About PDFSmith
PDFSmith is a set of three tools for one job: managing PDF passwords. You can remove a password from a file you can open, add password protection to one that has none, or replace an old password with a new one.
Most PDF sites work the same way: your file gets uploaded to their server, processed there, and sent back. That never made sense to me for documents like tax returns and bank statements. So PDFSmith runs the open-source qpdf library compiled to WebAssembly inside your browser tab. Your file is read, decrypted or encrypted in memory, and saved straight back to your device. The document's bytes never touch a network connection.
One thing to be clear about up front: PDFSmith is not a password cracker. To unlock a file you must know its current password, which makes it a tool for legitimate owners rather than for getting into other people's documents.
What it does
Unlock PDFs
Remove password protection from files you can already open, like bank statements and payslips that ask for your date of birth every time.
Lock PDFs
Add AES-128 or AES-256 encryption before emailing a contract, invoice, or tax return. The recipient just types the password you agreed on.
Change passwords
Rotate a password on a recurring document without producing an unprotected copy along the way.
Works offline
Once the page has loaded, you can disconnect and keep working. On a plane, in a hospital, behind a strict corporate firewall: all fine.
Who it's for
People who handle sensitive documents and don't want them passing through a third-party server. Accountants locking client files. Employees unlocking the company payslip portal's exports. Anyone who has typed a statement password for the hundredth time and wants it gone.
The details
- Free, with no sign-up and no per-file limits
- AES-128 and AES-256 encryption support
- Processing happens locally using qpdf compiled to WebAssembly
- No accounts, no tracking pixels, no analytics
- Available on iOS and Android as native apps
Built by Nikhil Reddy Avuthu. If a document matters enough to protect with a password, it shouldn't have to leave your device to get that protection.
Try it with one of your own files
No account needed. Pick a tool below and your document stays in the browser tab from start to finish.
Prefer an app?
