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pdfk

Modern PDF password CLI — fast, offline, and secure

A modern CLI for PDF password management. Lock and unlock PDFs with AES-256 encryption (PDF 2.0, R6) — fully offline with zero network calls, no telemetry, and no file uploads. Your files never leave your machine.

Why pdfk?

  • Fully offline — zero network calls, no telemetry, no file uploads
  • AES-256 encryption — uses the strongest PDF encryption standard
  • Single binary — no runtime dependencies (no Python/Java/Node required)
  • Script-friendly — stdin password input, exit codes, quiet mode for CI/CD pipelines
  • Preserves fidelity — images, fonts, and all PDF content survive lock/unlock roundtrips intact
cargo install pdfk