Encrypt a file with a password — locally, without uploading it
You want to email a contract, put a tax document in cloud storage, or hand a file to a colleague — and you'd rather it were password-protected first. Most "encrypt online" tools ask you to upload the file to their server first, which defeats the point. This one encrypts entirely on your own device.
Drop in any file — documents, photos, archives, anything.
Choose a long passphrase (three or more random words beat a short password with symbols). The strength meter tells you where you stand.
Download the .enc file. It's safe to email, share or back up — only the passphrase opens it.
Decrypting is the same flow in reverse, on the same page.
How strong is this encryption?
The tool uses AES-256-GCM — the same algorithm trusted for disk encryption and banking — with a key derived from your passphrase via PBKDF2 (600,000 rounds). The math is not the weak point; the passphrase is. "correct horse battery staple"-style passphrases (long, random words) are both memorable and strong; short passwords are not, no matter how many exclamation marks.
No password recovery — that's the feature
There is deliberately no backdoor, no reset link, no recovery question. If you lose the passphrase, the file stays encrypted forever — for you and for everyone else. That is what real encryption means. Write the passphrase down somewhere safe before you encrypt anything you care about.
Where to use an encrypted file
Email attachments: the .enc file travels safely even over plain email; send the passphrase by a different channel (a phone call, a text).
Cloud storage: drop the encrypted file in any cloud drive — the cloud only ever holds ciphertext.
USB sticks: a lost stick with encrypted files is an inconvenience, not a data breach.
contract.pdf — encrypting on this device: AES-256-GCM key from passphrase (PBKDF2) ✓ contract.pdf.enc ready — never uploaded, 0 bytes sent
What an encryption run looks like (illustration — demo file, never real data):
Like the tool? Own it.
The free page encrypts unlimited single files. The €9 Drag-and-Drop File Encryptor download adds batch encryption of folders and the same tool as a single file — no limits, offline forever, on any computer you own. One-time payment — no subscription.
No. Encryption runs inside the page with your browser's own WebCrypto engine — no server, no account, no network calls after the page loads. It works with the internet unplugged.
What if I forget the password?
The data is unrecoverable — by anyone, including us. There is deliberately no recovery path. Keep the passphrase safe before encrypting.
Can I encrypt several files at once?
The free page handles one file at a time (as many as you like). The €9 download adds batch encryption of whole folders.
Is the encrypted file safe to share?
Yes — it's just bytes, readable only with the passphrase. Send it by email or cloud freely; just don't send the passphrase through the same channel.
Untracked builds single-file tools: no installation, no account, no cloud, no subscription — and no tracking on this page. This guide lives on tools.untracked.tools; every claim on it is about tools you can open and verify yourself.
We use one first-party analytics tool (PostHog, hosted in the EU) to understand which pages and tools are useful. It never sees your files, form contents or search terms, and session recording is off. You can change your mind at any time.