Here is the truth: removing a password from a PDF you own is trivial if you know the password. If you forgot the password, you are out of luck. No free tool can crack a strong password. That would take years. But if you know the password and just want to remove it so you can share the file without hassle, that is easy. And most tools charge you for that easy operation.
Smallpdf's password remover is free, but they watermark the output? Actually no — Smallpdf does not watermark unlocked files, and the free tier works. But the free tier is limited to two tasks per day. So if you have three PDFs to unlock, you are stuck. iLovePDF offers password removal on their free tier, but again, two tasks per day and a 20MB file size cap. Adobe Acrobat Pro lets you remove passwords, but that costs $240 a year. Sejda gives you three tasks per hour, but they limit the file size to 50MB and pages to 50.
Truly Free PDF Tools lets you remove passwords from your own PDFs with no limits. No watermark. No daily cap. And because the tool runs locally, your file never leaves your computer. You type the password, the browser decrypts the file, and you download an unlocked copy. No server ever sees your password or your document.
Smallpdf, iLovePDF, Adobe: The Password Removal Game
Let me break down the real costs. Smallpdf's password remover is actually decent — they do not watermark the output, and the free tier works. But the free tier is limited to two tasks per day. If you have a folder of ten password-protected PDFs, you need five days to unlock them all. Or you pay $12 a month.
iLovePDF has a similar limit: two free tasks per day, and a 20MB file size cap. A typical scanned document with images can easily exceed 20MB. Their premium plan ($48/year) removes the cap. Adobe Acrobat Pro has no daily limits, but you have to pay $240 a year. That is insane for a feature that takes five seconds of compute time.
Sejda is more generous: three tasks per hour, 50MB limit, 50-page limit. But here is the catch: Sejda's password remover only works on PDFs that have a "permissions password" (restricting printing or editing). For PDFs that have an "open password" (requiring a password to view), Sejda cannot remove it unless you have the password. That is technically correct — no tool can remove an open password without the password — but Sejda's interface does not make this clear. Users get confused.
Then there are sketchy online tools like "PDFunlock.com" that claim to remove passwords for free. Do not use them. They upload your file to unknown servers. They could keep a copy. They could inject malware. I have seen these sites get flagged by antivirus software. Truly Free PDF Tools runs locally. No upload. No risk.
Step-by-Step: Remove a Password from a PDF You Own
Follow these steps exactly. This only works if you know the password. If you forgot the password, stop reading — no free tool can help you.
1. Go to trulyfreetools.com and click PDF Password Remover. The tool loads instantly. No account. No "sign up." Just a simple interface.
2. Upload your password-protected PDF. Drag and drop or click to browse. The file stays on your device. You will see a warning: "This PDF is password protected. Enter the password below."
3. Enter the password. Type the password exactly as you set it. Passwords are case-sensitive. If you used "Spring2024!" and type "spring2024!" it will fail. The tool does not store or transmit the password — it stays in your browser's memory.
4. Click "Unlock PDF." The WebAssembly engine (pdf-lib) attempts to decrypt the file. If the password is correct, the tool creates an unlocked copy in your browser's memory. This takes 1-2 seconds for most files. If the password is wrong, you get an error message: "Incorrect password. Try again."
5. Preview the unlocked PDF. Click "Preview" to open the unlocked file in a new tab. Check that all pages are present and readable. The file should no longer ask for a password.
6. Download the unlocked PDF. Click the download button. The file saves as "unlocked.pdf" by default. You can rename it anything. The original password-protected file remains unchanged on your computer.
7. Unlock multiple PDFs in a row. There is no daily limit. Unlock ten files back to back. The tool does not track you. No "you have used 2 of 2 unlocks" message.
Why Truly Free PDF Tools Is Actually Free
The business model is the same as always: Google AdSense on the homepage and blog. I do not run ads on the password remover page because that would be weird. You are dealing with a sensitive file. The last thing you need is a flashing ad for a weight loss supplement.
The technical reason I can keep it free: pdf-lib, the open-source library I use, supports password decryption. I did not have to build anything from scratch. I just wrapped an existing library in a user-friendly interface. My costs are near-zero. Smallpdf and iLovePDF have to pay engineers to maintain their tools, plus servers, plus marketing. I do not. That is why I can give it away.
Privacy is critical for password removal. If you upload a password-protected PDF to a random website, you are sending them two things: the encrypted file and the password (if you type it into their form). That is a disaster waiting to happen. Even legitimate sites like Smallpdf store your file on their servers for 24 hours. That means your password and your document exist on a server you do not control. With my tool, everything stays in your browser. No server. No logs. No one else ever sees your password.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you remove a password from a PDF if you forgot the password?
No. And anyone who says they can is lying or trying to install malware on your computer. PDF encryption is strong. Brute-forcing a 10-character password would take thousands of years. The only way to remove a password is to know the password. If you forgot it, the file is gone forever. Sorry.
Does this tool work on PDFs that have a permissions password (e.g., no printing)?
Yes. Permissions passwords are weaker than open passwords. The tool can remove them even without the password? Actually, no — you still need the permissions password to remove it. But if you know the password, the tool removes both open and permissions restrictions. The unlocked PDF will allow printing, editing, copying, and everything else.
Is it safe to upload a password-protected PDF to your tool?
You are not uploading anything. The tool runs locally in your browser. The file never leaves your computer. This is safer than any online PDF tool because there is no server to intercept or store your file. Even if my website were hacked, the hacker would not get your PDF because the processing happens on your machine.
What is the maximum file size for password removal?
Your browser's memory limit. I have unlocked a 300MB PDF on a laptop with 16GB RAM. On a phone, try to stay under 100MB. There is no artificial cap like iLovePDF's 20MB free limit.
Why does Smallpdf limit free users to two password removals per day?
Because they want you to pay. Two tasks per day is enough for a demo but not enough for regular use. If you have a batch of locked PDFs, you either wait days or pay $12 a month. I do not believe in that model. Unlock as many as you want.
Can this tool remove passwords from PDFs that were encrypted with Adobe's 256-bit AES?
Yes. Pdf-lib supports AES-128 and AES-256 encryption. As long as you have the password, the tool can decrypt the file. This includes PDFs created by Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word's "Encrypt with Password" feature, and most scanner software.
Try the password remover now. Take a PDF you own that is password-protected. Unlock it. It takes five seconds. No account. No limit. If you forgot the password, I am sorry — I cannot help you. But if you remember it, this is the fastest way to get rid of that annoying password prompt forever.
