Unlock PDF: Remove the Password from a PDF You Own
A free PDF unlocker that runs entirely in your browser. Drop your password-protected PDF, enter the password you set or received, and download an unprotected copy. You must know the password. We do not crack PDF passwords, and we will not. Be wary of any tool that claims to. The decryption runs locally with @cantoo/pdf-lib, so your password never leaves your device. No upload, no signup, no 2-tasks-per-day cap like Smallpdf, no 50 MB limit like Sejda.
Drop your password-protected PDF here
You must know the password. We do not crack passwords.
🔒 The PDF and password are processed in your browser. Open Developer Tools → Network to confirm zero uploads.
Six reasons people choose Gizmoop's PDF unlocker
What separates a responsible, browser-side unlocker from competitors that upload your password.
Password stays in your browser
Decryption uses @cantoo/pdf-lib running locally. The password is used to derive the decryption key in browser memory and is never sent to a server. Smallpdf, iLovePDF, and PDF24 all process passwords server-side.
Responsible positioning
We do not crack passwords. You must know the password (you set it or received it with the file). We mirror PDF24's responsible framing. Smallpdf advertises password-cracking-adjacent features for owner passwords; we deliberately avoid that gray area.
Detects encryption automatically
Drop any PDF. If it is encrypted, the password field appears. If it is already unprotected, the tool tells you so and no unlock step is needed.
Works with AES-128 and AES-256
Supports the full range of PDF encryption algorithms used in real documents: RC4, AES-128, and AES-256. Whatever your file was encrypted with, if you have the password, the tool can decrypt it.
No upload, no signup, no quota
Smallpdf caps free use at 2 tasks per day. Sejda caps at 50 MB and 3 tasks per hour. Gizmoop has no caps because the file never leaves your browser.
Form fields and annotations preserved
Unlocking only removes the encryption layer. The content, form data, annotations, and comments survive exactly. Digital signatures invalidate (a property of PDF signing, not our tool).
When you should unlock a PDF
Legitimate cases where removing a password makes life easier for documents you own.
Removing protection from bank or tax PDFs
Statements arrive password-protected for email security. After verifying the file, you may want to archive an unprotected copy for easier search. As long as you have the password, this is your file to manage.
Internal sharing of received contracts
Counterparties often send protected drafts. Within your own team, sharing the unprotected copy may be easier than circulating the password. Unlock once after you have it.
Archiving received documents long-term
Password-protected PDFs are a problem ten years later when nobody remembers the password. While you still have it, unlock and store an unprotected copy in your archive.
Indexing and search across PDFs
Desktop search tools and document management systems generally cannot index password-protected files. Unlocking first lets your search index actually cover the content.
Combining with other PDF tools
Our merge, split, compress, and other tools cannot read encrypted PDFs directly. Unlock first, then run the unlocked file through the next tool. Every step is browser-based.
Migrating to a different password
To change a PDF's password, unlock with the old password, then run the unlocked file through Protect PDF with the new password. The whole chain runs in your browser.
About removing PDF passwords
How decryption works, why responsible positioning matters, and how Gizmoop compares to the alternatives.
Unlock PDF means decrypt, not crack
Unlocking a PDF means using a known password to decrypt the file and save a new copy without encryption. It does not mean cracking an unknown password. The mathematics of modern PDF encryption (AES-128 and AES-256) are deliberately designed so that without the password, the file cannot be decrypted in any reasonable time, even with serious computing resources. A properly encrypted PDF with a properly chosen password is not crackable. Tools that claim to crack PDF passwords are generally either limited to PDFs using obsolete RC4 with weak passwords, or are misleading their users.
Our position is straightforward: if you have the password, we help you remove it. If you do not, we cannot help, and we will not pretend otherwise. This matches PDF24's responsible framing and contrasts with Smallpdf, which positions itself as a password-cracking-adjacent tool for owner passwords. The gray-area positioning helps short-term SEO but it also misleads users about what is actually possible.
Why a browser-based unlocker is safer
Every alternative free tool (iLovePDF, Smallpdf, PDF24, Sejda) requires uploading both the PDF and the password to their server. The server decrypts the file and returns the result. Even with strong transport encryption and a stated deletion policy, your password leaves your device. A password that leaves your device is a password that could be logged, intercepted, or leaked. Some of those passwords are also used on other accounts (people reuse), which compounds the risk.
Gizmoop's unlocker uses @cantoo/pdf-lib (the maintained MIT-licensed fork of pdf-lib). All cryptographic operations run in your browser tab. The password is read from the input field, used to derive the decryption key in browser memory, then dropped from memory when the operation completes. No part of it reaches our infrastructure. Open Developer Tools, switch to the Network tab, and run the tool: no requests carry your file or password.
Why decryption can run locally
PDF decryption is a mathematical operation: given the file bytes and the password, your CPU can compute the decrypted content directly. There is no fundamental reason the operation needs a server. Competitor tools upload because their products are built around server-side processing pipelines (they also do conversion, OCR, and other operations that may genuinely require server resources). For pure encryption and decryption, browser-side is faster (no upload round trip) and safer (no data exposure).
User password vs. owner password
PDFs can have two passwords. The user password (the "open password") is required to open the document at all. The owner password (the "permissions password") is required to change permission settings like enabling printing or copying. Some PDFs have both; some have only one. To open and decrypt the file entirely, you generally need either password depending on what the PDF was set up to require. Our tool accepts the password you provide and tries to use it to decrypt the file. If it fails, try the other one if you have it.
Most consumer PDFs use only a single password (it serves as both user and owner). Corporate or specialized PDFs may use both, particularly when one party can read but not edit.
Legal considerations
Removing a password from a PDF you legitimately own and have the password for is generally legal. Common legitimate cases: your own files you protected for transit, files received from a counterparty with the password shared separately, archived documents you have rights to. Removing protection from a document you do not have rights to may violate copyright, DMCA, or computer-misuse laws depending on jurisdiction. The legal line is your right to use the document, not the technical step of removing the password. We do not provide legal advice; consult a lawyer if your situation is unclear.
What does and does not survive unlocking
Content (text, images, fonts, layout) is preserved bit-for-bit. Form fields and the data they hold are preserved. Bookmarks and annotations are preserved. Internal and external hyperlinks continue to work. The unlocked file looks and behaves exactly like the protected file would, minus the password prompt.
Digital signatures, however, invalidate. This is a property of how PDF signing works: any change to the file content (including removing the encryption layer) breaks the signature. If signatures must remain valid, do not unlock the file. The signed version with encryption stays as the legal record; an unlocked copy is for working convenience only.
Chaining with other PDF tools
Our other PDF tools (merge, split, compress, watermark, page numbers, etc.) cannot read encrypted files directly. The standard workflow is: unlock first, then run the unlocked file through the next tool. Because every step runs in your browser, a confidential password-protected document can pass through an entire workflow (unlock → edit → compress → reprotect with a new password) without ever leaving your device. This is uniquely possible because every tool in the chain is browser-based.
Comparison with iLovePDF, Smallpdf, PDF24, Sejda
iLovePDF: requires upload; positioning is vague about whether you need the password (borderline misleading). Smallpdf: requires upload; explicitly positions itself as a password-cracking-adjacent tool for owner passwords (gray area). PDF24: requires upload; takes the responsible position ("you must know the password") that we mirror. Sejda: requires upload; capped at 50 MB and 3 tasks per hour on free. Gizmoop: no upload, no quota, responsible positioning, and the only fully browser-side option in this list.
What if you do not remember the password?
Your options are limited and most are unreliable. If you set a weak password (under 8 characters, dictionary words), dedicated password-recovery tools may eventually succeed using brute-force or dictionary attacks. For passwords with reasonable strength, recovery is effectively impossible within useful timeframes. The honest answer: invest in a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password, LastPass, KeePass) and never lose another password. Save the password before sharing the encrypted file.
What if the password is wrong?
The tool reports "Incorrect password" and lets you try again. Common reasons for incorrect-password errors: a typo, the wrong password if the file has both user and owner, an unintended trailing space copied from another source, or genuine forgetting. Try the password in a plain text editor first to see if there are invisible characters; check for capital letters; verify with the person who sent the file if applicable.
Browser compatibility
Works in Chrome 88+, Firefox 89+, Safari 15+, and Edge 88+. Internet Explorer is unsupported. The decryption operation is fast (under a second for most files); large encrypted PDFs may take a few seconds. No installation, no extensions, no special permissions needed.
Frequently asked questions
If you don't find your question here, ask us directly.
Drop your PDF, enter the password you set or received for the file, and click Unlock PDF. The encryption is removed and you can download an unprotected copy. All decryption happens in your browser; the password never leaves your device.
No. We do not crack PDF passwords and we will not. Our tool is for users who have a legitimate password (one they set themselves, or received with the file) and want to remove the password layer for easier internal sharing or archiving. Be wary of tools that claim to crack PDF passwords; many are either ineffective or operating in a legal gray area.
Properly chosen PDF passwords (8+ characters mixing case, digits, and symbols, with AES-128 or AES-256 encryption) cannot be cracked in any reasonable time. Brute-forcing AES-128 would take billions of years. Tools that claim to "crack" passwords either rely on the PDF using obsolete RC4 encryption with a weak password, or are misleading their users.
No. Decryption uses @cantoo/pdf-lib running in your browser. The password is read from the input field, used to derive the decryption key in browser memory, and is never transmitted anywhere. Verify by opening Developer Tools → Network and watching: no requests carry your password or file.
If you legitimately have the password for the document and the right to use the document, yes. Common legitimate cases: removing a password from a tax PDF you received from your bank, decrypting a contract you negotiated, opening a report you saved with protection. Removing protection from a document you do not have rights to use may violate copyright or DMCA depending on jurisdiction. We do not provide legal advice; consult a lawyer if unsure.
The user password is required to open the document. The owner password is required to change permissions like enabling printing or copying. If a PDF has both, you need the right one for what you are trying to do. To remove all encryption and produce an unprotected file, providing either password is usually sufficient.
No. The content (text, images, fonts, layout) is identical. Only the encryption layer is removed. The unlocked file opens in any reader without prompting for a password.
Roughly the same size. Removing the encryption dictionary saves a few hundred bytes; the content is unchanged. For meaningful size reduction, run the unlocked file through our Compress PDF tool.
Currently the tool handles one PDF at a time. Since there are no daily limits or quotas, you can repeat the drop-unlock-download flow for as many PDFs as you need. A future version may add batch mode.
PDF decryption is a math operation, not a network operation. Given the file bytes and the password, your browser can compute the decryption directly. Competitors upload because their products are built around server-side processing; there is no technical reason the operation needs a server.
No. Gizmoop has no daily limits, no hourly limits, no signup, and no Premium upsell. Unlock as many PDFs as you want, as often as you want.
All four upload your file. iLovePDF's positioning is vague about whether you need the password. Smallpdf positions itself as a password-cracking-adjacent tool, which is a legally gray space we avoid. PDF24 takes the responsible "you need the password" position, which mirrors ours. Sejda caps free use at 50 MB and 3 tasks per hour. Gizmoop matches PDF24's responsible framing and adds full in-browser execution.
Form fields and annotations are preserved exactly. Digital signatures may become invalid because the file content has changed (a property of PDF signing, not our tool). If signatures must remain valid, do not unlock the file; keep the encryption intact.
Related tools
Try our other free PDF tools
Protect, compress, watermark, page numbers. All browser-based, all unlimited.