Protect PDF with a Password
or click to upload
Lock a PDF so only people with the password can open it. AES-256 encryption is applied in your browser, so neither your file nor your password is ever uploaded.
- No watermarks
- Fast results
- 100 % in-browser
- Zero sign-up
How It Works
Use Protect PDF in three quick steps.
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop a PDF or browse your device.
Set a password
Enter and confirm a password, and choose which actions stay allowed.
Download the protected PDF
Save the encrypted file. It now asks for the password when opened.
What is an PDF password protection tool?
A password-protected PDF can only be opened by someone who knows the password. The content is encrypted, so it stays unreadable even if the file is emailed, uploaded or lost. This tool applies AES-256 encryption, the strongest standard PDF encryption, directly in your browser.
If you forget the password the file cannot be recovered, so keep it somewhere safe. Restrictions like no printing rely on the viewer honoring them; the password is the real protection.
AES-256 encryption
The strongest encryption the PDF standard supports, applied by the QPDF engine.
Your password stays with you
Encryption runs locally. Neither the file nor the password is sent to a server.
Optional restrictions
Also ask viewers to block printing, copying or editing. Compliant PDF viewers respect these limits.
Works with any PDF
Contracts, payslips, scans and reports can all be protected in seconds.
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Why Use Our Protect PDF Tool
Fast, free and simple, with nothing to install.
Fast Results
Encrypt a PDF in seconds. The file is processed on your device, so there is no upload wait.
Private by Design
Your files never leave your browser. Nothing is uploaded to a server and nothing is stored.
Works Everywhere
Use it on desktop, tablet or phone. There is no software to install and no extension needed.
Completely Free
No account, no watermark and no limit on how many files you process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Protect PDF.
Upload the PDF, enter and confirm a password, press Protect PDF and download the encrypted file.
AES-256, the strongest encryption the PDF standard supports.
No. There is no backdoor, so store the password safely.
They ask PDF viewers to block printing, copying or editing. Most viewers respect this, but only the password reliably stops people from opening the file.
Adobe Acrobat, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Preview on macOS and other modern viewers ask for the password before opening it.
No. Encryption happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.