Password Manager vs Password Generator: You Need Both

Ask the internet "password manager or password generator?" and you get tribal answers. The truthful answer is that they are complementary tools that do not overlap. Skimping on either leaves a gap.

What each one does

The division of labour

The generator creates; the manager remembers. One without the other collapses into the same old trap: you either reuse weak passwords you can remember (no generator) or you create strong ones and write them in a notes app (no manager).

The workflow that works

1. Generate a 20-character random password with the generator.
2. Save it in the password manager, attached to the right account.
3. Let the manager autofill it wherever you sign in.
4. For the manager's own master password, use a long phrase — 6+ words, only in your head.

That is the whole system. Each account gets a unique strong password; you memorise exactly one thing.

When to skip the manager

Some users prefer generated passwords for sensitive one-off sessions — like kiosks or borrowed machines — where storing a password would itself be risky. Generate per session, use, and forget. The generator shines here precisely because it is stateless.