PDFEncryptTool 2.14.0306

PDFEncryptTool is a simple application that helps you add passwords to PDF files. Once the encryption is enabled, the protected PDF can't be opened if you don't know the right combination of keys. In other words, the program will set a master password to prevent the files from being opened. It is not meant to protect against copying or printing PDFs.

The tool comes with a neat and straightforward interface, providing colored buttons to make it more attractive. The utility is intuitive and easy to use. The encryption consists of three steps to follow - namely, you will need to load the file, set the password, and select the path for saving the output document. You will receive a notification whether the task has been completed or an error has occurred and the file is still unprotected. Most PDF creators come with encryption features – still, if your PDF file was created by means of a free tool that didn't provided such a function, then you can use PDFEncryptTool from Romanysoft.

At first glance, the program seems to work well. Yet, when trying to open the resulting file with Mac system's default program, I received a message telling me that the password was wrong. After several attempts, I decided to install an additional program – a free PDF reader – and the problem persisted. Finally, Adobe Reader was the only program capable of opening my protected file. Thus, I'm not sure how trustful this tool is, since it doesn't support most PDF readers. In addition, you will need to install another program to remove the protection.