Protect a PDF With a Password — Free & Private
Encrypt a PDF with AES-256 — the same encryption standard used by banks and governments — so only people with the password can open it.
Drag & drop a PDF file here
or select a file from your device — add a password to encrypt it
Files are encrypted locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a serverHow It Works
Encrypt a PDF in three simple steps.
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop a PDF file into the box above, or click to browse your device.
Set a password
Type a password and confirm it — this will be required to open the file from now on.
Download the protected PDF
Your encrypted PDF is ready to download instantly. Save the password somewhere safe.
Why Use PDFHome?
Real, standards-based encryption — not just a cosmetic lock.
100% private by design
Encryption happens entirely in your browser — your PDF and your password are never uploaded to a server.
AES-256 encryption
Uses the PDF standard security handler with 256-bit AES encryption, the same algorithm trusted for sensitive data worldwide.
Works with any PDF reader
The protected file opens normally in Adobe Acrobat, browser PDF viewers, and any other standards-compliant PDF reader — it will simply ask for the password.
Instant results
There's no upload wait — encryption happens the moment you click the button.
Free, no account required
Protect PDF is completely free with no sign-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no way to recover a forgotten password or bypass AES-256 encryption — this is by design, the same way any strong encryption works. Store your password somewhere safe, such as a password manager.
PDFHome uses the PDF standard security handler with AES-256 encryption, applied via the open-source MuPDF library.
Yes — use our Unlock PDF tool with the correct password to remove the encryption.
Yes. Your file and password are processed entirely on your own device in your browser — neither is ever transmitted over the internet.
The current tool applies a straightforward password-to-open lock. Granular permission controls (such as disabling printing while still allowing viewing) are planned for a future update.