Protect PDF
Encrypts a PDF with a password using AES-256, in your browser.
Runs in your browser. The file or text you give it is not uploaded. Free, no account.
How it works
A PDF with a salary list, a contract or a passport scan should not sit on a shared drive unlocked. Set a password and this tool encrypts the file on your device. qpdf, the open-source engine many PDF programs use, runs in the browser. The file and the password are not sent anywhere.
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Open a PDF and set a password. The file is encrypted on your device by qpdf, the open-source tool many PDF programs use, compiled to run in the browser.
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You can also restrict printing, copying and editing for people who open it.
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Neither the file nor the password is sent anywhere.
What it does not do
This tool has no password-recovery feature. Keep a strong open password safe and retain an authorised backup.
Printing and copying restrictions are honoured by most PDF readers but can be removed by anyone who can open the file. Only the open password is real protection.
When a source is busy or a site does not answer, this tool says so. It never fills the gap with a guess.
Questions
What happens if I forget the password?
This tool has no password-recovery feature. Keep a strong open password safe; PDF owner credentials, backups or other authorised recovery routes may differ by file. Keep a copy in a password manager or somewhere safe before you delete the unprotected original, because a locked PDF you cannot open is a lost file.
Do the print and copy restrictions actually stop people?
Most PDF readers honour them, so a casual reader will be blocked from printing, copying or editing. But anyone who can open the file can remove those settings with the right software, because they are instructions to the reader, not encryption. Only the password needed to open the file is real protection. If you need the contents kept private, do not send the unprotected version to anyone.
Is the file or the password sent to a server?
No. The encryption runs in your browser, using qpdf compiled to run there. Your file and your password stay on your device; neither is sent anywhere. That matters for contracts and identity documents, where uploading a file to a stranger's server is the risk you are trying to avoid in the first place.