How to split a pdf is one of the most common PDF tasks — pulling one contract out of a bundle, saving a single chapter, or deleting a few pages before you share a file. This guide covers the free methods that work on every major platform, with no Adobe subscription needed.
The fastest way to split a PDF on any device. There is nothing to install, no account, and your file never leaves your browser — the pages are copied into a new PDF on your own device.
Works in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge on computers, phones, and tablets. No sign-up needed.
Click the upload area or drag your PDF onto it. The file loads into your browser — it is never sent to a server.
Use page numbers, ranges, or both, separated by commas. For example 3, 2-5, or 1-3, 7, 10-12.
The new PDF downloads straight away. It is named after your file with split- in front, and your original file is not changed.
The page box accepts single pages, ranges with a dash, and lists separated by commas.
| You type | You get |
|---|---|
| 3 | Only page 3 |
| 2-5 | Pages 2, 3, 4, and 5 |
| 1,4,7 | Pages 1, 4, and 7 in one file |
| 1-3,7,10-12 | Pages 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 11, and 12 |
| 5,3,1 | Pages 1, 3, and 5 — always in their original order |
Deleting pages works the same way: type the pages you want to keep, and leave out the ones you want gone. The new PDF is your file without the deleted pages.
| To delete | Type this to keep |
|---|---|
| Page 5 of a 10-page PDF | 1-4,6-10 |
| Pages 3 and 7 of a 10-page PDF | 1-2,4-6,8-10 |
| The last page of a 12-page PDF | 1-11 |
| The first and last pages of a 20-page PDF | 2-19 |
| The cover page before you forward a file | 2-20 (for a 20-page PDF) |
Common reasons to delete pages: blank pages from a scan, a page the scanner picked up twice, a cover letter you do not want to forward, or one client’s pages from a long invoice batch.
The browser tool makes one new PDF each time you click Extract Pages. To split one PDF into several files, run it once for each part:
To put every page into its own file in one step, use the command line tool qpdf (Method 6). For more examples, see how to split a PDF into multiple files.
Every Mac has Preview, which can pull pages out of a PDF or delete pages from it. No extra software is needed.
Double-click the file. If it opens in another app, right-click → Open With → Preview.
Go to View → Thumbnails, or press Cmd+Option+2.
Click a thumbnail. Shift+click selects a run of pages, and Cmd+click selects pages that are not next to each other.
To extract: drag the selected thumbnails to the Desktop or a Finder folder — macOS makes a new PDF with just those pages. To delete: press the Delete key, then choose File → Export to save a new copy.
Another built-in Mac method: use the Print window to save a range of pages as a new PDF.
Or press Cmd+P.
In the Pages setting, choose a range and enter the first and last page (for example 3 to 7).
Click the PDF menu at the bottom of the Print window, choose Save as PDF, name the file, and click Save.
If you have Google Chrome, its Print window can save chosen pages as a new PDF without visiting any website.
Drag the file into a Chrome window, or right-click it → Open with → Google Chrome.
This opens the Print window.
Type the pages to keep, for example 2-5, 8, then click Save.
The browser tool works the same way on a phone or tablet, with no app to download.
No app or account needed.
Pick it from Files, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or Downloads. It stays on your phone.
On iPhone and iPad, the new file goes to the Downloads folder in the Files app. On Android, it goes to your Downloads folder.
qpdf and pdftk are free, open-source command line tools for Windows, Mac, and Linux. They are useful for batch jobs, scripts, and putting every page into its own file in one step.
Rapidbrew install qpdf or brew install pdftk-java on Mac, or sudo apt install qpdf or sudo apt install pdftk on Linux.qpdf input.pdf --pages . 5-10 -- output.pdfqpdf input.pdf --split-pages output-%d.pdfpdftk input.pdf cat 5-10 output pages5-10.pdfpdftk input.pdf cat 1 3 7 output selected.pdfA common job: a 20-page bundle arrives and you only need to sign the last page. Doing it in this order means you only sign once:
| Task | What to type |
|---|---|
| Pull a contract out of a bundle | A range, for example 12-18 |
| Get just the invoice page from a statement | One page number, for example 3 |
| Share one chapter of a report | That chapter’s range |
| Remove the cover page before sending | 2 to the last page, for example 2-20 |
| Method | Works on | Type page numbers | Every page as its own file in one step |
|---|---|---|---|
| RapidTools browser tool | Any browser | ✓ | ✗ (one file per click) |
| Mac Preview (drag or delete) | Mac | ✗ (select thumbnails) | ✗ |
| Mac Preview (print) | Mac | ✓ (one range) | ✗ |
| Chrome Print to PDF | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook | ✓ | ✗ |
| qpdf / pdftk | Windows, Mac, Linux | ✓ | ✓ (qpdf --split-pages) |
Every method in this table works on your own device — none of them upload your file.
Extract or delete pages in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
✂️ Split PDF Free →