Password vs Passphrase: Which Is More Secure?

A detailed comparison of random passwords and passphrases — security, usability, and when to use each.

What Is a Random Password?

A random password is a string of characters generated using a cryptographically secure random number generator. It draws from uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, and symbols — typically 95 printable ASCII characters.

xK9#mP2$vL7@nQ4&

~105 bits

Entropy (16 chars, full set)

16 chars

Typical length

What Is a Passphrase?

A passphrase is a sequence of randomly chosen words from a curated wordlist. The EFF Short Wordlist uses 1,296 common words (6⁴ possibilities). Security comes from the number of words, not their complexity.

Cream-Hobby-Vivid-Scope

~45 bits

Entropy (4 words, capitalized)

~24 chars

Typical length

Security Comparison

Factor	Random Password	Passphrase
Entropy per char	~6.5 bits	~1.9 bits (per char)
16-char entropy	~105 bits	~45 bits (4 words)
Brute-force resistance	Excellent	Good (5+ words = excellent)
Dictionary attack	Immune	Resistant (random word choice)
Memorability	Very hard	Moderate
Typing speed	Slow (symbols)	Fast (common words)
Compatibility	Universal	Some length limits

When to Use Each

Use a Random Password When...

You use a password manager (most common case)

Maximum security per character is needed

The service has a short length limit

You never need to type it manually

Protecting high-value accounts (banking, email)

Use a Passphrase When...

You need to memorize it (master password)

You type it frequently (device login)

The service supports long passwords

You want something human-readable

Teaching others about password security

Crack Time Comparison

Assuming 10 billion guesses per second (a powerful GPU cluster):

8-char password (mixed)

52 bits entropy

~26 days

3-word passphrase

34 bits entropy

~9 seconds

12-char password (mixed)

79 bits entropy

~960 million years

4-word passphrase

45 bits entropy

~1.8 hours

16-char password (mixed)

105 bits entropy

~1.3 trillion years

6-word passphrase

67 bits entropy

~2,340 years

Generate Your Own

Try both methods and find what works best for your needs.

Open Password Generator