Is the PDF really encrypted, or only restricted?

Really encrypted. AES-256 rewrites the document streams, so a reader without the password cannot display the content at all. Permission restrictions (no printing, no copying, no editing) are a separate, weaker layer that only tells a compliant reader what to allow — so if the content matters, always set an open password rather than relying on restrictions alone.

What is the difference between the open password and the owner password?

The open password is what someone must type to view the file. The owner password is what protects the permission settings — it lets whoever holds it change the restrictions later. If you leave the owner password empty we use the open password for both, which is what most people want.

I forgot the password — can you recover the file?

No, and neither can anyone else. AES-256 has no back door, and we never receive your file or your password, so there is nothing to recover from. That is the point of the tool rather than a limitation of it: the same property that makes the file safe from us makes it unrecoverable. Store the password in a password manager before you delete the original.

Does protecting a PDF change how it looks or prints?

No. Only the security information inside the file changes. Pages, text, images, fonts and layout are unchanged, so an unlocked copy looks identical to the original.

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Protect PDF

Add a password and restrict printing, copying or editing. Encryption uses AES-256 and runs entirely on your device.

Choose your PDF

Select file or drag & drop it here · up to 100MB

Password to open the PDF (optional)

What others are allowed to do

Allow printing Allow copying text and images Allow editing the document Allow comments and form filling

Uncheck anything you want to forbid. Restrictions are enforced by PDF readers.

Owner password (optional)

Defaults to the open password. Set a different one if you want others to open the file but not be able to change its restrictions.

⚠ Store this password safely. If you lose it there is no recovery — nobody, including us, can open the file or remove the password for you.

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✓ Protected

↓ Download protected PDF

Protect PDF

Choose your PDF

Password to open the PDF (optional)

Confirm password

What others are allowed to do

Owner password (optional)

✓ Protected