maratoolPassword generator vs API key generator
A side-by-side comparison of Password Generator and API Key Generator.
A password is typed by a human and stored hashed; an API key is read by a machine and stored as plaintext (or, hopefully, encrypted at rest). Those two facts cascade into different entropy targets, character sets, and lifecycles.
Passwords aim for ~70–80 bits of entropy with a friendly enough character set that users do not paste from a manager and miss a character. API keys aim for 128+ bits because they never get typed and they often grant broad scope across an account.
When to use Password Generator
Use the password generator for any credential a human will enter — even occasionally. 16–24 characters with mixed case, digits, and a few symbols clears modern policy bars without becoming unreadable. The output is meant to land in a password manager, not memory.
When to use API Key Generator
Use the API key generator for tokens that authenticate machine-to-machine calls. 32–64 characters of URL-safe alphabet (base62 or base64url) is standard. Pair each key with a prefix that identifies the environment (sk_live_, pk_test_) so leaked keys are obvious in logs.
Side-by-side comparison
| Password Generator | API Key Generator | |
|---|---|---|
| Read by | Humans (occasionally typed) | Machines (never typed) |
| Storage | Hashed (bcrypt/Argon2) | Plaintext or encrypted at rest |
| Target entropy | ~70–80 bits | 128–256 bits |
| Typical length | 16–24 chars | 32–64 chars |
| Character set | Mixed case + digits + symbols | URL-safe (base62 / base64url) |
| Lifetime | Months to years | Often rotated quarterly or per-deploy |
| Identifies the user | Yes — via login | Indirectly — via key → account mapping |
| Multi-factor pairs | TOTP, WebAuthn | IP allowlist, scoped permissions |
Bottom line
Use the password generator for credentials a human ever touches; use the API key generator for machine secrets that never get typed and must survive copy/paste through URLs and headers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the API key generator for passwords?
You can, but the URL-safe alphabet (no symbols) means lower entropy per character. Add 4–8 characters to compensate. Conversely, do not use a password (with symbols) as an API key — the symbols may need URL-encoding.
How long should an API key be?
32 base62 characters is ~190 bits of entropy and is fine for almost any service. Stripe-style keys use 24+ random chars after a prefix. Anything above 64 chars is more about UX than security.
Should API keys be rotated?
Yes — ideally on a fixed cadence (quarterly) and always on personnel changes or suspected leaks. The generator should make rotation cheap; the bottleneck is usually the deploy pipeline, not the entropy.
What is a key prefix for?
A prefix like sk_live_ makes leaked keys instantly identifiable in logs, GitHub scans, and bug reports — services like GitHub auto-revoke recognized prefixes on push. Always pick a unique prefix per environment.