Best Free PDF Encryption Software of 2025

MobiPDF (formerly PDF Extra) is an intuitive reader and editor that allows you to read, edit, create, OCR, organize, annotate, fill and sign, convert, and share any PDF. This makes MobiPDF an excellent choice for users seeking a budget-friendly alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro. HERE’S WHAT YOU GET WITH MOBIPDF: Multiple Page View Modes: Enjoy a distraction-free "Read Mode". Advanced Editing Tools: Experience a Word-like PDF editing environment. Two-Way Conversions: Convert PDFs to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or image formats. OCR Support: Make scanned documents searchable. Markup Tools: Highlight, comment, strikethrough, stamp, and more to enhance your documents. Effortless PDF Organizer: Reorder, compress, split, and combine PDFs with ease. Sign & Secure: Add signatures, create and fill forms, and protect your PDFs with passwords, encryption, and digital certificates. Offline Mode: Work freely on your projects, even offline. Seamless translation: One-click translate any PDF into 50+ languages.

PDFCreator is a powerful and versatile tool that enables you to convert any printable document into a PDF, along with various other formats such as JPG and PNG. Whether you're handling text documents, images, or presentations, PDFCreator makes it easy to streamline your workflow. Key features: Convert documents from any application to PDF, JPG, PNG, and more with ease. Merge multiple files into one PDF document, improving organization and accessibility. Set up automatic saving and create a fully automated PDF printer, saving time and reducing manual work. Access your most frequently used settings with just one click, making repetitive tasks faster and simpler. Simplify the process of converting, securing, and organizing your PDFs, with options for digital signatures, password protection, and more. New in PDFCreator 6.0.0: Document previews to improve file visibility before saving or sharing. A new Delete Token feature to automate page removal. Seamless SharePoint integration for easier team collaboration. Enhanced error feedback for better troubleshooting. PDFCreator is trusted by countless businesses around the world to handle document conversion and management. We value every client and appreciate their trust in choosing PDFCreator as their go-to PDF solution. Whether you're a casual user or a business professional, PDFCreator offers a streamlined, flexible, and efficient solution for all your document needs. We thank all our clients for choosing us to be their partner.

SodaPDF is the software solution that will help your business achieve any document goal quickly and easily. You can edit, create, convert and sign PDFs according to your requirements. Use the best PDF editor and converter to modify documents. Our PDF tools are easy to use and can be used to simplify any document workflow. Our Batch tool is the fastest Microsoft Office-to PDF converter on the market. It allows you to create multiple PDFs or convert them all at once. You can also add page numbers, watermarks and Bates numbers to multiple files or folders. Our E-Sign feature allows you to sign, manage and track electronic signatures remotely. OCR Edit saves time and eliminates the need to retype text. It allows you to quickly search, recognize and modify any image or scanned document. Access the entire Soda PDF suite of tools and services from your desktop or any device that has a web browser.

pdfRest API Toolkit was made by developers, for developers. Rapidly integrate PDF workflows with your business applications, simply and seamlessly. pdfRest API Toolkit includes all the PDF processing tools you'll need, designed and developed by digital document experts with decades of experience to make your job easy: PDF to Word, PDF to Excel, PDF to PowerPoint, Add to PDF, Extract Text, Query PDF, Convert to PDF, PDF to Images, Convert to PDF/A, Convert to PDF/X, Compress PDF, Linearize PDF, Flatten Forms, Flatten Transparencies, Flatten Annotations, Flatten Layers, Merge PDFs, Split PDF, Encrypt PDF, Decrypt PDF, Restrict PDF, Watermark PDF, Import Form Data, Export Form Data, OCR PDF, Upload Files, Zip Files. Clear documentation with intuitive endpoints and parameters. Start with sample code in .NET, JavaScript, Python, PHP, and cURL for every endpoint. Gold-standard processing powered by Adobe® PDF Library™. Free to get started with no commitment. Affordable pricing for projects of all sizes. pdfRest was designed for developers, by developers to make working with PDFs as easy and intuitive as possible. Flexible APIs can be called from any language capable of making an API request. Send your first API call in

Smallpdf, a Swiss company, is made in Switzerland, the land where watches, banks and clean design are all present. Smallpdf has won numerous awards for its innovative document management tools. Smallpdf was founded in 2013 and provides a simple, reliable, and secure solution to complex, awkward PDF software. Smallpdf is the most trusted and loved PDF software on the planet. It has served over 500 million users and 100,000 companies in 24 languages and in every country around the globe, including Antarctica. Smallpdf seamlessly integrates with professional and personal tasks, increasing productivity and simplifying how people manage their documents. With tools to compress, convert and edit, sign, protect and unlock PDF documents in just few steps,

PDF24 provides a range of user-friendly online tools for managing PDF files, developed by geek software GmbH, a German firm that has been operating since 2006. This platform offers complimentary solutions for various PDF-related challenges, both through downloadable software and web applications, including the popular PDF24 Creator and a suite of online tools. Despite being a compact team, the PDF24 staff is deeply committed to enhancing PDF solutions that benefit countless users globally. Their dedication has led to the successful launch of the PDF24 Creator and Online Tools, which have garnered millions of users worldwide. In addition to these tools, PDF24 also features PDF24 Fax, an online faxing service designed for those who wish to send and receive faxes without needing a physical fax machine. This commitment to innovation continues to make PDF24 a go-to resource for all things PDF.

Introducing a PDF editor designed for the demands of contemporary work environments, making it effortless to convert and edit. You can efficiently handle all your PDF files from a single platform. Simply launch PDF Master and drag the PDF you wish to alter into the interface. Utilize the editing tools to incorporate various elements such as text and images. After reviewing the changes, you can approve the document and either download or share it directly. Our advanced encryption technology guarantees that your private information is safeguarded throughout the conversion process. Rest assured, we uphold your privacy with top-notch security measures. There’s no need for any software downloads or extensions; our solution works seamlessly across desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, supporting major operating systems like Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. You can convert files anytime, anywhere, on any device using just your web browser, with no technical expertise needed. Just upload or drag and drop your file onto the platform, select the desired format, edit as you wish, and we’ll handle everything else with ease. Experience the convenience and security that comes with our intuitive PDF editing solution today.

Secure your data using AES 256-bit military-grade encryption or conceal your files from unauthorized access to prevent any unwanted scrutiny! With Folder Lock, you can easily lock and hide files and folders in mere seconds. This powerful tool allows you to set password protection, ensuring that no one can access your files, folders, or drives without your permission. Once a folder is locked, it becomes invisible in its original location and can only be retrieved through the software interface. Folder Lock functions like a digital safe, creating secure 'Lockers' for your sensitive information. Imagine safeguarding your files in a digital ‘Locker’ that's more secure than a bank vault! You can effortlessly set up these ‘Lockers’ using AES 256-bit encryption. There’s no need to manually encrypt or decrypt files when you want to access them; just copy them into the Locker, and they will be encrypted automatically. Additionally, Folder Lock provides a two-way encryption and backup solution, allowing you to efficiently backup your encrypted ‘Lockers’ online for added security. This feature not only enhances your data protection but also ensures peace of mind knowing your files are safe from prying eyes.

PDFelement is a one-stop PDF solution powered by AI. Fast, smart, affordable, and easy way to manage (.pdf) documents across desktop, mobile, and web. It provides a great user experience and is an excellent alternative to Adobe® Acrobat®, making it perfect for individuals and small businesses. The mission is to stay at the forefront of PDF technology, constantly innovating and improving our product to meet the evolving needs of our users. Unique selling points: Smart: Offer the smartest way powered by AI to manage(.pdf) forms and documents. Fexible: Make the desktop software available for a yearly, perpetual license fee. Affordable: Deliver equally powerful and robust features that comes with Adobe Acrobat DC - at up to 50% lower cost. Lightning Fast: Be lightweight and offer the easiest user experience with shorter learning curve for even first- time users.

PDFescape offers a complimentary online platform for editing PDFs and filling out forms. This user-friendly tool allows individuals to read, modify, and design PDF documents without needing any specialized software, making it a great alternative for those who want to manage their PDF files easily. Accessible through any modern web browser with an active internet connection, PDFescape provides a variety of features including the ability to add text, shapes, and whiteout areas within PDF documents. Users can also crop, deskew, rearrange, delete, or insert pages as needed. The platform enables the creation of links to other PDF pages or external websites and allows for modification of PDF metadata. Security features include the option to encrypt documents with a password. Additionally, users can insert images and sign documents digitally using a scanned signature. Filling out forms is made easy with support for existing fields or by utilizing the text tool. It supports essential types of fields such as text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, lists, and dropdown menus, along with basic calculation and formatting capabilities for PDF fields. Furthermore, users can easily navigate between fields using the tab key, ensuring a streamlined experience.

You can easily drag and drop files from Windows Explorer directly into PaperScan, which provides details regarding the resolution, dimensions, and color mode of the images. The software also supports PDF encryption, allowing it to read encrypted PDFs and generate new PDFs with encryption features. Additionally, it offers bitonal filters that can effectively eliminate isolated pixels or modify characters through dilation and erosion. Users can enhance their documents with various effects, such as contour, sepia, or scanline, and utilize tools like a freehand pen, rubber stamp, ruler, polygon ruler, and both standard and freehand highlighters. Furthermore, PaperScan includes functionalities for automatic color detection, detection and removal of blank pages, and adjustments for color attributes including brightness, contrast, saturation, and gamma levels, providing a comprehensive solution for image and document management. This extensive set of features makes PaperScan an ideal tool for users looking to streamline their document processing tasks.

Xvast is a fast and secure browser built on Chrome's core speed that supports the latest HTML5 features, such as a playlist and PDF viewer, along with encrypted PDF DRM capabilities. It offers support for DRM-X 4.0 protection, allowing users to seamlessly enjoy protected premium content. The browser also includes functionalities for encrypting various formats, including web pages (HTM, HTML), audio, video, PDFs, images, and Javascript. With integrated HTML5 Video DRM protection, it enables high-definition video playback both online and offline. Recent updates have introduced security enhancements, memory optimization, a PDF download button, and improvements to error message displays. Additionally, Xvast allows third-party applications to import files directly into iOS, and it has resolved issues with messy code on non-UTF8 webpages, ensuring full-size display of content. The core of Xvast has been upgraded to Chrome 85, which addresses the Android 10 spin crash bug, resulting in smoother online audio and high-definition video playback while conserving battery life. Overall, Xvast continues to evolve, enhancing the browsing experience with each update.

Experience a contemporary method of sharing that prioritizes confidence and security in an easy-to-use platform designed for simplicity. This robust tool empowers users to share, compress, and encrypt files seamlessly through a straightforward interface. Effortlessly distribute files to multiple destinations while benefiting from enhanced security measures, including military-grade encryption and time-sensitive sharing options. Take advantage of expanded cloud services featuring providers like OpenStack, SwiftStack, Alibaba, Wasabi, HP, Oracle, Azure, WebDAV, CenturyLink, IONOS, and OVH. Merge several PDF documents into a single file for convenient saving, zipping, or sharing purposes. Optimize your workflow by sharing directly through Slack IM, and effectively manage files shared via WinZip or ZipShare. Furthermore, users can open, view, re-share, or remove files at their discretion, while keeping track of Zip files shared through WinZip or ZipShare. Enhance your communication by emailing anyone directly from WinZip, incorporating contacts from various supported sources into a unified address book for easier access. This streamlined approach not only simplifies sharing but also enhances productivity across your collaborative efforts.

If you're in search of a budget-friendly option to Adobe Acrobat, consider trying PDFill. The Free PDF Writer allows you to generate PDFs or images from any printable source at no cost. Additionally, the Free PDF Tools enable you to perform a variety of tasks such as merging, splitting, reordering, deleting, encrypting, decrypting, rotating, cropping, and reformatting PDF pages, as well as adding headers, footers, watermarks, and converting images to PDFs or vice versa. You can also scan physical documents directly into a PDF format and utilize the FREE PDF Editor to fill forms, add text, make comments, and design forms. Moreover, PDFill's PDF Editor offers a wide range of features at a fraction of the price of Adobe Acrobat, making it more versatile than the free Adobe Reader. You can group texts, shapes, or images into a complex object and even lock that object from further editing. Users can easily save the PDFill Object for future use, and the ability to scan your paper forms or photos into new or existing PDFs allows for convenient digital editing and completion. Overall, PDFill not only enhances productivity but also provides numerous tools to meet diverse PDF needs.

Icecream PDF Editor is a free, intuitive PDF editor for Windows. It allows you to create and modify PDF files. There are four main modes of PDF editing: Edit, Annotate and Manage pages. You can also fill in forms. The PDF editor allows you to edit text and objects, add comments, manage pages, merge PDFs and protect files. The best PDF Editor will greatly increase your productivity while managing your PDF files. You can edit any text in a PDF file with ease. Visually combine, reorder, split, and merge PDF pages. Create PDF documents easily from scratch. For document protection, you can set passwords or limit editing/copying rights. In-built forms can be completed in PDF documents. You can add notes, highlight areas and strike through or highlight text. Quickly search through the document before editing. For faster and better PDF proofreading, create custom stamps.

FormatPDF is a website that offers a variety of online tools to work with PDF documents. These tools include PDF conversion, merging, splitting, compression and encryption, as well editing and annotating PDF files. FormatPDF allows users to convert a variety of document formats into PDF. This includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You can also merge multiple PDF files into one document or split large PDFs into smaller ones. FormatPDF.com provides tools for converting and manipulating PDF documents. FormatPDF.com also offers features to improve the security and quality of PDF documents. The website offers tools to compress PDF files. This can be used to reduce large documents' sizes for sharing and storage. If they have the right credentials, users can encrypt PDF files using passwords to restrict access or decrypt protected files.

PDFEncrypt is a completely free and open-source tool that allows users to secure PDF files through widely recognized encryption methods. When a PDF is encrypted, its contents become inaccessible to unauthorized users. To read the document, a user must enter the correct password, which is necessary for viewing in applications like Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat. This utility enables the encryption of any standard PDF file at no cost, eliminating the need to buy Adobe Acrobat or expose sensitive documents to external servers for encryption. The application operates directly on Windows PCs, allowing users to set a password required for document access, along with various options and permissions that can be applied to the PDF file, making it a versatile solution for document security. With PDFEncrypt, users can maintain control over their confidential information without relying on costly software or online services.

Generate PDFs for free, compress them, split and merge files, secure documents with encryption, and design forms with ease, all from any Windows application. Seamlessly add form fields, text stamps, watermarks, letterheads, and more to enhance your PDF documents. The user interface is both attractive and intuitive, eliminating the need for lengthy training sessions. Simply launch additional software like CIB doXisafe or CIB fairBrief following PDF creation. The system also accommodates the document standard for individuals with visual impairments. Numerous customization options allow you to define profiles for different use cases and customize menu labels to fit your needs. With a flexible interface, integration into your existing system is straightforward. You can create PDFs, compress files, edit extensively—including re-sorting, rotating, and deleting pages—merge PDFs, fill out forms (marked with a DEMO stamp), and explore many more features! Whether you’re looking to create, compress, or manipulate PDFs, the capabilities at your disposal are extensive and user-friendly.

PDFTool prioritizes user privacy as an online tool for managing PDF files. Users can effortlessly merge PDFs, split documents, and extract text from scanned files without the need for an account or navigating through ad-filled sites. Since all operations are conducted directly in the browser, users have the option to go offline after accessing the necessary tool page. This feature guarantees that your important PDF documents remain confidential and shielded from prying eyes. Additionally, the simplicity of the interface allows for a user-friendly experience, making PDF management accessible to everyone.