How to Remove Pages from a PDF for Free

Last Updated: September 2026

Have you ever received a PDF with a blank page at the end, a cover sheet you don't need, or a page containing sensitive information you want to strip out before sharing? Removing pages from a PDF is one of the most common document tasks — and yet most people don't know how to do it without paying for expensive software.

The short answer: you don't need to pay for anything. There are at least five completely free methods, and the right one depends on what device you're on and what you already have installed.

This guide covers all five.

Why You Might Need to Remove PDF Pages

There are dozens of real-world scenarios where this comes up:

Blank pages — scanners and printers routinely add empty pages at the end of documents
Confidential sections — you need to share a report but one page contains salary data or personal details
Unwanted cover pages — legal documents and court filings often start with pages you don't need
Reducing file size — removing image-heavy pages can shrink a file significantly
Extracting the relevant section — you only need pages 4–7 of a 40-page manual

Method 1: Docuvory — Free Online Tool (Fastest)

This is the fastest method and works on any device — Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, or Chromebook. Nothing to install.

Open the tool. Go to Docuvory's Remove PDF Pages tool.
Upload your PDF. Drag and drop your file onto the upload area, or click "Select PDF Files" to browse your device. Files up to 100MB are supported.
Enter the page numbers to remove. In the "Pages to Remove" field, type the page numbers separated by commas. For example: 2, 5, 8 removes pages 2, 5, and 8. To remove a range, enter each page number individually.
Click "Process". Processing takes a few seconds depending on file size.
Download your file. Click "Download File" to save the edited PDF.

The entire process takes under 30 seconds for most documents. Your original file is not modified — you always get a new download. Files are permanently deleted from our servers within 1 hour.

What you can remove with Docuvory:

Single pages: 3
Multiple specific pages: 1, 3, 7, 10
The first or last page: 1 or type the last page number

If your PDF is password-protected, unlock it first and then use the page remover.

Method 2: Google Chrome — Print to PDF (Windows & Mac)

Chrome has a built-in "Print to PDF" feature that lets you select which pages to keep when saving. This is effectively the same as removing the pages you don't want.

Open your PDF in Google Chrome (drag the file into a Chrome tab, or right-click → Open with → Chrome).
Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) to open the Print dialog.
In the Destination dropdown, select "Save as PDF".
Under Pages, select "Custom" and enter the page ranges you want to keep. For example, to keep pages 1–3 and 6–10 (removing pages 4 and 5), enter: 1-3, 6-10.
Click Save and choose a location.

Limitation: Chrome's Print to PDF re-renders the document which can slightly change formatting, especially for PDFs with complex layouts or embedded fonts. For simple documents it works perfectly.

Method 3: macOS Preview (Mac Only)

If you're on a Mac, Preview is already installed and is one of the most capable free PDF editors available.

Open your PDF in Preview (double-click the file — Preview opens by default on Mac).
Go to View → Thumbnails (or press Cmd+Option+2) to show the page sidebar.
Click the thumbnail of the page you want to delete. To select multiple pages, hold Cmd and click each one.
Press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Go to File → Save (Cmd+S) to save the changes to the file. Important: Choose File → Export as PDF if you want to save a new copy without overwriting the original.

Pro tip: You can also drag pages between PDFs in Preview's thumbnail view — open two PDFs side by side and drag a page from one to the other.

Method 4: Adobe Acrobat (If You Already Have It)

If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro (not just the free Reader), here's how:

Open your PDF in Acrobat Pro.
Click Tools in the top menu bar.
Select Organize Pages.
Thumbnails of all pages appear. Hover over a page to see options — click the trash icon below a page to delete it, or select multiple pages (Shift+click or Ctrl+click) and then click Delete Pages in the toolbar.
Click OK to confirm, then File → Save.

Note: Adobe Acrobat Pro costs $19.99/month. If you don't already subscribe, Docuvory or Preview (on Mac) are better free options.

Method 5: Google Docs (Workaround for Text-Based PDFs)

Google Docs can open and edit PDFs — but only if they contain selectable text (not scanned images). This is a workaround, not a purpose-built tool.

Go to Google Drive and upload your PDF.
Right-click the uploaded PDF and select Open with → Google Docs. Google converts the PDF to a Docs document.
Find and delete the content you don't want (the converted page content).
Go to File → Download → PDF Document (.pdf) to save it back as a PDF.

Limitation: The conversion from PDF to Google Docs often breaks formatting — tables, columns, and images may shift or disappear. Only use this method when the document is simple, text-only content and exact formatting doesn't matter.

Comparison Table: Which Method Should You Use?

Method	Best For	Works On	Preserves Formatting	Cost
Docuvory	Any PDF, any device, quick use	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android	Yes — 100%	Free
Chrome Print to PDF	Simple documents, already in browser	Windows, Mac	Usually yes	Free
macOS Preview	Mac users, offline use	Mac only	Yes — 100%	Free (built-in)
Adobe Acrobat Pro	Power users with subscription	Windows, Mac	Yes — 100%	$19.99/month
Google Docs	Simple text-only PDFs	Any browser	Often breaks	Free

Bottom line: For most people, Docuvory is the best option — it's free, preserves formatting perfectly, works on any device, and takes 30 seconds. Mac users who prefer offline tools should use Preview.

Troubleshooting

My PDF says it's "secured" or "restricted"

The PDF has edit restrictions applied. You need to remove them first. Use Docuvory's Unlock PDF tool to strip the restrictions, then come back and remove the pages. If the PDF requires a password you don't know, you will not be able to modify it — this is by design for security reasons.

The page numbers in my tool don't match the PDF page numbers

Many PDFs — especially books and reports — use Roman numerals or start numbering at page 2 or 3. The tool uses physical page positions, not the printed numbers inside the document. Page 1 = the first page of the file, regardless of what number is printed on it.

After removing pages my PDF looks different / fonts changed

This only happens with the Chrome Print to PDF method, which re-renders the document. Use Docuvory or macOS Preview instead — both operate on the raw PDF data and never re-render the document, so formatting is always preserved exactly.

I accidentally removed the wrong pages

Keep your original file before processing. If you've already overwritten it, most cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) keeps version history — check your trash or version history. Going forward: always keep a backup copy before editing any document.

My file is too large to upload

Docuvory supports files up to 100MB. If your file is larger, compress it first to bring the size down, then remove the pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove pages from a PDF on my iPhone or Android?

Yes. Docuvory runs entirely in your mobile browser — no app download required. Open the site in Safari (iPhone) or Chrome (Android), upload your file, enter the page numbers, and download. The entire process works the same as on a desktop.

Does removing pages reduce the file size?

Yes, especially if the removed pages contained images, graphics, or embedded content. For even smaller files after removing pages, run the result through Docuvory's Compress PDF tool.

Can I remove all pages except the ones I want to keep?

The current Docuvory tool asks you which pages to remove. If you want to keep only a few pages from a large document, it may be easier to use Split PDF by Pages to extract just the pages you want.

Is there a limit to how many pages I can remove?

No limit on the number of pages you can remove in one session. You can remove every page except one if needed. The tool handles PDFs up to 100MB and hundreds of pages.

Will the remaining pages stay in order?

Yes. The remaining pages keep their original order. If your document has pages 1–10 and you remove pages 3 and 7, the result will contain pages 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 in that order — renumbered as 1–8 in the output file.

Can I remove pages without losing bookmarks?

Removing pages that have bookmarks attached will remove those bookmarks too. If bookmark preservation matters, note which bookmarks link to the pages being removed before proceeding.

Related Tools You Might Need

Split PDF by Pages — extract specific pages into a new file
Compress PDF — reduce file size after editing
Unlock PDF — remove password restrictions before editing
Merge PDF — combine multiple PDFs into one

How to Remove Pages from a PDF for Free (5 Methods)