Random Picker
Paste a list of names or items and pick a fair, random winner — or several at once. Optionally remove winners for no-repeat draws, with every pick made privately in your browser.
8 entries in the pool
Winners are drawn in your browser with the cryptographically strong crypto.getRandomValues API — every entry has an equal chance, and nothing is sent to any server.
Understanding the Random Picker
The Random Picker is a free, browser-based wheel-of-names alternative for drawing fair winners from any list. Paste names or items one per line, choose how many winners you need, and tap Pick to reveal them instantly with a quick highlight. Toggle "remove winners after picking" for no-repeat rounds — perfect for raffles, classroom call-outs, giveaways, secret-santa order, or deciding who goes first in standup. A small recent-picks history keeps the last few draws visible, and a live count shows how many entries remain. Everything runs locally in your browser, so your list never leaves your device and there is nothing to install.
How it works
The picker reads your textarea, trims blank lines, and treats each remaining line as one entry. When you click Pick it validates that you have at least one entry and that the requested winner count does not exceed the pool. Selection uses the browser's crypto.getRandomValues — a cryptographically strong random source — combined with rejection sampling to eliminate modulo bias, so every entry has an exactly equal probability. For multiple winners it runs a partial Fisher-Yates shuffle to draw distinct names in a single fair pass. If "remove winners after picking" is on, each chosen entry is taken out of the list once, letting you run successive no-repeat rounds while the remaining count updates.
Worked example
Suppose you run a giveaway with 50 signups and want three prize winners with no repeats. Paste all 50 names, set "Number of winners" to 3, and enable "remove winners after picking." Tap Pick — three distinct names appear, highlighted, and the pool drops to 47. Pick again for runner-up draws, confident no one wins twice. Each of the 50 had an identical 3-in-50 chance on the first draw.
Tips & common mistakes
- Put exactly one name or item per line — blank lines are ignored automatically, so extra spacing won't skew the odds.
- Enable "remove winners after picking" when you need ranked or multi-round draws (1st, 2nd, 3rd) so no entry can win twice.
- Keep the winner count at or below your number of entries; the tool will warn you instead of failing if you ask for too many.
- Duplicate names are treated as separate entries, which is handy if one person holds multiple raffle tickets.
- Refreshing or closing the tab clears your list and history — copy important results before you leave, since nothing is saved to a server.
- For a transparent live draw, share your screen so participants can see the list and the instant reveal as you pick.
Related tools
How to Use This Picker
- 1Paste your names or items, one per line, into the box.
- 2Set how many winners and toggle remove after picking if you want no repeats.
- 3Tap Pick to reveal your winner, then pick again as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the pick truly random?
Yes. Every draw uses your browser’s built-in crypto.getRandomValues API — the same cryptographically strong source used for security tokens. We use rejection sampling so there is no modulo bias, meaning every entry in your list has an exactly equal chance of being chosen.
Can I pick multiple winners at once?
Absolutely. Set the “Number of winners” field to any count up to the size of your list, and the picker draws that many distinct entries in a single fair shuffle. Turn on “Remove winners after picking” for repeated no-repeat rounds, like drawing a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Is it like a wheel of names?
Yes — it is the same idea, just simpler and instant. Instead of spinning an animated wheel, you paste your list and tap Pick to reveal the winner immediately. It works great for classrooms, giveaways, raffles, and team standups, and runs entirely in your browser with nothing sent to a server.