PDF Decrypt
Drag and drop a PDF, or click to upload
All processing happens locally in your browser
Only decrypt PDFs that you own or are authorized to process.
If the password is incorrect, decryption will fail.
Leave blank if the PDF is not password-protected.
An online PDF decrypt tool that removes open or owner passwords when you already know them. Files are processed only inside your browser, never uploaded to any server, and every page, font, link and form field is preserved after decryption.
Related
What is PDF decryption?
PDF decryption is the process of removing password protection from a PDF document when you already know the password. The PDF standard supports two kinds of passwords: the User Password (also called open password, required every time you open the file) and the Owner Password (also called permissions password, which restricts printing, copying and editing). This tool needs the correct password from you before it can produce a password-free PDF.
**Why do you need decryption?** ① Older encrypted documents need to be edited, merged or split; ② Automated scripts require PDFs without password prompts; ③ Long-term archiving or migration to a new system; ④ Signed contracts need permission restrictions lifted for archiving; ⑤ Internal team sharing where you want to remove legacy passwords. This tool is built for the "known-password" scenario and does not offer forgotten-password cracking.
**The privacy advantage of local processing:** This tool runs entirely inside your browser. The PDF file is never uploaded to any server and the password you enter never leaves your device. For PDFs that contain contracts, résumés or financial data, this approach eliminates any leakage risk during transfer.
**Difference from "removing only the owner password":** After removing the User Password, anyone can open the PDF and read all content. After removing the Owner Password, only the "no editing, copying or printing" restrictions are lifted, while the file still opens directly. This tool supports both passwords and removes both when you supply the correct one.
Use Cases
- Cleaning up historical encrypted archives so they can be searched and archived without typing passwords
- Removing Owner Password restrictions from signed contracts before converting them to PDF/A for long-term archiving
- Stripping the password prompt from PDFs before an automation script processes them
- Migrating encrypted documents into a new CRM, knowledge base or cloud drive without password restrictions
- Removing legacy passwords from internal documents so collaborators can open them directly
How to Use
- Upload the PDF you want to decrypt (click or drag and drop)
- Enter the PDF's open password or permissions password in the password field
- Click "Remove password protection" and wait for the browser to finish processing locally
- Download the decrypted, password-free PDF to your device
Features
- Local processing: the PDF is decrypted entirely inside your browser, never uploaded to any server, and the password never leaves your device
- Dual password support: handles both User Password (open) and Owner Password (permissions)
- AES-128 / AES-256 compatible: supports the two main strong encryption algorithms in the PDF standard
- Full content preservation: pages, fonts, links, form fields and annotations are all kept intact
- No login or signup: open the page and use it directly, no email, phone number or third-party account required
- Clear error messages: a wrong password is reported separately so it does not get mixed up with other errors
- Cross-platform: runs in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android
Best Practices
Only decrypt PDFs you own or are explicitly authorized to access. This tool serv
Only decrypt PDFs you own or are explicitly authorized to access. This tool serves the "known-password" scenario only and does not offer forgotten-password cracking. Please respect local laws and copyright requirements.
Before processing an encrypted PDF, confirm whether you are dealing with the Use
Before processing an encrypted PDF, confirm whether you are dealing with the User Password or the Owner Password. Both are supported, but the goal differs: removing the open password enables direct reading, while removing the permissions password enables editing.
The decrypted PDF may be slightly different in file size because the content str
The decrypted PDF may be slightly different in file size because the content streams return to their uncompressed state once the encryption layer is removed. This is normal and does not affect the content.
If you need to add a new password after decryption, use the PDF encrypt tool dir
If you need to add a new password after decryption, use the PDF encrypt tool directly.
PDF EncryptKeep a local backup of the original file after decryption. Digital signatures in
Keep a local backup of the original file after decryption. Digital signatures in the encrypted file usually become invalid after decryption because the hash value changes. If you need to keep the signature, do not decrypt a signed file.
FAQ
Will the content change after decryption?
No. This tool only removes the encryption layer of the PDF. Pages, fonts, links, form fields, annotations and charts are all kept 100% intact. The file size may shift slightly because the content streams return to their uncompressed state, which is normal.
Can AES-256-encrypted PDFs also be decrypted?
Yes. This tool is based on the encryption-extension version of pdf-lib and is compatible with both AES-128 and AES-256, the two strong encryption algorithms of the PDF standard, as long as you know the correct password.
What is the difference between User Password and Owner Password?
The User Password (open password) must be entered every time you open the PDF. The Owner Password (permissions password) only restricts printing, copying and editing, while the document itself can still be opened directly. This tool supports both and removes both when you provide the correct password.
I forgot my PDF password. What should I do?
This tool does not offer forgotten-password recovery. Brute-forcing mainstream AES-256 would take on the order of the age of the universe. Suggestions: ① try common password variants; ② use Adobe Acrobat's official password recovery feature; ③ contact the sender or your backup channel.
Will my PDF be uploaded to a server?
No. This tool processes the PDF entirely locally in your browser. Neither the file nor the password is uploaded to any server. All computation runs on your device, making it safe for documents that contain contracts or financial data.
Can I re-encrypt the PDF after decryption?
Yes. After decryption, you can use the PDF encrypt tool to add a new password. A typical flow is: remove the old password → add a new password → send it to a new recipient.
Do I need to log in or sign up to decrypt?
No. This tool has no barrier to use. No email, phone number or third-party account is required. Open the page and decrypt directly.
Decryption failed with a wrong-password error. What should I do?
Please check: ① passwords are case-sensitive, make sure Caps Lock is set correctly; ② make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the password; ③ distinguish User Password from Owner Password and try each; ④ if none of the above works, the file may be corrupted or use an uncommon encryption scheme.
Can the decrypted PDF still keep its digital signature?
Usually not. The PDF digital signature is based on the hash of the original content. Once the encryption layer is removed the hash changes and the original signature becomes invalid. If you need to keep the signature, do not decrypt a signed file, or re-sign it after decryption.
Troubleshooting
Wrong-password error and cannot decrypt
Please check in order: ① the password is case-sensitive, confirm Caps Lock is set correctly; ② make sure no extra spaces were copied along with the password; ③ distinguish User Password from Owner Password and try each; ④ if none of the above works, the file may use an uncommon encryption scheme. Contact the sender or use Adobe Acrobat's official tool.
PDF version too old to be recognized
This tool is based on pdf-lib and mainly supports the encryption standards from PDF 1.4 to PDF 2.0. A very small number of PDF 1.0-1.3 legacy encryptions have limited compatibility. Upgrade the PDF version or ask the sender to re-encrypt before uploading.
PDF reader reports an error after decryption
Rare. Suggestions: ① open with the latest Adobe Reader or Chrome; ② make sure the PDF was downloaded completely (not an empty 0KB file); ③ decrypt and download again. If the issue persists, please report it through feedback.
File got larger after decryption
This is normal. Some PDFs compress their content streams while encrypted to reduce size; once the encryption layer is removed the streams are restored and the file grows a bit. This does not affect the content. Use the PDF compress tool if you need to shrink it.
Glossary
- User Password (open password)
- The password required to open a PDF, also called the open password. This tool can remove it once you provide the correct password.
- Owner Password (permissions password)
- The password that controls PDF printing, copying and editing permissions, also called the owner password. This tool can remove it once you provide the correct password.
- AES encryption
- The PDF standard encryption algorithm. AES-128 has been supported since PDF 1.6, AES-256 since PDF 2.0. This tool is built on pdf-lib and is compatible with both AES-128 and AES-256 strong encryption.
- pdf-lib / pdf-lib-with-encrypt
- An open-source browser-side PDF processing library. This tool uses the encryption-extension fork of pdf-lib (pdf-lib-with-encrypt) to decrypt PDFs directly in the browser without any backend service.
- Known-password scenario
- When you are the original creator or an authorized recipient of the document and still hold the password. This tool is designed only for this scenario and does not offer brute-force cracking for forgotten passwords.
- Local processing
- All computation runs inside the user's browser and no data is uploaded to a remote server. This tool adopts this approach to eliminate the privacy risks of file transfer from the start.
PDF encryption algorithm comparison
Encryption algorithms supported by the PDF standard and this tool's compatibility.
| Algorithm | Key length | PDF version | Supported by this tool |
|---|---|---|---|
AES-256 | 256 bits | PDF 2.0 | Supported (known password) |
AES-128 | 128 bits | PDF 1.6+ | Supported (known password) |
RC4-128 | 128 bits | PDF 1.5 | Partially supported |
RC4-40 | 40 bits | PDF 1.4 | Partially supported |
Difference between User Password and Owner Password
Figure out which password you need to remove.
| Dimension | User Password (open password) | Owner Password (permissions password) |
|---|---|---|
| When you must enter it | Every time you open the PDF | When editing, printing or copying |
| If you forget it | Cannot open the file at all | Cannot edit (still readable) |
| Change after decryption | Opens directly without password | Editing, printing and copying restrictions lifted |
| Typical use case | Protect confidential documents | Distribute without letting others modify |
| Required by decrypt tool | Original password needed | Original password needed |