RapidHow to Split a PDF on Mac — 3 Free Methods
Extract pages, split by range, or put every page in its own file — using Preview, your browser, or Automator. No Adobe, no install required.
How to split a pdf on mac has a built-in answer most people do not know about: Preview can do it without any additional software. Here are 3 free methods, including one that works in your browser without opening any app.
Method 1 — Preview (Built-in, Free)
Mac's built-in Preview app can extract pages using drag-and-drop. No download, no account — it is already on your Mac.
- Open the PDF in Preview.
- Go to View → Thumbnails (or press Cmd+Option+2) to show the page sidebar on the left.
- Select the page(s) you want to extract — click one thumbnail, Shift+click for a contiguous range, or Cmd+click to pick individual non-adjacent pages.
- Drag the selected thumbnails out of the Preview window to the Desktop or a Finder folder.
macOS automatically creates a new PDF from the dragged pages.
Alternative — extract a page range using Print:
- Open the PDF in Preview, then press Cmd+P (File → Print).
- In the Pages field, enter the range you want (e.g.
3-7). - Click the PDF dropdown at the bottom left → Save as PDF.
Method 2 — Browser (any Mac, RapidTools)
Best for pulling out pages by typing their numbers. Works in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox — no download required.
- Open rapidtools.online/split-pdf in any browser.
- Upload or drag your PDF into the tool.
- Type the pages you want — one page (e.g. 3), a range (e.g. 3-7), or a list (e.g. 1-3, 8).
- Click Extract Pages.
- The new PDF downloads with only those pages, in their original order — no file is sent to any server. For more files, type another range and click again.
Why use this over Preview: you type page numbers instead of selecting thumbnails, nothing needs installing, and the pages are copied without being re-compressed. It makes one file per click, so to put every page in its own file at once, use Automator (Method 3).
Method 3 — Automator (Batch Splitting)
Automator is a built-in Mac app that can automate PDF splitting for repeated tasks. If you regularly split PDFs the same way, this is the most efficient option.
- Open Automator (press Cmd+Space and type Automator).
- Choose New Document → Quick Action (or Service).
- In the action library, find and add PDFs → Split PDF.
- Configure: split into individual pages or groups of N pages, depending on your workflow.
- Add the action Files & Folders → Move Finder Items and choose a destination folder for the output files.
- Save the workflow. Now right-click any PDF in Finder → Quick Actions → select your workflow to run it.
When to use: when you need to split many PDFs the same way repeatedly. The setup takes a couple of minutes but saves time on every future split.
Which Method to Use
| Method | Split all pages? | Free? | Install needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Preview | Manual (one by one) | ✅ Yes | Built-in |
| RapidTools (browser) | ❌ One file per click | ✅ Yes | No |
| Automator | ✅ Yes (after setup) | ✅ Yes | Built-in |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | ✅ Yes | ❌ Paid | Yes |
For other devices and methods, see how to split a PDF. On Mac, you can also read how to sign a PDF on Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Preview split a PDF into individual pages?
Preview can extract individual pages by dragging thumbnails out of the sidebar, but doing this for all pages is a manual process. For a batch "split all" operation, use Automator, which handles it in one step.
Does splitting a PDF in Preview preserve quality?
Yes — Preview extracts pages without re-encoding content. Text, images, and formatting in the output PDF are identical to the original. There is no quality loss.
How do I split a PDF on Mac without installing software?
Use Preview (already on every Mac) or open rapidtools.online/split-pdf in Safari. Neither requires a download or account. RapidTools is the better option if you want to type page numbers instead of selecting thumbnails.
Can I split a password-protected PDF on Mac?
You will need to enter the password to open it first. Once Preview has unlocked the document, you can extract and drag pages normally. The same applies to RapidTools — enter the password when prompted after uploading.