THE NUMBERS, EXPLAINED
How to use this calculator.
Assumes uniformly random characters and exhaustive search. Human passwords, stolen hashes and attack costs can invalidate this simplistic comparison.
Start with your inputs
Enter alphabet size, password length, guesses per second. Keep amounts in the units shown on each field. The example is a starting point, not a recommended value.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Alphabet size | 26 |
| Password length | 8 |
| Guesses per second | 1000 |
A worked example
With the example inputs above, possible strings is 208827064576. Change the inputs to explore your own scenario.
| Result | Example answer |
|---|---|
| Possible strings | 208827064576 |
| Worst-case ideal search seconds | 208,827,064.576 |
How this is calculated
Possible strings
a^b, using exact integer arithmetic.
Worst-case ideal search seconds
a^b/c, using a floating-point estimate of search time.
Symbols and units
- a
- Alphabet size
- b
- Password length
- c
- Guesses per second
Use the units shown. A list keeps the order in which you enter its values. The symbol ^ means “raised to the power of”.
Assumptions and limits
Assumes uniformly random characters and exhaustive search. Human passwords, stolen hashes and attack costs can invalidate this simplistic comparison.
Calculations use the values you enter. Blank or invalid inputs show an error instead of silently substituting zero. Results are displayed to useful precision; calculations retain the underlying numeric precision.
Questions about this tool
What does the result tell me?
Possible strings; Worst-case ideal search seconds. The result applies to the method and inputs described above. Check the units and assumptions before using it in a decision.
Why might another calculator differ?
Differences in units, rounding, timing or model definitions can produce different answers. Compare the input definitions and the method, rather than only the final number. For this tool: Assumes uniformly random characters and exhaustive search. Human passwords, stolen hashes and attack costs can invalidate this simplistic comparison.
Are my inputs stored or sent to AI?
Calculations on this page happen in your browser. The separate AI question finder sends its submitted conversation to OpenAI; these calculator fields are not sent. Favourites and recent tool names are stored locally. A shared link contains the inputs you choose to include.
Review status
Software example and browser checks are recorded in our quality report. No external expert review is claimed. Created with coding assistance; calculations run as ordinary browser code.
Read the quality report →