Unlock PDF
Decrypt a password-protected PDF you have the password for. Rebuilds as a rasterised, password-free copy in your browser.
Remove the password on a PDF you have the password for. Useful when you want to open a contract you signed, a statement from your own bank, or any other file you have rights to without typing the password every time.
How to use it
No account, no upload — it all happens on your device.
What this tool does (and doesn't)
The honest version, because PDF unlocking is messier than it sounds.
- Requires the password.We don't crack, guess, or brute-force PDF passwords. You need to know it. The password is used once, locally in your browser, to decrypt the file.
- Output is rasterised.Every page becomes an image inside a new PDF. The file opens with no password going forward, but you lose the selectable text layer — search and copy-paste won't work on the output. This is the only fully client-side path that exists in browsers today.
- No backend. The password, the original PDF, and the rebuilt copy stay in your browser tab. Nothing touches a server.
When to use a desktop tool instead
If keeping a selectable text layer matters, the open-source command-line tool qpdf can decrypt a PDF losslessly — but it runs on your machine, not in a browser. The trade-off is convenience vs. fidelity:
- This tool — zero install, file never leaves your tab, but rasterised output.
- qpdf — installs in 30 seconds on macOS (Homebrew), Linux, and Windows. Keeps text selectable. Lossless. Command:
qpdf --decrypt --password=YOURPASS input.pdf output.pdf. - Cloud tools — fast and lossless, but you hand the file over to whoever runs the service. Avoid for sensitive documents.
A note on ethics
We assume you have the right to remove the password on the PDF you're working with — a document you own, signed, or were issued. We don't condone using this to bypass DRM on content you don't have rights to. If you want to add a password to a PDF, see Lock PDF.