If your PDF has sensitive or confidential information, you may want to protect it with a password.
Password protecting PDFs ensures that they're only viewed by the right people. Read on to learn the best methods for 2025.
Being able to secure documents with passwords is one of the best benefits of the PDF format.
Some important documents (legal, bank, medical, etc.) have confidential information that you probably want to keep private. you may also want to send the document to someone else and want to make sure that no one else has access to it.
If you don't protect your PDF documents, anyone will be able to view it or make changes to it.
We'll show you the best ways to protect PDFs on Mac and Windows using the best tools and free methods of 2025.
The main reason that we password protect PDFs is because we want to keep it safe.
This is especially important when sending the documents to others that contain sensitive information.
Common documents that you'll want to password protect include:
When it comes protecting PDFs with a password, you can either set an Open password or a Permission password.
An Open password controls the opening and viewing of a PDF file; a password will be needed to open and view the PDF document.
Permission passwords prevents unwanted editing, printing, or copying of a PDF document. It places a password requirement on specific functions, such as: editing, copying, printing, etc.
In this guide, we'll be showing how to set Open passwords on PDFs, unless specified otherwise.
The best way to password protect a PDF for free is with an online tool like PDF Pro's Password Protect PDF tool.
A good online tool can safely set a password on PDF, instantly, from almost any device.
No sign-up or email is required, and there's no limit on how many times you can use this free tool.
1. Visit the Password Protect PDF tool by PDF Pro.
2. Upload your PDF.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts, then press Protect PDF.
4. Download your PDF file.
There's more than one way to that Windows users can password protect a PDF file. We'll cover the most reliable and popular methods.
The best way to password protect PDFs is by using a desktop PDF editor that can secure PDF documents.
A good PDF editor can set passwords on PDFs to prevent unwanted viewing, opening, printing, editing, and more.
Our recommended PDF editor for Windows is PDF Pro, our all-in-one PDF editor, converter, security tool, and more. PDF Pro allows you to instantly protect PDFs, in just a few clicks! Try PDF Pro today for Free.
1. Open the PDF in PDF Pro.
2. Press the Secure tab, then press the Password button.
3. Click the Open password checkbox.
4. Type & confirm your password. (Be sure to choose a strong password).
5. Press Finish.
6. Save the changes made to the PDF (or press [ctrl] + [s] on your keyboard).
If you have access to Microsoft Word or Office, you can use it to set an open password on a PDF.
Use Word to save a Word document as a password-protected PDF, or to open an existing PDF with Word, then add a password while saving it back to a PDF.
Please note, opening PDFs with Word can result in formatting issues.
Preview comes built-in Mac computers, and can be used to password protect PDFs, without needing to install or buy additional software.
The best way is by using an online tool or a trusted app from the app store.
The methods will be similar regardless of the method. We'll show you with our online tool, but the process will be similar regardless of the tool or app you choose.
1. Visit the Password Protect PDF tool by PDF Pro.
2. Upload your PDF.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts, then press Protect PDF.
4. Download your PDF file.
Windows users will need to use a third-party PDF editor to set manage the permissions and restrictions on a PDF, while Mac users can use Preview.
use a PDF editor like PDF pro to manage permissions for PDF documents. Most online tools or free methods only allow you to set Open passwords, not Permission passwords.
1. Open the PDF in PDF Pro.
2. Press the Secure tab, then press the Password button.
3. Click the checkbox that reads: Require a password to change security settings and access specific functions.
4. Type & confirm your password. (Be sure to choose a strong password).
5. From the checkboxes and dropdown menus, specify the function(s) that you want to want the password to be applied to.
6. Press Finish.
7. Save the changes made to the PDF (or press [ctrl] + [s] on your keyboard).
After you create an owner password for a PDF (by following the Preview method, above), you're able to change the password-protection options. Please note that all changes take effect the next time the PDF is opened.
Protecting PDF files with a password is one the most useful benefits of PDFs; which is why we see them used in almost every industry.
You can create Open passwords, which make PDFs require a password before they can be opened and viewed, or you can even set Permission passwords to lock certain functions, like to prevent editing, copying, or printing of a PDF.
Mac users can use Preview for the majority of their PDF-protecting needs.
If you're a Windows user, you can use online tool to create Open passwords, while you'll need a PDF editor like PDF Pro so set more advanced Permission passwords.
The safest, most reliable way to password protect PDF files is by using a PDF editor. A good PDF editor offers advanced security tools for PDFs, and also keeps all files on your device, making them safer than online tools.
We recommend PDF Pro, our all-in-one PDF editor, creator, converter, and security tool. PDF Pro can secure, lock, and restrict PDF documents instantly!
PDF Pro can also help you with:
Here are some commonly asked questions about protecting PDFs that we've answered for your benefit.
The easiest way is by using an online tool like PDF Pro's Password Protect PDF tool. It's 100% free and works on almost any device.
Steps: visit our Password Protect PDF tool > Upload the PDF > Follow the on-screen prompts > Download PDF.
Yes. If you know the correct password, you can remove the password from a PDF by using a PDF editor with a security function. In this example, we'll use PDF Pro. Steps: Open the PDF in PDF Pro > enter the password > Secure tab > Password button > uncheck the Open password checkbox > Finish > Save.
The best way is by using a PDF editor like PDF Pro. Steps: Open the PDF in PDF Pro > press the Secure tab > Password button > Click the Open password checkbox > Type & confirm your password > Finish > Save.
You'll need to know the correct password in order to remove it from the PDF. You'll also need a PDF editor with security functions, like PDF Pro. Steps: Open the PDF in PDF Pro > enter the password > Secure tab > Password button > uncheck relevant password checkbox > Finish > Save.
Yes! you can use Adobe Acrobat Reader or other PDF reader apps that support password protection to password protect a PDF on your phone.
