Split PDF

What this tool does

This is a free tool to split PDF files — it breaks one PDF into smaller PDFs without uploading anything. You can pull out exactly the pages you want, such as pages 1 to 3 and page 8, as separate documents, or split a long PDF into one file per page. It is the answer to the very common "I only need these few pages out of this big PDF" problem, and the reverse "I need each page as its own file".

The split runs entirely in your browser, which is exactly what you want when the document is private — a contract, a statement, or a scan you would never want to upload to a third-party site.

How to use it

1. Choose your PDF. Drag the file onto the drop zone, or tap to pick it. The tool reads it on your device and shows the page count.
2. Pick how to split. Use page ranges and type something like 1-3, 5, 8-10 (each comma-separated part becomes one output PDF), or switch to every page to get one PDF per page.
3. Split and download. Press Split & Download; the new PDFs are built in your browser. A single range gives you one file straight away, while multiple parts download together as a ZIP. No account, no waiting in a queue — use it and go.

How it works (the method behind it)

The tool reads your chosen PDF straight from your device into memory. Using pdf-lib, an open-source JavaScript PDF library, it parses the document and, for each page range you ask for, creates a new empty PDF and copies just those pages into it with pdf-lib's copyPages operation. Pages are 1-based and inclusive, so 8-10 keeps pages 8, 9 and 10, while a lone 5 becomes a single-page file. The copied pages keep their original size and content — nothing is re-rendered or degraded. Each resulting PDF is serialized back to bytes and handed to you as a download, and when there is more than one file they are bundled with JSZip into a single ZIP. Because every step happens in your browser tab, your file never travels across the network.

Examples

• report.pdf, ranges 1-2, 10-12. Two PDFs: the summary (pages 1-2) and the appendix (pages 10-12), with nothing in between.
• contract.pdf, range 5. A single one-page PDF containing just the signature page.
• scan.pdf with 8 pages, every-page mode. A ZIP of eight PDFs, one per page, ready to file or re-order.

Common use cases

• Pulling a single chapter, section or appendix out of a long report or e-book.
• Separating a signature page or a specific form from a larger bundle to send on its own.
• Breaking a multi-page scan into individual pages so each can be renamed, filed or re-merged.
• Removing pages you do not want to share by exporting only the ranges you do.
• Anyone who needs to cut up a PDF but refuses to upload a private document.

Why use this one

• Your document never leaves your device. The split is done locally — check your browser's Network tab to confirm there is no upload. SmallPDF, iLovePDF and Adobe all upload your file; this tool does not.
• Free and unlimited. No "2 free tasks per hour" wall, no file-size cap, no signup, and no watermark on the output.
• Flexible cuts. A range syntax that turns 1-3, 5, 8-10 into several custom-cut PDFs in one click, plus a one-click split-every-page mode.
• Works offline after the first visit — perfect for splitting sensitive paperwork on a disconnected machine.

Tips and limits

• Page numbers are 1-based and inclusive: 8-10 keeps three pages (8, 9 and 10).
• Each comma-separated part becomes its own file, so 1-3, 8 gives you two PDFs, not one.
• Splitting a very large PDF into many files uses memory; this works best on a desktop, and on a phone you should split a few pages at a time.
• Need the opposite? Combine PDFs back together with Merge PDF, fix page orientation with Rotate PDF, or see all the PDF tools.

Frequently asked questions