How to check the strength of a password
A strong password is the single most effective protection for an online account. But strong is not about adding a random symbol — it is mainly about length and unpredictability.
What makes a password strong?
Strength comes from entropy — the number of guesses an attacker needs. Every extra character multiplies that number, which is why a long passphrase beats a short, complex password. The phrase 'correct-horse-battery-staple' is far stronger than 'P@ssw0rd!'.
Reused passwords are the biggest risk. If one site is breached, attackers try the same credentials everywhere. A unique password per account and a password manager are far more valuable than an exotic symbol.
How to test a password with FreetoolsY
Open the Password Strength Checker and type or paste the password you want to evaluate. The analysis runs locally in your browser, so the password is never transmitted.
- Enter a candidate password and read the strength score.
- Follow the suggestions to add length or remove predictable patterns.
- Generate a fresh, unique password with the Password Generator and store it safely.
Storing and generating passwords
Use a password manager to generate and remember a different long password for every account. Then you only need to memorise one strong master passphrase.
If you need to fingerprint a file or string, the SHA Hash Generator produces a SHA-256 digest. Note that for storing passwords you should use a slow, salted algorithm such as bcrypt or Argon2 rather than a plain SHA hash.