We handle this
It asks for a password to open, and you know it
You type the password once. We open the file with it and save an unlocked copy that opens without any password.
Remove a PDF password you know.
Add your PDF. We check the lock for free. You pay only after your unlocked copy has been made and verified. From $1.99.
When your file is uploaded: the moment you add it, it is sent to UnsealPDF's server for the free check. The password you type is used once to open the file and is never saved. Privacy details.
- Free check first. See exactly which kind of lock it has before you pay.
- No result, no charge. Wrong password or unsupported lock: you pay nothing.
- Erased automatically about an hour after your results are ready.
Which lock does your PDF have?
Only two kinds of lock can be removed, and only with the right to do so. We say which one you have before you pay.
We handle this
It opens, but printing, copying or editing is blocked
These permission settings are chosen by whoever made the file. If you own the file or have permission to change it, we remove them. No password needed.
Free guidance only
It needs a password and you do not know it
We do not guess, crack or recover passwords, and we charge nothing. Instead:
- Ask the person or organisation that sent you the file. They set the password.
- Look in the email, letter or portal message that came with the PDF. Some senders use an account number or a date of birth, but check with them rather than guessing.
- Ask for an unprotected copy, or download it again from the portal it came from.
- If you made the file yourself, check your password manager and the original document it was exported from.
Not supported
Certificate locks, rights management, damaged files
Protection tied to a digital ID or to a vendor's rights-management system is not something a password unlocks, and we do not try to bypass it. Damaged files are not repaired. The free check tells you which applies. Full list.
How it works
- Add your PDF. We read the lock type. This is free and needs no card.
- Confirm you may open it and enter the password if there is one.
- We unlock and verify. The copy is compared with your original before we show it to you.
- Review the results and the report of what changed.
- Pay and download. One payment, no account, no subscription.
Pricing
One payment per job, in US dollars. No subscription and no account. You are charged only for files that were unlocked and verified.
| Job size | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1 PDF | $1.99 | One unlocked PDF |
| Up to 5 PDFs | $4.99 | 2 to 5 unlocked PDFs in one job |
| Up to 10 PDFs | $7.99 | 6 to 10 unlocked PDFs in one job |
- The price depends on how many files were successfully unlocked, not how many you added.
- After you pay, you can re-download for 60 minutes. Then the files are erased.
- Tax or VAT, where it applies, is shown before you pay.
- Refunds: see the refund policy.
What we check, and what we do not claim
Checked on every file
- The unlocked copy opens with no password and passes a structural check.
- The page count matches.
- Every stored object and stream equals your original once decrypted, apart from the lock itself.
- Document metadata is identical.
Not claimed
- That any court, agency or employer will accept the unlocked copy.
- That the file is unchanged byte for byte.
- That digital signatures still validate. They will not.
- That damaged files are repaired. They are not.
Questions
Can you recover a password I forgot?
No. UnsealPDF does not guess, crack or recover passwords, and nobody can remove modern PDF encryption without the password. If you do not know it, the free check explains who to ask.
What is the difference between a password and permission restrictions?
A password to open stops anyone without it from reading the file. Permission restrictions let anyone open the file but block printing, copying or editing. We handle both, but only for files you own or are allowed to change.
Is this allowed?
UnsealPDF is for files you own or have permission to open. We ask you to confirm that before we process anything. This is not legal advice. If a document is subject to rules about who may change it, follow those rules.
When do I pay?
After. We unlock and verify your copy first, show you the results, and only then ask for payment. If the password is wrong, the lock is not supported, or verification fails, you pay nothing.
Do you keep my file or my password?
Files are erased automatically about an hour after your results are ready, and always within 24 hours. You can delete them immediately. While stored, they are encrypted with a key that only your browser tab can provide. The password is used once, in memory, to open the file and is never saved or logged. Details are in the privacy page.