3 safe ways to password protect a PDF without uploading online

Want to lock a PDF without paying for Adobe or uploading your private files online? Here are 3 fast, free, and completely offline ways to password protect a PDF.

How to password protect a PDF for free with PDFgear

PDFgear is a free, offline PDF editor for Windows and macOS that lets you encrypt files instantly without creating an account.

  1. Open PDFgear.
  2. Click Open File in the top left corner.
    PDFgear Open File button
  3. Navigate to your file, select it, and click Open.
    Open a PDF file in PDFgear
  4. Click Tools in the top menu, then select Password.
    PDFgear Password
  5. Enter your desired password twice and click OK.
    Password protect a PDF file in PDFgear
  6. When the security message appears warning you to save, click OK.
    PDFgear security settings message
  7. Click the Save icon in the top left corner to apply the encryption.
    PDFgear save button

The file is now password-protected and encrypted. Warning: If you forget the password, you will not be able to open the encrypted file. Make sure to save your password in a secure password manager or memorize it.

How to encrypt a PDF using 7-Zip (No Acrobat required)

7-Zip is a free, open-source file archiver for Windows that lets you instantly encrypt one or multiple PDF files without needing a dedicated PDF editor.

  1. Open File Explorer and locate the PDF file you want to encrypt.
  2. Right-click the PDF file.
  3. If you are on Windows 11, click Show more options.
    Windows 11 Show more options for PDF file
  4. Hover over 7-Zip and click Add to archive.
    7-Zip Add to archive
  5. Set the 'Archive format' to either 7z or zip.
    Set archive format in 7-Zip
  6. Go to the 'Encryption' section on the right, enter your password twice, and make sure the 'Encryption method' is set to AES-256.
  7. (Optional) If you chose 7z, check the Encrypt file names box to hide the names of the files inside the archive.
    7-Zip Encryption settings
  8. Click OK at the bottom of the window to create your secure archive.

The file is now password-protected and encrypted. Warning: If you forget the password, you will not be able to open the encrypted file. Make sure to save your password in a secure password manager or memorize it.

How to password protect a PDF for free with LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free, open-source office suite for Windows, macOS, and Linux that includes built-in features to edit and password-protect PDF files.

  1. Open LibreOffice.
  2. Click Open File in the top left corner, select your PDF, and click Open.
    Open a PDF file in LibreOffice
  3. Click File in the top left corner, hover over Export As, and select Export as PDF.
    Export file as PDF in LibreOffice
  4. In the options window, select Security in the left menu and then click Set Passwords.
    LibreOffice PDF security options
  5. Enter your password twice in the top fields. (Optional: You can also set a separate permission password below to restrict editing.) Click OK.
    Set passwords in LibreOffice
  6. Click Export at the bottom of the PDF Options window.
    Export button in LibreOffice
  7. Choose a save location, type a new filename (different from the original), and click Save.
    Export PDF file in LibreOffice

The file is now password-protected and encrypted. Warning: If you forget the password, you will not be able to open the encrypted file. Make sure to save your password in a secure password manager or memorize it.

Related:

How to remove a password from a PDF file using your browser

How to hide files and folders on Windows 10 and 11

Windows