10 Best PDF Unlockers Online Free in 2023

Last updated on March 9, 2023

Summary :

How do I unlock a password-protected PDF? In this article, we will list the top ten PDF unlockers available online to help you easily unlock PDF files.

10 PDF Unlockers Online

The most used document format is PDF. A PDF is typically simple to retrieve, and the file is already compressed to save space. However, PDFs now come with password protection for a variety of reasons to boost security and protection being a reason.

Some important justifications for locking your PDF file include limiting unauthorized access and protecting its contents. But with protection also comes certain additional problems. For instance, if you need to access something at a certain moment or you have forgotten your set password you will have to unlock your PDF. For this very reason, access to PDF unlockers is vital in case of emergency.

In this write-up, you will know about 10 PDF unlockers Online free that you can consider for unlocking locked PDF files.

Do not miss: 10 Best PDF Compressors Online for FreeTop 12 EPUB to PDF Converters[Free and Paid]10 Best PDF Editor Add-ons for Google Chrome

List Of 4 Important Factors For Choosing a PDF Unlocker

  • Gather essential info on the website and your PDF whether it is owner name or username protected. When that’s cleared then proceed with the unlocking procedure.
  • Make sure the website that you are using is safe, for instance, to check the reliability of any website you can check the SSLtrust platform which checks various aspects of the website, from backlinks to red flags by Google. According to the results, you ca n choose the desired unlocking website/platform.
  • If you want to access a free platform check the website info yourself and see if they provide any free service for unlocking PDFs.
  • PDF unlocking platforms also double in on other important PDF tools like merging PDF files, extracting PDF pages, and deleting pages in PDF. Nowadays people also have various converters that they use to change the PDF file format to JPG etc. Look for all those additional functions since they supplement the unlocking work.
The interface of SSL Trust for checking the security of a website

The interface of SSL Trust for checking the security of a website

Free Top 10 PDF Unlockers of 2023

# 1. HiPDF

HiPDF is a subsidiary of WonderShare Technology conglomerate, it is an amazing add-on to include PDF tools. It has easily accessible password removers that can unlock your PDF in a few seconds and that helps you in the accessibility of contents in a file.

It can remove both user name and owner name passwords easily. It does have a caution message regarding files that are heavily encrypted, it states its inability to decrypt those. The platform seems user-friendly and easy to navigate. It also has other tools that are required with PDF such as a PDF converter, compressor, and OCR among other things.

HiPDF PDF Unlocker UI

HiPDF PDF Unlocker UI

Features of HiPDF

  • Comes in a desktop version, web portal, and chrome extension.
  • Easy to access, navigational API.
  • Decrypt owner name and user name passport-protected PDFs.
  • Cannot decrypt extreme encryption.
  • Does not store data.
  • Free to use.

PROS

  • User-friendly interface
  • Able to unlock username and owner name password-protected PDF
  • Cloud service enabled

CONS

  • Wondershare, its parent company is not known for data privacy concerns
  • Not able to decrypt files with excessive encryption

# 2. iLovePDF

iLovePDF is another great platform that is free and easy to use. The platform was first created by Marco Grossi and the HQ of this company is based in Barcelona. The company also has offices in Austria and Switzerland. The company is well known for being easy to use, accessible, and convertible PDF tool. It provides most of its tools for free on its web-based platform which is its website. For Android and Microsoft software versions, you need to pay $4/month and $48/year.

iLovePDF PDF Unlocker UI

iLovePDF PDF Unlocker UI

Features of iLovePDF 

  • Come with compressor, merger, and converter tools.
  • Most PDF tools are available for free.
  • Relatively cheaper when compared to other tools.
  • Unlock feature available for both username and owner name password-protected PDFs
  • Has features of conversion, compression, merger, editing, and retracting of PDF
  • Has digital signing, and password protection options available.

PROS

  • Comes with editing PDF tools
  • Free service is on par with Premium service

CONS

  • Does not have sufficient information on what degree decryption can be done
  • The free and Paid versions difference is next to nil

# 3. Smallpdf

Smallpdf is a compression, signing, locking, watermark creation, and PDF editing tool. This small web portal is accessible for all three major OSs Linux, Mac, and Windows including even also the newly launched ChromeOS. This platform came into life in 2013 when founders Mathis Büchi, Lino Teuterberg, and Manuel Stofer thought of an idea of optimizing file size when they were abroad in South Korea to their home country Switzerland. That’s how the company started. Initially, the company only had a PDF compression tool.

But with time they have had 16 tools in their platform for many feature works in PDF. The pricing of SmallPDF is fairly decent. You get many tools for free here, more sophisticated tools including e-signing, watermark making, and authenticating require a $4/month subscription which is the pro version and the service. Apart from that the platform also has team packages for 2-14 people and it costs $9/month.

SmallPDF PDF Unlocker UI

SmallPDF PDF Unlocker UI

Features of Smallpdf

  • All editing and manipulation tools are included.
  • Conversion of all files enabled.
  • Userfriendly UI.
  • Has a unique feature of the page number.
  • The online scanner is also part of its tools.
  • Can password-protect PDFs along with the unlocking feature.

PROS

  • Easy to use
  • Affordable premium packages, especially for big teams
  • Have tools such as page numbering not usually found a tool in web portals

CONS

  • Cannot unlock strong encryption but is able to break owner name passwords

# 4. SodaPDF

SodaPDF is another user-friendly platform that can be easily accessible and worked on. SodaPDF is a subsidiary of LULLU technology of Montreal, Canada. Though they have offices in both Quebec and Montreal. The best aspect of SodaPDF is its user-friendly interface and many tools. The pricing of the platform is on the higher end.

It costs $6.99/month if you take the standard plans. And Pro plans cost $8.25/month. The services that you get include an OCR scanner, e-signing, editing, compression and also batch processing, and additional comments provision among other aspects.

SodaPDF PDF Unlocker UI

SodaPDF PDF Unlocker UI

 

Features of SodaPDF

  • Enabled Compression tools are available.
  • Convertible tools can be accessed easily.
  • Unlocking and locking features are available.
  • Pricing starts from $6.99 for a month.
  • You also have PDF creator among other tools in the platform.

PROS

  • Creation of PDF
  • Password protection available
  • PDF unlocking available

CONS

  • t is costly compared to other peers

# 5. PDF2GO

PDF2GO is an amazing PDF tool that enables you to compress, edit, merge, redact, OCR scan, and Crop your PDF file. But apart from the usual beneficial listings that are part of the platform. An applaudable trait of the platform is to convert PDF files from very unknown file formats and these are DJVU and PDF/A. These file formats are very rare to find. The platform also ensures that all of your fed files are looked after with utmost care. The pricing of the platform starts from $6.50/month. The platform’s pro provides unlimited access to editing services.

PDF2GO PDF Unlocker UI

PDF2GO PDF Unlocker UI

Features of PDF2GO

  • Unique features like optimizing PDF.
  • Repairing PDFs is available in case of file corruption.
  • Convert from EPUB and DJVU and PDF/A.
  • Easy to use interface.
  • Ability to decrypt complex encryption as well.

PROS

  • Have unique tools like repairing PDFs and searching PDFs
  • Have tools like PDF optimization
  • Can convert from and to unknown formats like DJVU and EPUB, etc.

CONS

  • Limited tools available for free
  • Pricing seems to be overly done as per the service provided

# 6. PDFCandy

PDFCandy is very different from other platforms that we have had until now. It has unlocking features along with basic conversion, and compression among other things. Its conversion tally is very big. PDF Candy is a subsidiary platform of Ice Cream Apps. Ice cream Apps’ platform for PDF-related work and manipulation was carried out by PDF Candy.

The company began its operations in 2016, making it relatively newer software compared to other software. As far as the platform’s pricing is concerned, you need to pay $4/month if you pay for a year at a time. In case you want to initiate a payment for a month only $9/month. You also have the choice of subscribing to the product for a lifetime and it will cost $99 for a lifetime. You will get a desktop app and web assistance for a lifetime.

PDF Candy PDF Unlocker UI

PDF Candy PDF Unlocker UI

Features of PDFCandy

  • Very unique tools are available like editing metadata, and extracting texts.
  • It also enables the extraction of images.
  • To and From conversion available of FB2 and MOBI.
  • RTF, BIMP, and TIFF conversion formats are available.
  • Has options of including external headers and footers on PDF.

PROS

  • Easy to use
  • Out-of-ordinary tools, extracting tools, header and footer inclusion, OCR scan and convert to and from very uncommon file formats like TIFF and BMP, MOBI and FB2 as well
  • Lifetime availability of services

CONS

  • Limited hourly use of the platform for users accessing the platform and tool for free

# 7. PDF.IO

PDF.IO is a fast and easy-to-use platform, a subsidiary brand of 123 apps. It has PDF, audio, and video tools that facilitate editing, compression, and even unlocking PDF features available. It is easy to use and the navigational platform helps. The pricing however for the product is $10 for all three basic tools for editing multimedia services. Just that the free version is limited to a maximum number of 25 edits at a time.

PDF.IO PDF Unlocker UI

PDF.IO PDF Unlocker UI

Features of PDF.IO

  • Easy to use.
  • User-friendly UI.
  • fewer options for manipulating PDF files.
  • Merger, and compression as tools available in the PDF section.
  • Add Page numbers on PDF.

PROS

  • Easy to convert, compress and protect files
  • Decryption available
  • Easy to use

CONS

  • Fewer features available
  • Slightly overpriced

# 8. PDF24 Tools

PDF24 Tools is a collection of impressive tools that you can use for free. The catalog of its tools is such an amazing collection of compression tools, editing, and a massive directory of PDF assistance tools available. Apart from having conventional tools like compression, unlock, and using password protection, it also has other tools for invoice creation, PDF overlay, and Annotation availability.

It also allows conversion from unconventional file extensions ODT, ODG, ODS, and ODP. It also assists you in removing your metadata. You also have PDF tools that support flattening PDFs. It has a vast reservoir of unique tools like creating photos directly with a camera etc.

Unlock PDF interface of PDF24 tools

Unlock PDF interface of PDF24 tools

Features of PDF24 Tools

  • Have multiple file transformation tools in regard to PDF
  • Have unique tools to edit PDF metadata and
  • Can flatten PDF
  • Web Optimizing tool available
  • PDF overlay available
  • Image exported to PDF directly
  • Annotate PDF available
  • Conversion to all file forms possible
  • Can unlock any password-protected document

PROS

  • A huge chunk of tools are available for free
  • Unique tools to redact PDF, alter PDF metadata, and create invoices and job applications directly in PDF files are available
  • Easy to use, navigate and follow the platform
  • Magnetic, trackless timeline
  • Magnetic, trackless timeline

CONS

  • Decryption might not happen with heavily encrypted files. But on the whole an amazing platform for PDF tools assistance.

# 9. SmallSEOtools

SmallSEOtools will work wonders, especially for people who are into SEO work and blogging. It is a plagiarism checker, backlink checker, keyword analyzer, long tail keyword checker, article rewriter, paraphrasing tool, converter, and editor tool. Unlock PDF tool is part of Small SEO tools’ PDF editor listing. This platform also has binary to word conversion tool available. On a whole, this platform is amazing in terms of resource availability and assistance.

Small SEO tool unlock PDF interface

Small SEO tool unlock PDF interface

Features of SmallSEOtools

  • Have keyword ranking analyzer tools.
  • Has headline analyzer tools.
  • In PDF section has basic compression and optimization tools.
  • Unlocking can be done in a fairly easy manner.
  • Has tools to convert from binary numbers to text.
  • Tools are available for searching meta tags as well.

PROS

  • Beneficial for users who want to access both SEO tools and PDF editing tools
  • Has excellent PDF tools despite being an HTML-centric web setup
  • Best lump of editing tools available

CONS

  • Too much advertisement on the platform
  • UI is a bit difficult to navigate

# 10. Free PDF Converter

Free PDF Converter is an amazing PDF Unlocker that enables a user to convert, edit, merge, and even unlock PDFs. The decrypting facility is great. Free PDF’s standout feature is its ability to unlock secured files without much hindrance making it a commendable application to use.

The free PDF converter has 256-bit encryption protection for your uploaded data on its platform. It keeps you reassured that your internal and external data will not be leaked on online forums or used by the platform for any nefarious means. It also has a free Ebook to PDF converter making it quite a new feature in today’s times. It also has an iWork converter tool that can convert iWork files to PDF files.

PDF Converter’s PDF Unlocker UI

PDF Converter’s PDF Unlocker UI

Features Free PDF Converter

  • Easy to use user interface.
  • Enables EBook features to transform to PDF.
  • Transform iWork files to PDF files.
  • Conversion to and from all forms of documentation.
  • Support conversion of Open Office to PDF.

PROS

  • Easy to use and navigate the interface
  • Helps convert iWork files to PDF
  • Free online platform with major tools for working with PDF files

CONS

  • It does not have any information on the efficiency of its unlocking

Conclusion

PDFs are in vogue now because of their efficiency in becoming easy-to-access documentary files. It can be easily converted to and from digital mediums with the abundant availability of free tools of recent times. With time due to security concerns, PDF tools also started putting passwords for enhanced security and protection of sensitive files.

This was a good thing but with the time that also became a hindrance. In times of urgency, you might feel the need to want to access a PDF but due to some reason, you forgot the password. In that case, you can use a password remover or PDF unlocker software/platform/tools and sub-tools.

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