Creating and maintaining a strong password is a modern-day necessity. Like your house keys, a password acts as the main entry point to your online identity. That's why cybercriminals are always on the prowl, searching for weak spots to crack your password and infiltrate your digital life.

If you are worried about your password security, use the top password strength checkers listed below to calm your worried mind. These online tools will help you validate the strength of your passwords and keep digital burglars at bay.

The Top 4 Password Strength Checkers

According to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Report, 80 percent of hacking-related breaches are linked to weak or reused passwords.

While there are several web-based tools that can rate the strength of your password, you should only choose those you can trust with your credentials. A trustworthy password strength checker should not collect or store your password in any capacity; instead, it should process the password only in the browser.

A good tool should also evaluate the password for brute-force or dictionary attacks and check if it has previously been compromised. Based on these criteria, we recommend the following four password strength checkers.

1. NordPass

NordPass Password Strength Checker

NordPass tops our list for the best password strength checker for several reasons. The tool is built by the same team responsible for NordVPN. It's basically a password manager tool that not only lets you check your password's health but also helps you create strong and secure passwords.

Unlike the health report and other security features that can be accessed using the premium app, the password strength checker is available on the NordPass website for free. You can use the tool to evaluate the strength of your password without downloading the app or even creating an account.

Related: The Best Online Password Generators for Strong Random Passwords

NordPass checks your password for essential elements like password length, symbols, lower and uppercase letters, and numbers. It also estimates the amount of time it would take for a hacker to crack your password. A key feature of the tool is its ability to check your password against a known database of compromised passwords. You can use this feature to determine if your password was compromised in any data breach.

Pros of NordPass:

  • No sign up required
  • No password collection
  • Checks your password for past data breaches

Con of NordPass:

  • Some features require upgrading to the premium version

2. Kaspersky Password Strength Meter

Kaspersky Password Strength Checker1

Kaspersky Lab is a cybersecurity firm renowned for its VPNs, anti-virus solutions, and similar security products. The company also provides an online Password Strength Meter that validates your password for resistance against brute-force attacks. It also checks if your password was compromised in a data breach.

It's pertinent to mention that Kaspersky uses two third-party solutions to check your password. These solutions include:

The algorithm checks your password security and calculates the estimated time it would take to brute-force your password on an average PC. The algorithm is strong enough to detect dictionary words and common combinations of characters in your password.

The second solution matches your password against databases of compromised passwords. Have I Been Pwned is an internet security website containing one the most comprehensive collections of compromised accounts in the world.

Pros of Kaspersky Password Strength Meter:

  • Simple interface
  • Secure and reliable
  • Features an extensive FAQs page related to password security

Con of Kaspersky Password Strength Meter:

  • The tool doesn't provide much information about the strength of your password

3. LastPass

LastPass Password Strength Checker

While many users know LastPass as a freemium password manager, it can also be used to check your password's strength. Similar to NordPass, the tool runs locally without sending any data to the internet.

Once you enter your password, LastPass checks it for letters, symbols, length, and patterns to provide an overall grade for the password. A major downside of the tool is its inability to test password exposure in data breaches.

Related: What Is a Data Breach and How Can You Protect Yourself?

Pros of LastPass:

  • No data sent to the web
  • Detects patterns and dictionary words used in the password

Con of LastPass:

  • It doesn't check passwords for past data breaches

4. UIC Password Strength Test

UIC Password Strength Checker

The University of Illinois at Chicago has designed a robust password strength tester that offers deep insights into your passwords' strengths and weaknesses. The tool uses a complex way to analyze password strength and provides instant visual feedback.

The UIC password strength checker highlights repeated characters, consecutive letters, sequential symbols, and factors that other password strength testers don't usually consider.

The tool also highlights the complexity of a given password and adds or deducts points based on the password length and character variety. The final score ranges from 0 to 100 and indicates a cumulative result of all the bonuses and deductions.

UIC Bonuses & Deductions

Interestingly, the tool doesn't show the 'time to crack' estimate and finds it an unreliable measure of strength determination.

Pros of UIC Password Strength Test:

  • A comprehensive password strength checker
  • Provides numeric and visual feedback
  • Provides password tips

Cons of UIC Password Strength Test:

  • The application doesn't check passwords for data breaches
  • It doesn't provide an estimate for the time it'd take to crack the password

Password Strength Checkers Basics

All the password strength checkers mentioned exist primarily to help you understand what you need to improve your passwords. Therefore, you should use these tools to enhance your digital identity management.

Most strength testers judge a password based on the following two key factors:

  • Length
  • Complexity

The longer a password, the harder it's for cybercriminals to crack and infiltrate your personal information. Most of these password strength checkers mandate a minimum of ten characters to safeguard your digital identity.

Read more: Ways to Make Up Passwords That Are Secure and Memorable

As for complexity, identity experts advise including letters, both upper and lowercase, characters, and symbols in your passwords. Steer clear of patterns in your passwords because hackers can easily identify predictable sequences and exploit them.

Prioritize Your Security With Password Strength Checkers

A strong password provides the first line of defense against online fraud and identity theft. However, a single flaw in your password can dent your security and make you vulnerable to cyberattacks.

With these password strength checkers, you'll be able to recognize and fix potential vulnerabilities in your passwords and maximize your online security.