Generate Alphanumeric Password

Yes, when long enough. A 16-character alphanumeric password with 62 possible characters provides about 95 bits of entropy, which is considered very strong. The absence of symbols is easily compensated by using a few extra characters. Many security experts prefer alphanumeric passwords for their universal compatibility.

Alphanumeric passwords work reliably across all systems, keyboard layouts, and programming environments. They avoid issues where symbols are interpreted as special commands in shell scripts, SQL queries, or URLs. They are also easier to type on mobile devices and international keyboards where symbol placement varies.

Alphanumeric includes 62 characters: 26 uppercase letters (A-Z), 26 lowercase letters (a-z), and 10 digits (0-9). This gives 5.95 bits of entropy per character. At 16 characters, that totals about 95 bits of entropy, which is sufficient to resist brute-force attacks for the foreseeable future.

There is no need to switch existing passwords that work fine. If you are creating new passwords and want maximum compatibility, alphanumeric at 16+ characters is an excellent choice. The small entropy reduction compared to including symbols is negligible at longer lengths and avoids potential encoding issues.