Is it safe to password protect a PDF online?

Yes — and ours is safer than most. Many free online tools quietly upload your files to their servers to do the work. We don't. Everything happens inside your browser on your own device, so your files never reach the internet. There's no upload step, no server copy, and no way for us (or anyone else) to see what you're working on.

Are my files uploaded to a server?

No. There's no server-side processing here. The whole tool is a tiny app that runs in your browser — we don't even have a server that could receive your files. You can confirm this by opening your browser's network tab while you use the tool: nothing leaves your device.

Do I need to sign up or pay?

No. There's no account, no email collection, no credit card. The tool is free to use as much as you want, on as many files as you want. We're supported by a few unobtrusive ads on the page — not by your data.

Can the password be recovered?

No. AES-256 is computationally infeasible to brute-force. Lose the password, lose the file.

What's the difference between user and owner passwords?

User password is required to open the document. Owner password is required to change permissions (print, copy, edit).

Does it work on already-encrypted PDFs?

Yes — choose Remove and enter the current password to strip the encryption.

Password Protect PDF

Add AES-256 encryption to a PDF, or remove an existing password. Set separate user and owner passwords, control whether printing and copying are allowed.

Features

AES-256 encryption (the strongest standard the PDF spec supports)
Separate user (open) and owner (permissions) passwords
Toggle print and copy permissions
Remove existing password (when you have it)
Encryption happens in your browser — passwords never leave your device

How to password protect pdf

Drop the PDF — Drag the PDF you want to encrypt or unlock.
Pick action — Protect or Remove.
Set passwords — Enter a user password (required to open) and optionally an owner password (controls permissions).
Encrypt — Download the protected PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to password protect a PDF online?: Yes — and ours is safer than most. Many free online tools quietly upload your files to their servers to do the work. We don't. Everything happens inside your browser on your own device, so your files never reach the internet. There's no upload step, no server copy, and no way for us (or anyone else) to see what you're working on.
Are my files uploaded to a server?: No. There's no server-side processing here. The whole tool is a tiny app that runs in your browser — we don't even have a server that could receive your files. You can confirm this by opening your browser's network tab while you use the tool: nothing leaves your device.
Do I need to sign up or pay?: No. There's no account, no email collection, no credit card. The tool is free to use as much as you want, on as many files as you want. We're supported by a few unobtrusive ads on the page — not by your data.
Can the password be recovered?: No. AES-256 is computationally infeasible to brute-force. Lose the password, lose the file.
What's the difference between user and owner passwords?: User password is required to open the document. Owner password is required to change permissions (print, copy, edit).
Does it work on already-encrypted PDFs?: Yes — choose Remove and enter the current password to strip the encryption.