How to Split a PDF into Multiple Files Free

Last Updated: September 2026

Splitting a PDF means taking one file and dividing it into two or more separate documents. You might need to do this to send only certain sections to different people, to reduce attachment file size, to extract a single chapter from a long report, or to separate a scanned multi-page document into individual pages.

All of the methods below are free. The right one depends on what device you're using and how precisely you need to split.

Method 1: Docuvory — Split by Page Numbers (Recommended)

Docuvory offers two splitting tools depending on what you need:

Split PDF by Pages — extract specific pages or ranges into a new PDF
Split PDF — split after every page, or at specific page intervals
Split by Bookmarks — split at each chapter bookmark automatically

How to extract specific pages (Split PDF by Pages)

Go to Docuvory's Split PDF by Pages tool.
Click "Select PDF Files" or drag your file into the upload area.
In the "Pages to Extract" field, enter the pages or ranges you want. Examples:
- 3 — extracts only page 3
- 1-5 — extracts pages 1 through 5
- 2, 4, 7-10 — extracts pages 2, 4, and 7 through 10
Click "Process". The tool creates a new PDF containing only those pages.
Click "Download File".

To split into multiple separate parts, repeat the process for each section you need — upload the same original file each time and enter different page ranges.

Method 2: Adobe Acrobat Pro

If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro (not the free Reader), it has a built-in organise pages feature.

Open your PDF in Acrobat Pro.
Click Tools → Organize Pages.
Click Split in the toolbar at the top of the page thumbnails.
Choose your split method:
- Number of pages — e.g., split every 10 pages
- File size — split when output exceeds a certain MB
- Top-level bookmarks — split at each chapter
Click Output Options to choose where to save the files, then click OK → Split.

Acrobat creates numbered files (filename_1.pdf, filename_2.pdf, etc.) in your chosen folder.

Method 3: macOS Preview (Mac Only)

Preview on Mac can create a new PDF from selected pages with a simple drag operation.

Open your PDF in Preview.
Go to View → Thumbnails to show the page panel on the left.
Select the pages you want in the new file. Click the first page, then hold Shift and click the last page to select a range. Or hold Cmd and click individual pages.
Drag the selected thumbnails to your Desktop (or any Finder window). Preview automatically creates a new PDF file containing only those pages.
Rename the new file as needed.

This is the fastest offline method on a Mac. No menu navigation required — just drag and drop.

Method 4: Google Chrome — Print to PDF

Chrome's Print to PDF lets you save only specific page ranges, which is effectively splitting.

Open your PDF in Chrome (drag it into a Chrome tab).
Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac).
Set Destination to "Save as PDF".
Under Pages, select "Custom" and enter the range you want to keep. For example: 1-5 for pages 1 to 5.
Click Save.
Repeat for each section, entering a different page range each time.

Note: Chrome re-renders the PDF when printing, which can subtly alter fonts or layout. For precise, formatting-faithful splits use Docuvory or macOS Preview instead.

Comparison Table

Method	Split Type	Works On	Preserves Formatting	Cost
Docuvory	By page range, by page interval, by bookmark	Any device	Yes — 100%	Free
Adobe Acrobat Pro	By pages, file size, or bookmarks	Windows, Mac	Yes — 100%	$19.99/month
macOS Preview	By selected pages (drag to create new file)	Mac only	Yes — 100%	Free (built-in)
Chrome Print to PDF	By page range (one output file at a time)	Windows, Mac	Usually (may alter fonts)	Free

Troubleshooting

I split the PDF but the bookmarks are missing from the output

When you extract pages that have bookmarks pointing to other pages not included in the extract, those bookmarks are removed since they would point nowhere. Only bookmarks that reference pages within your extracted range are preserved. If bookmarks are critical, use Split by Bookmarks — this method splits the whole document at each bookmark, so every chapter gets its own file with intact internal navigation.

My split file is almost the same size as the original

PDFs often embed fonts, colour profiles, and other shared resources in the file header. These are preserved in split output files even if only a few pages reference them, which keeps file sizes high. Run your split files through Docuvory's Compress PDF tool to remove unused embedded data and reduce size.

The page numbers I entered don't match what was extracted

Docuvory uses physical page positions — page 1 is the first page of the file, regardless of what number is printed on it. A document that starts at "page 5" printed still has that page at position 1 in the tool. Count pages from the beginning of the file.

My PDF is password-protected and won't upload

Remove the password first using Docuvory's Unlock PDF tool, then proceed with splitting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I split a PDF into individual pages — one file per page?

Yes. Use Docuvory's Split PDF tool and choose the option to split every page into a separate file. A 20-page PDF will produce 20 individual PDF files, which you can download as a zip archive.

Can I split a PDF on my phone?

Yes. All Docuvory tools work in mobile browsers — no app required. Open the site in Safari or Chrome on your phone and the tool works identically to the desktop version.

How do I split without losing quality?

Docuvory, macOS Preview, and Adobe Acrobat all split without re-rendering the document, so quality is always identical to the original. The Chrome Print method re-renders and can occasionally cause minor visual differences — avoid it for high-quality design or print documents.

Is there a file size limit?

Docuvory supports PDF files up to 100MB. If your file is larger, compress it first to bring it within the limit.

How do I merge files back together after splitting?

Use Docuvory's Merge PDF tool — upload the files, arrange them in order, and download the combined PDF.

Related Tools

Split PDF by Pages — extract specific page ranges
Split PDF — split every page into separate files
Split by Bookmarks — split at chapter headings
Merge PDF — combine files back together
Compress PDF — reduce size after splitting

How to Split a PDF into Multiple Files (4 Free Methods)