What is Have I Been Pwned?
Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) is a website that lets you check if your email address or phone number has appeared in known data breaches. It's a straightforward tool for seeing if your personal information might be exposed online due to a company's security being compromised.
What Makes Have I Been Pwned Stand Out
- Transparency: It clearly lists the data breaches and the types of information exposed.
- Simplicity: The interface is clean and easy to use; you just enter your details and get a result.
- Community-driven: It's a well-respected resource maintained by security researcher Troy Hunt.
Who Should Use Have I Been Pwned?
Anyone who uses the internet and has an email address or phone number should consider using HIBP. It's particularly useful if you've signed up for many online services over the years or if you're concerned about your digital footprint. It helps you stay informed about potential risks to your accounts.
Is Have I Been Pwned Free?
Yes, checking your email address or phone number on Have I Been Pwned is completely free. The site also offers a free browser extension and API for developers to integrate breach checking into their own services.
Have I Been Pwned Alternatives in 2026
Each one takes a different angle on the same core idea — pick based on what Have I Been Pwned is missing for you.
Monitors the dark web for your compromised credentials, alerting you to potential breaches.
Provides continuous monitoring of your personal data across various breach databases.
Offers identity theft protection by scanning for your leaked personal information.
Checks if your accounts have been compromised in known data breaches with real-time alerts.
Helps you discover and remove your personal information from data broker sites.
Provides extensive threat intelligence, including breach data and domain history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does Have I Been Pwned protect you from?
Have I Been Pwned addresses Security, Check — one of the most common ways personal data gets exposed without users realizing it. It's practical, trustworthy, and free to use. Start at haveibeenpwned.com.
Is Have I Been Pwned open-source or independently audited?
Have I Been Pwned is transparent about its Security, Check implementation. Check haveibeenpwned.com for audit reports, source code, or privacy policy — the level of transparency is one of the reasons it made our list.
What are the best alternatives to Have I Been Pwned?
If Have I Been Pwned doesn't fit your specific workflow, our curated Privacy & Security directory has hand-picked alternatives — each evaluated on the same criteria. Filter by Security, Check to find tools with similar strengths.