How to split a PDF into multiple files — whether you need to extract a single page, pull out a chapter, or separate every page into its own file, this guide covers 4 free methods that work on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android with no software to install.
Splitting a PDF is one of the most common document tasks — here are the situations that bring people here:
Extract only the pages the recipient needs instead of sending the whole document.
Pull pages 15–32 from a long report to share just that section.
Government portals often require individual documents — split a combined file back into its parts.
Send only the relevant pages without exposing the full file.
Extract the pages you need before sending to a print shop.
Split a combined PDF back into its original individual files.
The RapidTools split tool accepts flexible page range notation. Here's how to format your input:
| What you want | Enter this | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pages 1 to 5 | 1-5 |
5-page PDF |
| Pages 3 and 7 only | 3,7 |
2-page PDF |
| Pages 1–3 and page 8 | 1-3,8 |
4-page PDF |
| Just page 1 | 1 |
Single page PDF |
| Last 5 pages of a 20-page doc | 16-20 |
5-page PDF |
| Middle section pages 10–25 | 10-25 |
16-page PDF |
Rapid1-10, then 11-20, then 21-30 — three quick runs, three clean files.
The fastest and most flexible way to split a PDF into multiple files free — works on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android, and Chromebook. No software to install, no sign-up, and your PDF never leaves your device.
Open in any browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox. No account needed.
Drag and drop your PDF onto the upload zone, or click to browse. One PDF at a time.
Type the pages you need. Use 1-5 for a range, 2,4,9 for individual pages, or combine them: 1-3,8,12-15. The total page count of your PDF is shown so you know your maximum.
Processing is instant. Everything happens locally in your browser — no upload, no waiting.
The extracted pages download as a clean new PDF. Repeat with different page ranges to create multiple output files from the same source document.
Extract any pages. Files stay on your device. No watermarks, no sign-up.
✂️ Split PDF Free →Mac's built-in Preview app gives you visual, drag-and-drop control over page extraction — no browser needed, works completely offline.
Best for: Mac users who want to visually select pages by thumbnail. Works on all Macs including MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac.
Double-click the PDF to open it. Go to View → Thumbnails to show the page panel on the left.
Click the first thumbnail, then hold ⌘ Cmd and click additional thumbnails to select multiple non-consecutive pages. Hold Shift to select a range.
Drag the selected page thumbnails directly out of the sidebar onto your desktop. macOS creates a new PDF containing only those pages.
Open the PDF in Preview with thumbnails visible. Select the pages you want as above.
Press ⌘ Cmd + P to open the print dialog.
In the print dialog, set pages to Selected. Click the PDF dropdown at the bottom left and choose Save as PDF. Name your file and save.
Windows has no built-in PDF splitter, but you can extract specific pages using Microsoft Edge's Print dialog and the built-in Microsoft Print to PDF printer.
Best for: Quick single-section extraction on Windows 10 or Windows 11 when offline. For full page range control, Method 1 (browser tool) is faster.
Right-click the PDF in File Explorer → Open with → Microsoft Edge.
Press Ctrl + P.
Choose Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer. Under Pages, select Custom and type your page range — e.g. 1-5 or 3,7,12.
Click Print. Windows saves just the selected pages as a new PDF in the location you choose.
Need to extract pages from a PDF on your phone? The browser tool works on all mobile devices — no app download required.
On iPhone: Open Safari → go to rapidtools.online/split-pdf → tap to select your PDF from Files or iCloud → enter your page range → tap Split PDF → save to Files.
On Android: Open Chrome → go to rapidtools.online/split-pdf → tap to select your PDF from Downloads or Google Drive → enter your page range → tap Split PDF → file saves to Downloads.
Quick comparison to help you choose:
| Method | Best for | Page range control | Works offline | Setup needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✅ Browser (RapidTools) | Any device, any range | ✓ Full — type any range | ✗ Needs internet | ✓ None |
| Mac Preview | Mac users, visual selection | ✓ Visual drag & drop | ✓ Offline | ✓ None |
| Windows Edge + Print to PDF | Windows, offline, quick | ⚠ Limited, may reformat | ✓ Offline | ✓ None |
| Mobile browser | iPhone / Android on the go | ✓ Full — type any range | ✗ Needs internet | ✓ None |
Enter your page range — files stay on your device, no watermarks, free forever.
✂️ Split PDF Free →Every RapidTools tool runs in your browser — files never leave your device.