Frequently Asked Questions

Pure Random is a certified Hardware Random Number Generator (HRNG) service. We use dedicated cryptographic hardware — Certified Hardware Security Module — to generate true random numbers from physical entropy sources, not software algorithms. Every number is logged to an immutable audit trail that anyone can verify.

Yes. Our Hardware Security Module generates randomness from thermal noise — the unpredictable movement of electrons in silicon caused by heat. This is a genuine physical phenomenon that is fundamentally unpredictable, unlike software pseudo-random generators which use deterministic algorithms.

Software random number generators (PRNGs) use mathematical algorithms that produce sequences that appear random but are actually deterministic. Given the same starting "seed", they always produce the same sequence. Our hardware RNG uses true physical entropy — there's no seed, no algorithm to reverse-engineer, and no way to predict outcomes.

The generator on this website is free to use, subject to usage limits and our Terms & Conditions. A Premium account unlocks additional tools, higher limits, saved draw history, and a verified client identifier on your draws.

Google's generator is a free browser widget. There's no audit trail, no certification, no record that any specific draw ever happened, and no way to prove the result wasn't manipulated in the user's browser.

Pure Random™ is a certified service built for verifiable results:

• Hardware entropy from a FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certified HSM (not a software algorithm with a seed)
• GLI-19 certified — the gambling industry's standard for RNGs
• Every draw logged with a unique audit ID, timestamp, and parameters
• Publicly verifiable — anyone can check a live draw happened and wasn't altered
• Tamper-proof audit trail — deletion and modification are blocked at all levels

Our underlying hardware (Certified Hardware Security Module) is certified to FIPS 140-3 Level 3 — the highest level of physical security for cryptographic modules. Our complete RNG system is certified to GLI-19, the gaming industry standard for random number generators. We've also passed all 15 tests in the NIST SP 800-22 statistical test suite.

FIPS 140-3 is the current US government security standard for cryptographic modules, published by NIST — it supersedes the older FIPS 140-2 and aligns with the international ISO/IEC 19790 standard. Level 3 requires physical tamper-resistance and tamper-evidence — if someone tries to physically access the internals of the HSM, it will detect the attempt and zeroize (destroy) all keys and sensitive data. This prevents hardware-level attacks.

Software RNGs are deterministic algorithms — given the same starting state, they produce the same output. They look random, but they're really just stretching a small seed into a long sequence using maths. If that seed is weak or predictable — and in software it often is — the output can be predicted or reproduced.

Pure Random™ is different because its randomness comes from certified physical hardware. Our FIPS 140-3 Level 3 HSM contains a true hardware entropy source that draws randomness from unpredictable physical electronic noise inside a tamper-resistant chip — continuously feeding the generator with genuine physical randomness rather than a guessable software seed. There's no weak seed to leak and no way to reproduce or replay a draw.

For anything that needs to be defensible — prize draws, gambling, competitions — that distinction matters: the result can't be predicted, replayed, or reverse-engineered. A skilled attacker can crack a weakly-seeded software RNG and predict what comes next — they can't do that with certified physical entropy.

GLI-19 is a technical standard published by Gaming Laboratories International for evaluating random number generators used in gaming and gambling. It covers statistical testing, unpredictability, non-repeatability, and security. GLI-19 certification is required or accepted by gambling regulators in many jurisdictions worldwide.

We use rejection sampling to eliminate modulo bias. When you request a number from 1-100, we don't simply take a large random number and use modulo 100 (which would slightly favour lower numbers). Instead, we reject any values that would cause bias and only accept values that map uniformly to your requested range.

All infrastructure runs in secure UK-based infrastructure. Your generated numbers and audit logs are stored in the UK. See our Privacy Policy for full details on how we handle data.

Free use of the generator is rate limited to protect the service from abuse, and caps how many numbers you can request in a single draw. Signed-in Premium accounts draw on a separate authenticated route with substantially higher limits on both. Exact limits may change over time — see our Terms & Conditions.

Every generation returns an Audit ID (a UUID). Take this ID to our Verify page and enter it. We'll show you the exact numbers generated, the timestamp, the range used, and other details. This allows anyone to independently confirm the results of a draw.

No. Our database enforces controls that prevent any modification or deletion of audit records — even by database administrators. Once a number is generated and logged, that record is immutable. Additionally, all database access is logged, and infrastructure changes are tracked via infrastructure audit logging.

Audit records are retained indefinitely. We do not delete historical generation records.

Absolutely — this is one of our primary use cases. The combination of certified hardware randomness and instant public verification makes Pure Random ideal for running fair, transparent prize draws. Participants can verify results using the Audit ID.

We can run draws on an independent third-party basis for organisations that need one. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.