with MD5 or SHA-1 on GPUs

What makes a password strong

Length and unpredictability. Attackers don't try every combination in order; they start with leaked password lists, dictionary words, names and common tweaks like a capital first letter and a number or ! at the end. So Summer2024! is weak even though it has every character type, while four random words such as correct horse battery staple are strong because there are so many possible combinations. A password made by a random generator, 14 or more characters long, is strong; one you invented is usually weaker than it feels.

Privacy of this checker

The password you type is analysed by code running in this page. It is not sent to a server, not saved in your browser, not added to the address bar and not logged. The zxcvbn dictionaries are downloaded with the page, so no lookup ever leaves your device. Even so, you may prefer to test a password that is similar to your real one rather than the real thing — the score will be about the same.

Beyond strength

A strong password still fails if it is reused: when one site is breached, attackers try the same email and password everywhere. Use a different password for every account, keep them in a password manager, and turn on two-factor authentication for important accounts — then even a stolen password isn't enough to get in. If a site tells you it has been breached, change that password and any others like it.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to type my password here?

The password is checked only in your browser and is never stored or sent anywhere. If you prefer, test a similar password instead.

Why is my password with symbols rated weak?

Common substitutions like @ for a and adding a year or ! are the first things attackers try. Length and randomness matter more than symbols.

What is zxcvbn?

An open-source password strength estimator created at Dropbox. It estimates how many guesses an attacker would need using real password patterns.

How long should my password be?

At least 14 random characters, or a passphrase of four or more random words.

Does it check if my password was leaked?

It detects passwords on common-password lists, but it doesn't check breach databases online, so nothing leaves your device.

What do the crack times mean?

They estimate how long guessing would take in four attack scenarios, from a rate-limited login page to fast offline cracking of stolen hashes.

How do I make a strong password?

Use a random password generator or four or more random words, and a password manager to remember them.

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