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SECURE
Unlock a PDF you have the password for, and save a copy that opens without it.
QUICK ANSWER
To remove a password from a PDF, add the file here, type its password once and download the unlocked copy. It all happens in your browser, so the file and the password stay on your device. You need to know the password: StackPDF can’t recover or guess a forgotten one.
Updated 8 November 2026 · Written by the StackPDF teamUpdated 8 November 2026 · StackPDF team
You’ll type the password next. It stays in this browser.You’ll type the password next. It stays in this browser.
QUICK ANSWER
To remove a password from a PDF, add the file here, type its password once and download the unlocked copy. It all happens in your browser, so the file and the password stay on your device. You need to know the password: StackPDF can’t recover or guess a forgotten one.
Updated 8 November 2026 · Written by the StackPDF teamUpdated 8 November 2026 · StackPDF team
HOW TO
Drop it on this page, or choose it from your computer, your phone or My files.Choose it from your phone or from My files.
Enter the password you use to open the file. If it opens but blocks printing or copying, enter the permissions password.Enter the password you use to open it. If it only blocks printing or copying, enter the permissions password.
Save a copy that needs no password. The locked original stays untouched in My files.Save a copy that needs no password. The original stays in My files.
GOOD TO KNOW
PDFs use two kinds of password. Check which one your file asks for, then enter that one.Check which one your file asks for, then enter that one.
| Password | What it does | Also called | What to enter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open password | Asked for every time the PDF opens | User password, document open password | The password you type to open the file |
| Permissions password | Blocks printing, copying or editing. The file still opens without it. | Owner password, restrictions password | The permissions password |
A PDF can have both. The unlocked copy opens, prints and copies without any password.
PRIVACY
Yes. Unlocking happens on your device, and nothing about the file or the password is sent to StackPDF.
StackPDF opens the PDF inside your browser tab and decrypts it there.
It’s used once to open the file, then discarded. It never reaches our servers.It’s used once to open the file, then discarded.
The decryption runs on qpdf, a widely used open-source PDF library, compiled to run in your browser.Decryption runs on qpdf, an open-source PDF library, in your browser.
ANY DEVICE
There’s nothing to install. Open this page in a current browser on your computer or phone.Nothing to install. It works in your browser.
Open stackpdf.com/remove-password-from-pdf in Safari, Chrome or Firefox.Safari, Chrome or Firefox
Works in Edge, Chrome and Firefox on Windows 10 and 11.Edge, Chrome or Firefox
Open this page in Safari.Safari
Open this page in Chrome.Chrome
COMPARE
Every method needs the password. Here’s how they compare.Every method needs the password.
| Method | Cost | Works on | Install |
|---|---|---|---|
| StackPDFThis page | Free for 1 export a day. Premium is $5.99 a month. | Any browser, iPhone and Android | Nothing to install |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | Paid subscription | Windows and Mac | Desktop app |
| Preview | Free | Mac only | Built into macOS |
FAQ
No. You need the open password or the permissions password. StackPDF can’t guess or recover a forgotten password.
Yes. The free plan includes 1 PDF export a day, with no account. Premium removes the daily limit for $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
No. The PDF is unlocked in your browser, so the file and the password stay on your device.
No. Pages, text, links and form fields stay exactly as they were. Only the password and its print and copy limits are removed.
AES-256, AES-128 and RC4, which covers PDFs locked by Acrobat, Preview and most other apps.
No, one PDF at a time. Premium has no daily limit, so you can unlock as many as you need.
Removing the password from your own file, or one you have the right to use, is generally fine. You need the password, so StackPDF can’t open files you aren’t allowed to.
Use Lock PDF: type a new password twice and download the locked copy.