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Protect PDF

Ajouter un mot de passe à votre PDF

⚠️ Protection légère, Cet outil applique une protection basique en local (compatible avec la plupart des lecteurs PDF). Pour un chiffrement AES-256 fort, utilisez plutôt l'outil Office → PDF cloud (Pro) qui passe par notre serveur EU.
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Drop your PDF here
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Add Password Protection to Any PDF, Free, Private, No Upload

This tool lets you encrypt a PDF file with a password directly in your browser. Set an owner password, a user (open) password, or both, then download the protected file in seconds. Works with any PDF, any size, no account required.

Your files never leave your device. Everything runs locally using JavaScript: no upload to any server, no third party ever sees your document. Free to use, no watermark added, no file size limit tied to a subscription.

How to protect a PDF with a password

  1. Open your PDF. Click "Select file" or drag and drop your PDF onto the tool. The file is loaded directly in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere.
  2. Set your password. Enter the password you want to use to open the document. Optionally set a separate owner (permissions) password to restrict printing, copying, or editing.
  3. Choose encryption strength. Select 128-bit RC4 or 256-bit AES encryption depending on the compatibility you need. AES-256 is recommended for modern readers.
  4. Download the protected PDF. Click "Protect PDF" and your encrypted file downloads immediately. Open it in any PDF reader, it will prompt for the password before displaying the content.

Why use iSharePDF to password-protect a PDF

When you need to password-protect a PDF

Common situations include sending a contract or NDA by email and wanting only the recipient to open it, sharing a payslip or tax document with an accountant without exposing it to anyone who might access the email thread, distributing a report internally so external recipients cannot open it, and protecting a personal portfolio or CV that contains your address or ID details before uploading it to a job portal.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to protect a sensitive PDF in the browser?

Yes. Because the tool runs entirely in your browser with no server communication, protecting a sensitive document here is significantly safer than using an online service that uploads your file. The encryption is applied locally and the output file is downloaded straight to your device. No copy of your document is retained anywhere.

What is the difference between a user password and an owner password on a PDF?

A user password (also called the open password) is required to open and view the document at all. An owner password controls permissions, it restricts whether the reader can print, copy text, or modify the PDF. You can set one or both. If you only want to prevent unauthorized opening, a user password is enough. If you want to allow viewing but restrict editing or printing, use an owner password without a user password.

Which encryption level should I choose: 128-bit RC4 or 256-bit AES?

Choose AES-256 for any document you're creating or sharing in 2026. It is supported by all current PDF readers including Adobe Acrobat, macOS Preview, Foxit, and browser-based PDF viewers. RC4-128 is an older standard kept for compatibility with legacy readers (Acrobat 5 and earlier). If you have no reason to use an older reader, AES-256 is the right choice.

Can I remove or change the password on a PDF later?

Yes. Open the password-protected PDF using our "Unlock PDF" tool (you'll need to enter the current password first), then re-protect it with a new password using this tool, or leave it unencrypted. This works for any PDF you've encrypted here or elsewhere, as long as you know the current password.

Does password-protecting a PDF prevent someone from printing or copying the text?

A user password prevents anyone from opening the file without the password. If you also want to restrict printing or copying after the file is opened, you need to set an owner password and configure the permissions accordingly. Keep in mind that permission restrictions are enforced by the PDF reader and can be bypassed by sufficiently motivated users with the right tools, they are a usage policy layer, not a full technical barrier. For truly sensitive content, encryption combined with access controls on the distribution channel gives the strongest protection.