Sometimes a PDF has too much in it: a 200-page scan when you need one chapter, a merged report when you only need the appendix, a form that has to be submitted one page at a time. Splitting fixes all of these, and it takes about as long as opening the file.
The 3 ways to split a PDF
Our free Split PDF tool supports three modes, and picking the right one saves you a step:
- One file per page — every page becomes its own PDF. Best for forms that need individual pages submitted separately, or when you genuinely need each page standalone.
- Fixed-size chunks — split into equal groups (every 10 pages, for example). Best for breaking up a long document into manageable, evenly sized parts.
- Custom page ranges — you specify exactly which pages go where (e.g., pages 1–5, 6–12, 13–20). Best when you know precisely which sections you need separated.
How to split a PDF in 3 steps
Step 1: Upload your PDF
Go to the Split PDF page and add your file, up to 25 MB.
Step 2: Choose a split mode
Pick one page per file, fixed-size chunks, or a custom range, depending on what you need out the other end.
Step 3: Download your files
Download the result — a ZIP containing your separate PDFs, or a single file if you only extracted one range.
Splitting vs. compressing — which do you need?
If a file is too big because it has too many pages, split it. If it’s too big because of large images on fewer pages, compress it instead. Long scanned documents often benefit from both: compress first to shrink the images, then split if it’s still too large to send as one piece.
What if the PDF is password-protected?
An encrypted PDF can’t be read by any tool, including a splitter. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF (you need to know it), then split.
After splitting
- Merge selected pieces back together in a different combination
- Delete pages instead, if you just need to remove a few rather than split everything apart
- Reorder pages before splitting, if they’re currently out of sequence
Ready? Try the free Split PDF tool now — no sign-up, no watermark, and your file is never stored.