Password Strength Checker

Understanding how strong a password really is

Most password rules focus on character types, but attackers do not guess randomly. They start with lists of leaked passwords, common words, names, dates and keyboard patterns, and they apply predictable substitutions such as replacing a with @ or o with 0. A password like 'P@ssw0rd2026' meets many website rules, yet it would be guessed very quickly because it follows exactly the patterns attackers try first.

This checker looks for those patterns and estimates how long a password would survive a realistic attack. It flags common passwords, dictionary words, repeated characters, sequences like 123 or abc, keyboard runs like qwerty, and years or dates. The feedback explains what weakens the password, so you can understand the problem rather than just seeing a low score. Use it to judge passwords you are thinking of using, or to see why a familiar password is less safe than it feels.

The check runs entirely in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere. Even so, a good habit is to test a password that is similar to your real one rather than the exact password you use. If your current password scores poorly, change it on the site where it is used, starting with email and banking accounts. Your email is especially important because it can be used to reset every other password. The strongest approach is a long random password from a generator, stored in a password manager, with two-factor authentication switched on for important accounts. Length beats clever tricks. A few extra random words or characters add far more strength than swapping letters for symbols.