Random number generator: pick a number in any range
This random number generator picks a number for you in one tap. Set the lowest and highest numbers, and it chooses one at random, fairly, with nothing to install and no account. Use it to pick a number between 1 and 10, run a raffle, play a guessing game or choose a sample. It is free and works in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer.
How to use the number picker
The page reads like a sentence: “Pick a number between 1 and 100”. Each part of it changes with a tap.
- Set the range. Tap the lowest or the highest number to open a keypad, then type any whole number up to 9 digits long, so up to 999,999,999. Negative numbers are not supported.
- Use a quick range. The bottom bar has shortcuts for 1 to 10, 1 to 100 and 1 to 1000.
- Choose how many. Tap “a number” to get 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15 or 20 numbers at once. Several numbers appear as a list, in the order they were drawn.
- No repeats. Turn on the No repeats switch and the numbers in one pick will all be different, like drawing tickets from a hat. Leave it off and each number is drawn on its own, so the same one can come up twice.
- Watch it roll. Tap the number or press the Space bar. The number rolls like a slot machine reel, slows down and lands on the result.
- Use your voice. Tap the microphone in the header and say “pick a number between 1 and 50”.
Your recent results stay in a history on the page, so you can look back at what came up. The Sound button in the bottom bar turns the reel sound on or off, and the full screen button in the header makes the number big enough for a classroom or a live stream.
Ideas for picking random numbers
- Raffles and giveaways. Give each ticket or participant a number, set the range to match, and pick. Turn on No repeats to draw first, second and third prizes in one go.
- Lottery-style picks. Some people like to let chance choose their numbers. That is fine for fun, but a random pick does not improve your odds. Every combination is exactly as likely to win as any other.
- Games. Guess the number, “pick a number between 1 and 10” challenges, party forfeits, a random page of a book.
- Teachers. Number your students and pick one to answer, or draw random problems from a worksheet. Full screen helps the whole room see.
- Sampling. Need to check 5 random rows in a list of 400? Set the range to 1 to 400, ask for 5 numbers with No repeats, and check those rows.
For names instead of numbers, the random name picker draws from a typed list. The dice roller is quicker for board games, and a coin flip settles a choice between two.
Is the random number generator fair?
Yes. Each number comes from your browser's cryptographic random generator, the same kind of source used for security. Every whole number in your range, including both ends, has the same chance of being picked.
Some simple generators have a small flaw called modulo bias: when a raw random value is squeezed into a range, the lowest numbers can end up slightly more likely than the others. This tool avoids it. It throws away the few raw values that would cause the imbalance and draws again, so the odds stay truly even.
Each pick is independent. A number that just came up is exactly as likely to come up next time. No repeats only applies to the numbers inside one pick.
| Range | Chance for each number |
|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | 1 in 6 (about 16.7%) |
| 1 to 10 | 1 in 10 (10%) |
| 1 to 20 | 1 in 20 (5%) |
| 1 to 50 | 1 in 50 (2%) |
| 1 to 100 | 1 in 100 (1%) |
| 1 to 1000 | 1 in 1,000 (0.1%) |
The rule is simple: the chance for any one number is 1 divided by how many numbers are in the range. From 1 to 100 there are 100 numbers. From 50 to 100 there are 51, because both ends count.
Why people are bad at picking random numbers
Ask a group of friends to pick a number between 1 and 10 and the answers are rarely spread evenly. It is often said that 7 is a favorite, and many people seem to avoid the ends of the range or repeating a number they just said. A generator has none of these habits. It is just as happy to give you 1, 10, or the same number twice in a row.
That is also why it works well for fair draws. Nobody can guess what is coming, including the person running the draw. Your settings stay in your own browser, nothing is sent to a server, and the generator keeps working offline once the page has loaded.