Looking for the best free PDF split software to separate PDF pages without paying for an expensive PDF editor? Several reliable tools let you divide large PDFs into smaller documents, extract selected pages, or save every page as an individual PDF.
Some PDF splitters work directly in your browser, while others run offline on Windows, Mac, or Linux. The right choice depends on your device, document size, privacy requirements, and whether you need advanced options such as splitting by bookmarks or file size.
For example, you might need to split a 50-page business report into five sections, separate invoices into individual files, or extract selected pages from a university assignment.
In this guide, we compare five free PDF splitting solutions: OneFileKit, PDF24 Creator, PDFsam Basic, Apple Preview, and qpdf.
You'll learn their key features, limitations, supported platforms, and how to choose the right PDF splitter for your needs.
If you want to split a document immediately, try the OneFileKit Split PDF tool.
Quick Comparison: Best Free PDF Split Software in 2026
Software | Platform | Free | Offline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
OneFileKit | Web browsers | Yes | No | Quick online splitting |
PDF24 Creator | Windows | Yes | Yes | Windows desktop users |
PDFsam Basic | Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes | Yes | Advanced free splitting |
Apple Preview | macOS | Included | Yes | Extracting pages on Mac |
qpdf | Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes | Yes | Developers and automation |
All five tools can help you separate PDF pages, but their features and workflows differ.
Our recommendations by use case:
For online splitting without installation: OneFileKit.
For Windows desktop users: PDF24 Creator.
For advanced offline splitting: PDFsam Basic.
For occasional page extraction on Mac: Apple Preview.
For command-line automation: qpdf.
These are editorial recommendations based on documented features and intended use, not the results of a standardized performance benchmark.
1. OneFileKit — Best Free Online PDF Splitter
Website: OneFileKit Split PDF
OneFileKit is a browser-based PDF tool platform offering document conversion, compression, merging, splitting, and page management.
Its Split PDF tool lets users separate PDF documents without installing desktop software.
Key Features
Split by Page Range. Divide a PDF into multiple documents using selected page ranges. For example:
Pages 1–5
Pages 6–10
Pages 11–15
Each range becomes a separate PDF.
Extract Specific Pages. Select individual pages and save them in a new document. For example, extract pages 2, 5, and 8 from a longer report.
Split Every Page. Create a separate PDF file for each page. This is useful for invoices, certificates, scanned documents, and forms.
Browser-Based Access. Use the tool through a compatible browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, or Android.
PDF Downloads. Download the resulting PDFs, with ZIP downloads available for multiple files where supported.
How to Split PDF Files Using OneFileKit
Open OneFileKit Split PDF.
Upload your PDF document.
Choose a splitting mode.
Enter the required page numbers or ranges.
Click Split PDF.
Download the resulting files.
Review the page order and content.
Advantages
Free browser-based PDF splitting.
No dedicated desktop installation.
Multiple splitting modes.
Supports selected-page extraction.
Suitable for everyday PDF management.
Provides related PDF tools.
Limitations
Requires an internet connection.
Upload and processing limits apply.
Confidential documents require consideration of the service's privacy and retention policies.
Who Should Use OneFileKit?
OneFileKit is suitable for students, office workers, freelancers, and anyone who needs to split PDFs occasionally without installing desktop software.
Split PDF Online for Free With OneFileKit
2. PDF24 Creator — Best Free PDF Split Software for Windows
Official website: PDF24 Creator
PDF24 Creator is a free desktop PDF toolkit for Windows.
It includes tools for splitting, merging, compressing, converting, and organizing PDF documents.
Unlike browser-based PDF splitters, PDF24 Creator can process documents locally on your computer.
Key Features
PDF Splitting. Divide PDF documents into smaller files using supported splitting options.
Page Extraction. Save selected pages from a larger PDF.
PDF Merging. Combine separate PDF documents.
PDF Compression. Reduce PDF file size using supported optimization features.
Offline Processing. Work with PDFs without uploading them to an online service.
How to Split PDFs Using PDF24 Creator
Visit the official PDF24 website.
Download and install PDF24 Creator.
Launch the application.
Select the PDF splitting tool.
Open your PDF document.
Configure the available splitting options.
Start processing.
Save the resulting files.
Advantages
Free desktop software.
Supports offline processing.
Multiple PDF management features.
Suitable for repeated PDF tasks.
No browser upload required for local processing.
Limitations
Desktop software must be installed.
PDF24 Creator is designed for Windows.
Available settings may differ between releases.
Who Should Use PDF24 Creator?
PDF24 Creator is a good choice for Windows users who frequently work with PDFs and prefer processing documents locally.
You can also use PDF24's online PDF splitting tool if you prefer a browser-based workflow.
3. PDFsam Basic — Best Free Open-Source PDF Split Software
Official website: PDFsam Basic
PDFsam Basic is a free, open-source PDF application available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Its name stands for PDF Split and Merge.
PDFsam Basic provides several splitting methods, including splitting by page numbers, bookmarks, and approximate file size.
Key Features
Split After Selected Pages. Choose specific page numbers where the document should be divided.
Split Every Page. Create one PDF for each page.
Split Every N Pages. For example, divide a 100-page PDF into documents containing 10 pages each.
Split by Bookmarks. Divide a document using its bookmark structure. This is particularly useful for books and reports containing chapters.
Split by File Size. Create smaller PDF documents based on an approximate target size.
Extract Pages. Save selected pages into new PDF documents.
How to Split PDFs Using PDFsam Basic
Visit PDFsam Basic.
Download the application for your operating system.
Install and open PDFsam Basic.
Select Split.
Add your PDF document.
Choose the splitting method.
Configure page numbers, bookmarks, or file-size settings.
Select the output folder.
Click Run.
Review the resulting PDFs.
Advantages
Free and open source.
Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Works offline.
No PDF upload required.
No application-imposed file-size limit advertised for PDFsam Basic.
Supports advanced splitting options.
Limitations
Requires installation.
The interface may take longer to learn than a simple online splitter.
It is not a complete PDF text editor.
Actual processing remains limited by available system resources.
Who Should Use PDFsam Basic?
PDFsam Basic is particularly suitable for users who need advanced PDF splitting without paying for commercial software.
It is also useful for large reports, books, and documents containing bookmarks.
The official PDFsam splitting guide explains its main splitting options.
4. Apple Preview — Best Built-In PDF Splitter for Mac
Official reference: Apple Preview User Guide
Preview is Apple's built-in application for viewing PDFs and images on macOS.
Although it is not a dedicated automated PDF splitter, it provides useful tools for selecting, extracting, and organizing PDF pages.
Key Features
Page Thumbnails. Display PDF pages in a sidebar.
Extract Selected Pages. Create a new PDF containing selected pages.
Rearrange Pages. Move page thumbnails into a different order.
Delete Pages. Remove unwanted pages from a PDF.
Offline Processing. Work locally without uploading documents to a website.
How to Split a PDF Using Preview
Open your PDF in Preview.
Select View → Thumbnails.
Choose the pages you want to extract.
Drag the selected thumbnails to Finder or the desktop.
Save the resulting PDF.
Repeat for other page groups.
Review the new documents.
Advantages
Included with macOS.
No additional installation.
Works offline.
Simple page selection.
Useful for occasional PDF extraction.
Limitations
Available only on Mac.
Less convenient for automatically splitting large documents.
Does not provide all the advanced splitting options available in PDFsam Basic.
Who Should Use Apple Preview?
Preview is suitable for Mac users who occasionally need to extract a few pages from a PDF.
For automatic splitting into many files, a dedicated tool may be more convenient.
For another option, use OneFileKit Split PDF through Safari.
5. qpdf — Best Free PDF Splitting Tool for Developers
Official documentation: qpdf
qpdf is an open-source command-line utility for working with PDF documents.
It is useful for developers, system administrators, and technical users who need automated PDF processing.
qpdf supports page selection, splitting, merging, and several other PDF operations.
Key Features
Split Every Page. Create individual PDF files for each page.
Split Into Groups. Divide a document into groups containing a specified number of pages.
Extract Page Ranges. Save selected page ranges into new PDFs.
Command-Line Automation. Integrate PDF splitting into scripts and automated workflows.
Local Processing. Process documents on your computer or server.
How to Split a PDF Using qpdf
First, install qpdf for your operating system.
On Ubuntu or Debian:
sudo apt install qpdf
On macOS with Homebrew:
brew install qpdf
Split every page:
qpdf --split-pages input.pdf output.pdf
This creates separate PDF files using numbered output filenames.
Split every five pages:
qpdf --split-pages=5 input.pdf output.pdf
This creates files containing groups of five pages, except possibly the last group.
Extract pages 1–5:
qpdf input.pdf --pages . 1-5 -- part-1.pdf
Extract pages 6–10:
qpdf input.pdf --pages . 6-10 -- part-2.pdf
Advantages
Free and open source.
Supports automation.
Useful for batch processing.
Available on major desktop operating systems.
Works without a graphical interface.
Limitations
Requires command-line knowledge.
Installation is necessary.
Some document-level features may change during splitting.
Users must manage filenames and output folders.
Who Should Use qpdf?
qpdf is suitable for developers and technical users who need repeatable PDF splitting workflows.
For more information, read the official qpdf command-line documentation.
Best Free PDF Split Software: Detailed Feature Comparison
Feature | OneFileKit | PDF24 | PDFsam | Preview | qpdf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Free splitting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Online use | Yes | Separate online tool | No | No | No |
Offline use | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Mac | Yes | No desktop Creator | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Linux | Browser | No desktop Creator | Yes | No | Yes |
Split every page | Yes | Yes | Yes | Manual extraction | Yes |
Custom page ranges | Yes | Supported workflows | Yes | Manual selection | Yes |
Split by bookmarks | Not a core advertised mode | Depends on tool | Yes | No dedicated mode | Requires additional workflow |
Automation | Not a core advertised feature | Depends on workflow | Limited | Limited | Yes |
Feature availability can vary with software versions and specific workflows.
Which Free PDF Split Software Should You Choose?
Choosing the best PDF splitter depends on your requirements.
Best for Quick Online PDF Splitting
Choose OneFileKit if you want to upload a document, select page ranges, and download the results without installing software.
Best for Windows Desktop Users
Choose PDF24 Creator if you frequently process PDFs and prefer an offline application.
Best for Advanced PDF Splitting
Choose PDFsam Basic if you need splitting by bookmarks, page numbers, or approximate file size.
Best for Mac Users
Choose Apple Preview if you only need to extract selected pages occasionally.
Best for Developers
Choose qpdf if you want to automate PDF splitting through scripts or command-line workflows.
How to Split PDF Files Online for Free
If you don't want to install software, a browser-based PDF splitter is convenient.
Open OneFileKit Split PDF.
Upload your PDF.
Select the splitting mode.
Enter page ranges or selected pages.
Start processing.
Download the resulting files.
This workflow can be useful for students, office workers, freelancers, and occasional PDF users.
How to Split a PDF Into Two Files
Suppose you have a 20-page PDF document. You want to create two separate files.
Output | Pages |
|---|---|
Part 1 | 1–10 |
Part 2 | 11–20 |
Upload the PDF to OneFileKit.
Choose Split by Page Range.
Enter "1-10" and "11-20" using the supported range syntax.
Start splitting.
Download both files.
Verify their contents.
How to Split a PDF Into Individual Pages
Some documents contain multiple independent records. For example, a 12-page PDF may contain 12 separate invoices. You may want to save each invoice as an individual PDF.
Open the OneFileKit PDF splitter.
Upload the document.
Select Split Every Page.
Start processing.
Download the resulting PDFs.
Check that all pages were included.
This method is useful for invoices, certificates, forms, and scanned records.
How to Extract Specific Pages From a PDF
Splitting and extracting pages are closely related, but they have different purposes.
Splitting divides a document into separate parts. Extracting selects specific pages and saves them into a new document.
For example, you might want pages 2, 5, and 9 from a 30-page report.
Use the OneFileKit Extract PDF Pages tool to create a document containing those pages.
For more extensive page organization, explore OneFileKit Organize PDF.
Free Online PDF Splitter vs Offline Software
Both approaches have advantages.
Consideration | Online PDF splitter | Offline PDF software |
|---|---|---|
Installation | Usually not required | Usually required |
Internet | Required | Not required after installation |
Device support | Browser-dependent | Application-dependent |
Confidential files | Review service policies | Can remain local |
Automation | Depends on service | Often possible |
Convenience | Useful for occasional tasks | Useful for repeated work |
When Should You Use Online Tools?
Online tools are convenient when you need a quick conversion or splitting task without installing software.
When Should You Use Offline Tools?
Offline software may be preferable when you process confidential documents or frequently work with large PDFs.
Always check the actual file-handling practices of the tool you choose.
Does Free PDF Split Software Reduce Document Quality?
Splitting a PDF generally aims to preserve the appearance of the selected pages.
Unlike converting a PDF to JPG, splitting does not inherently require rasterizing the pages into images.
However, some advanced document features may be affected.
Features to Check
Text readability
Images
Page dimensions
Page rotation
Bookmarks
Hyperlinks
Annotations
Form fields
Digital signatures
Splitting a digitally signed PDF can affect signature validity.
Keep the original document when these features matter.
Does Splitting a PDF Reduce File Size?
Splitting a PDF may produce smaller individual documents because each output contains fewer pages.
However, splitting is not the same as compression.
For example, dividing a 100-page PDF into ten smaller documents does not necessarily reduce the combined storage required. Some resources may be duplicated across the resulting files.
If your goal is to reduce file size while keeping all pages together, use OneFileKit Compress PDF.
Can Free PDF Splitters Handle Password-Protected PDFs?
Some PDF splitters can process encrypted documents when you provide the correct password and have permission to modify them. Other tools may require the PDF to be unlocked before splitting.
Recommended Workflow
Confirm you are authorized to modify the document.
Open it using the correct password.
Check the tool's encryption support.
Split the authorized document.
Review the resulting files.
Apply appropriate security settings to the output.
Do not assume the split files automatically retain the original document's passwords or restrictions.
Is Free PDF Split Software Safe?
Safety depends on the application, its source, and how it handles documents.
For Online PDF Splitters
Review:
HTTPS connections
File-upload practices
Temporary storage
Retention periods
Automatic deletion policies
Download protection
For Desktop Applications
Check:
Official download sources
Software updates
Application permissions
Local file access
Security advisories
For Open-Source Tools
Open-source software allows its code to be inspected, but that does not automatically guarantee that every installation or workflow is secure.
For sensitive documents, use an appropriately secured workflow and keep the original files.
Common Problems With Free PDF Splitters
1. The PDF Won't Upload
Check the file size, format, browser, and internet connection.
2. The Document Is Password-Protected
Use the correct password and verify that the tool supports authorized encrypted files.
3. The Page Range Is Invalid
Check that the selected page numbers exist in the document.
4. The Output Is Missing Pages
Review the splitting mode and selected ranges.
5. The PDF Is Corrupted
Try opening the original document in a PDF viewer.
6. The Result Is Too Large
Consider splitting into smaller groups or using a PDF compressor if you need to preserve all pages.
7. The Download Fails
Check available storage and browser download settings.
8. Advanced PDF Features Are Missing
Try another compatible splitter and verify bookmarks, forms, annotations, and signatures.
Related OneFileKit Articles and Tools
OneFileKit Split PDF — Split PDF documents online for free.
OneFileKit Extract PDF Pages — Extract selected pages into a new PDF.
OneFileKit Organize PDF — Rearrange and manage PDF pages.
OneFileKit Merge PDF — Combine multiple PDF documents.
OneFileKit Compress PDF — Reduce PDF file size.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best free PDF split software depends on whether you prefer online convenience, offline processing, advanced splitting options, or automation.
OneFileKit offers a straightforward browser-based workflow for dividing PDFs into page ranges, extracting selected pages, and splitting every page into a separate file.
PDF24 Creator is a practical Windows desktop alternative, while PDFsam Basic provides advanced free splitting features across Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Apple Preview is useful for occasional page extraction on macOS, and qpdf is suitable for developers who need command-line automation.
For a simple online solution, visit the OneFileKit Split PDF tool.
Choose the method that fits your document requirements, review the resulting files, and keep the original PDF when working with important documents.
