Add a password to keep a PDF private. Free, private and instant — right in your browser.
Browser tool coming soon. This conversion needs server-side rendering we keep private by default. Follow the step-by-step method below, or use one of our free in-browser tools that work instantly with no upload.
Quick answer: To protect pdf, use our free in-browser PDF toolkit. Upload your document, apply your changes and download the result — with no files ever leaving your device.
The Protect PDF is part of the PDFForge toolkit — a free suite of PDF utilities that run entirely in your browser. Add a password to keep a PDF private. Because there are no uploads, your documents stay completely private and the tool works even on slow connections.
| Feature | PDFForge | Adobe Acrobat | Smallpdf | iLovePDF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, unlimited | From $12.99/mo | Free w/ limits | Free w/ limits |
| Files stay on your device | Yes | No | No | No |
| No upload required | Yes | No | No | No |
| Sign-up needed | No | Yes | For some tools | For some tools |
| Daily task limit | None | Plan-based | 2/day free | Limited free |
| Works offline (PWA) | Yes | No | No | No |
Use the tool above: upload your PDF, choose your settings and download the result. It is completely free with no sign-up or watermark.
Yes. Your PDF is processed locally in your browser and never uploaded, so your data stays private.
No. The Protect PDF works in any modern browser with no installation or registration.
Yes, the Protect PDF works on iPhone, iPad and Android as well as desktop.
No. You can protect pdf as many files as you like, free of charge.
Shrink PDF file size while keeping quality.
MCombine multiple PDFs into one document.
SSplit a PDF into separate pages or ranges.
RRotate every page 90, 180 or 270 degrees.
WStamp a custom text watermark on every page.
URemove restrictions and re-save an open PDF.
EReorder, rotate and assemble PDF pages.
OMake scanned PDFs searchable with OCR.