unfleece
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Protect PDF

Encrypt a PDF locally with a user password and optional owner password/permissions.

Private workspace
No file uploaded
Add a file first.
Overview

About Protect PDF

Reach for this when you want a PDF that asks for a password before it will open. You set an open password, and anyone without it sees only an encryption prompt. You can also add a separate owner password and pick which permissions to grant: printing, copying text and images, or editing and form-filling. Leave the owner password blank and it reuses your open password. The encryption runs in your browser, so the file and your passwords never leave your device. Keep the password somewhere safe; without it, the encrypted PDF cannot be reopened.

How it works

How to protect pdf

1

Add your file

Drop it in or click to choose. It stays on your device.

2

Set options

Tweak the settings, or just use the sensible defaults.

3

Download the result

One click. It was built right here, in your browser.

The honest difference

Why Unfleece vs fleeceware

Unfleece

  • Runs in your browser — no file upload
  • Free, no account, no card
  • Open source (AGPL-3.0)
  • No file-size paywall

Typical fleeceware site

  • Uploads your file to a server
  • $1 trial → ~$50 / week
  • Closed and opaque
  • Locks results behind pay
Questions

Frequently asked

What is the difference between the open password and the owner password?
The open password is required to open and view the PDF at all, while the owner password controls what a reader can do once it is open, such as printing, copying, or editing. If you leave the owner password blank, it reuses your open password, so the two are the same.
Can someone really not print or copy if I deny those permissions?
Denying printing, copying, or editing sets the permission flags inside the encrypted PDF, and conforming readers will honor them. These are PDF permission settings, not a hard guarantee, since some software can ignore the flags once a file is open, so treat them as a reasonable restriction rather than absolute protection.
What happens if I lose the password?
There is no recovery if you lose the password, because the file is genuinely encrypted on your device and no copy or key is stored anywhere. Save the password somewhere safe before you rely on the protected PDF, since without it the file cannot be reopened.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The encryption runs entirely in your browser, so the PDF and the passwords you type never leave your device. Open the Network tab and run the tool, and you will see no file-upload request.
Keep going

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