PDF tools / Protect PDF6 tools
Best tools to password-protect a PDF
Encrypt a PDF with a password. Facts come from each tool's own pages, and every score says where it comes from. How we rank
- Tools
- 6
- Researched
- 6
- Free option
- 5
- Only listed
- 0
Disclosure: agathox makes some of the tools listed here. They are labelled and scored by the same method as every other tool.
Made by agathox · free, no sign-up, runs in your browser
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We build this tool, so it is labelled. It is scored with the same tests as the rest, and this box never changes the ranking below.
Ranked by signals we can measure or quote: website health, the facts each tool's own pages state, and community discussion. Nothing here has been hands-on tested yet, so this is not a quality test. How the signals rank works
Quick answer
- No signup needed: PDF24 Tools, Sejda PDF, agathox PDF tools
- Files stay on your device: agathox PDF tools
Based on what each tool's own pages say. A tool is left out when its pages say it varies or do not say. Details are listed under each tool.
Want two of these head to head? Compare tools side by side.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Limited access to basic features of 21 tools, with up to 2 conversions a day. The same limit applies with or without a free account. File-size and page limits are not stated.
- Paid plan
- Pro adds unlimited use of all tools, OCR, batch conversion, no ads and the desktop and mobile apps. The price is not shown on the official pages we could read.
- Signup
- Not required for most tools. Sign needs a free account.
- Watermark
- Says it adds no watermark, even on the free plan.
- Where files go
- Cloud-based: files are uploaded and deleted automatically after one hour for most tools. Its servers are in Ireland.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Support, Pricing, Merge PDF. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Says all tools are free without restrictions and that there are no artificial limits. File-size limits are not stated.
- Paid plan
- No paid plan found. It says the service is funded by advertising.
- Signup
- No registration required.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Files are uploaded to PDF24's servers in EU data centres and usually deleted within one hour. The free PDF24 Creator desktop app works offline.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Home, FAQ, Privacy policy. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free tools with limits per tool, for example merge up to 100 files and 1,500 pages, split up to 1 GB and 1,500 pages, Word to PDF up to 100 MB, compress up to 2 GB with limited use. PDF to Word has a daily limit whose number is not stated.
- Paid plan
- Acrobat Standard from US$14.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, US$179.88 a year prepaid, or US$24.99 month to month.
- Signup
- Depends on the tool. Merge and compress say no signup; split, OCR and edit ask you to sign in to download; Fill & Sign requires it.
- Watermark
- Merge and PDF to JPG say no watermark. Not stated for the other tools.
- Where files go
- Files are uploaded to Adobe's cloud servers and deleted unless you sign in and save them. No retention time is stated.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Online tools, Merge PDF, Pricing, PDF to Word. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- Free for documents up to 50 pages or 50 MB, and 3 tasks an hour. Some tools are tighter: one file per task, 20 pages per conversion, 10 pages per OCR task.
- Paid plan
- A 7-day pass for $5 (one-time) and a yearly plan for $63 that includes Sejda Desktop. Paid removes the page and hourly limits and allows files up to 500 MB. We could not verify the monthly price.
- Signup
- No signup required.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Web tools upload files to Sejda's servers and delete them automatically after 2 hours, with encryption in transit and at rest. Sejda Desktop processes files on your computer.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Merge PDF, Pricing, Privacy, Security. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
- Free tier
- A free plan with limited document processing. The exact free limits are not stated on the pricing page; the terms say it may apply reasonable technical limits on file size and processing.
- Paid plan
- Premium: unlimited document processing, no ads, priority support. Prices vary by country; the page we read showed 242 INR a month billed yearly or 500 INR billed monthly. Check the current price where you live.
- Signup
- Not stated.
- Watermark
- Not stated.
- Where files go
- Files are uploaded to iLovePDF's servers and deleted automatically within 2 hours of processing.
From the tool's own pages, checked 2026-10-31. Sources: Pricing, FAQ, Terms. Prices and limits change; check the tool before you rely on them.
Details and sources
No facts have been read from this tool's pages yet.
Answers come from each tool's own pages (“Unclear” means they do not say). Tick “Compare” on two to four tools to read them side by side.
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