Password Strength Checker

Find out how secure your password really is. Test its strength, learn how long it would take to crack, and check if it's been exposed in past data breaches

Length: 0


Length

At least 12 characters long

Uppercase

A-Z

Lowercase

a-z

Numbers

0-9

Symbols

!@#$%^&*?~,.[]{}+-

We don't collect or store any entered passwords


This password strength checker rates a password as you type, estimates how long it would take to guess by brute force, and checks whether it has appeared in known data breaches. The scoring happens in your browser; the breach check uses a privacy-preserving lookup that never sends the password itself.

How the checker works

  • Strength rating: based on length (12 or more characters is the target) and which character types are present: uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols.
  • Estimated time to crack: calculated from the password's length and character variety, reduced for repeated characters, sequences like abc or 123, and keyboard patterns like qwer. It assumes an offline attack making 10 billion guesses per second.
  • Breach check: your browser computes the password's SHA-1 hash and sends only its first five characters to the Have I Been Pwned Pwned Passwords service. The service returns every breached hash that starts with those characters, and your browser compares them locally. Neither PagesTest nor the service ever sees the password.

Understanding your results

  • "Exposed in data breaches" outweighs everything else. Attackers try breached passwords first, so a password on that list is weak however long it is. Stop using it everywhere.
  • The crack time is an estimate for random guessing. Real attackers start with dictionaries, leaked lists and common patterns, so a password built from a word plus a number (Summer2025!) falls much faster than its score suggests.
  • The checklist shows which character types are missing. Adding length usually helps more than adding a symbol.

What makes a password strong?

  • Length: 16 or more characters for important accounts.
  • Randomness: not based on words, names, dates or keyboard patterns. The Password Generator creates random passwords for you.
  • Uniqueness: used for one account only, so a breach elsewhere can't unlock it.
  • Not previously breached: confirmed with the check above.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to type my password into this checker?

The password is evaluated in your browser and not sent to PagesTest. For the breach check, only the first five characters of its SHA-1 hash leave your device, which can't be turned back into the password. If you'd rather be cautious, test a password of the same style instead of your real one.

My password is "very strong" but was found in a breach. Which is right?

Both. The rating measures length and variety; the breach check shows the exact password is already on lists attackers use. A breached password should be replaced regardless of its rating.

How long does it take to crack an 8-character password?

With a mix of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols there are roughly 6 quadrillion combinations. At 10 billion guesses per second, that is about a week to try them all, and much less if the password follows a common pattern. That is why 12 to 16 characters is now the recommended minimum.

What should I do if my password was in a breach?

Change it on every account where you used it, and use a different, randomly generated password for each one. Turn on two-factor authentication where available.