PDF Workspace
Remove a password from a PDF you own and forgot to save.
No files yet — add PDF files on the left and they’ll appear here.
Forgetting the password on your own PDF happens more often than anyone wants to admit. Unlock PDF removes password protection from files you own — whether it is a document you locked and forgot the password for, or a scanned file that came password-protected from a bank or government portal. Upload the file, provide the password if the system requires it, and get back an unlocked copy you can edit, merge, or share freely.
The protected file travels over TLS 1.3.
Used only to open the file and never written to storage. Files with permission restrictions only don’t need one.
Only the protection is removed — the content stays exactly the same.
The unlocked copy is removed from our servers within 24 hours unless you save it.
Use it only on files you own or have permission to unlock.
The tool detects the password protection automatically.
Some restriction types can be removed without one.
Free to edit, merge, or share as needed.
For password-protected files, yes; for files with only permission restrictions (no open password), no password is needed.
Use it only on documents you own or have permission to unlock — it's built for recovering access to your own files, not bypassing someone else's protection.
No, only the password protection is removed — the content stays exactly the same.
Yes, unlocking works regardless of whether the PDF is native or scanned.
Yes, tied to your plan — 10 MB on Free, higher on Pro and Business.
It's auto-deleted from our servers within 24 hours unless you save it to My Files.
No, on any plan.
Yes — enter the password and download the unlocked file the same way you would on desktop.
Daily limits and password handling side by side.
| Feature | PDF Workspace | iLovePDF | Sejda |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlocks available per day on the free tier | 30 as a guest, uncapped on Business | ~3 hourly, then from $7/mo | 3 tasks/hour free; paid from $5 week pass |
| What happens to the password you enter | Never written to storage | Not retained | Passwords encrypted at rest; files deleted after 2h |
Sejda details are taken from its own website (September 2026). “Not stated” means the site doesn’t publish that detail.
Regain access to a PDF you password-protected and forgot the password for.
Unlock a protected statement or bill before combining it with others.
Strip old permission settings from a document before reusing it.
