PDF & Files
Password Protect or Unlock a PDF
Free to useNo sign-up requiredNo watermarkRuns in your browser
Two different jobs live on this page: adding a password to a PDF so it cannot be opened without one, and removing a password from a PDF when you already know it. Both run entirely in your browser using a real PDF encryption engine, not a rename trick or a print-to-PDF workaround.
Because this involves genuine encryption, this is the one PDF tool on the site that works on its own rather than inside the shared PDF workspace - an encrypted file cannot be previewed until its password is entered, which the workspace's live preview assumes is always possible.
How this tool works
Choose Protect or Remove password
Adding a password and taking one off are different operations - pick the one you need.
Upload the PDF
The file never leaves your device at any point.
Enter the password
Set a new one to protect the file, or enter the existing one to remove it.
Download the result
A protected or unlocked copy, ready to save or share.
How it works
This uses a real PDF encryption library (QPDF, compiled to run in the browser) to add or remove standard PDF password protection with 256-bit encryption - the same kind of protection Adobe Acrobat applies, not a superficial lock.
Removing a password requires knowing the existing password. This is not a password cracker or a bypass tool - it takes the password you already have and produces a copy of the file without it.
Everything runs locally in your browser. Nothing about the file or the password is sent anywhere.
What this is not
- Not a way to open a PDF when you do not know its password. This tool needs the correct password to remove it, the same way any legitimate PDF password remover does.
- Not the "print to PDF" trick some guides suggest - that can strip certain restrictions but does not remove genuine password encryption, and can produce a corrupted or lower-quality copy.
- Not a substitute for a strong password manager if you are protecting something genuinely sensitive - a password only protects a file for as long as the password itself stays private.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to remove a password from a sensitive PDF here?
The file and the password are processed entirely in your browser using WebAssembly - nothing is uploaded to a server at any point, which matters more for a password-protected document (often a bank statement, contract or ID) than for most files.
Can this open a PDF if I do not know the password?
No. Removing a password requires entering the correct existing one. This tool cannot bypass or crack a password you do not have.
What encryption does the "Protect" option use?
256-bit AES encryption, the current standard also used by Adobe Acrobat and most other PDF software.
Will this work on any password-protected PDF?
It works on standard PDF password encryption. A very small number of PDFs use unusual or legacy encryption schemes that may not be supported.
Can I keep editing the PDF after removing its password?
Yes - once unlocked, you can continue straight into any other PDF tool on the site (merge, compress, sign and so on) without downloading and re-uploading it.
Guides for this tool
How to password protect a PDF for free
Add a password to a PDF so it cannot be opened without one - free, with real 256-bit encryption, entirely in your browser. No Adobe Acrobat, no sign-up.
How to remove a PDF password
You know the password but re-entering it every time you open the file is getting old - here is how to remove it for good, without uploading the file to a server you do not know.
How to convert a bank statement to Excel
Get your bank statement transactions into Excel with real dates and numbers - then use the running balance to prove nothing was missed. Free, in your browser.
How to extract transactions from a bank statement
Password-protected, scanned, or 40 pages long? How to get every transaction out of a bank statement accurately, and how to tell when something was missed.