Sometimes you receive a large PDF and only need one page from it — an invoice, a specific section of a report, or a single form. Splitting a PDF lets you extract exactly what you need without sharing the entire document. Here is how to do it for free on Windows and Mac.
Method 1: Use a Free Online Tool
The fastest and easiest option for most people is a free online PDF splitter:
- ILovePDF (ilovepdf.com/split_pdf) — upload your PDF, choose to split by page range or extract specific pages, then download. Free, no account required.
- Smallpdf (smallpdf.com/split-pdf) — similar interface with a visual page selector so you can see which pages you are extracting.
- PDF2Go — good for splitting large files, with options to split by page count or into fixed-size sections.
Most online splitters offer two main modes: split into individual pages (every page becomes a separate file) or extract a specific range (e.g., pages 3–7 saved as a single document).
Privacy reminder: Avoid uploading documents containing sensitive data to external services. Use an offline method for confidential files.
Method 2: Use Google Chrome to Extract a Page Range
If you want to extract a specific range of pages, Chrome’s print function works well:
- Open the PDF in Google Chrome
- Press Ctrl + P to open the print dialog
- Set the destination to Save as PDF
- In the Pages field, enter the page range you want (e.g., 3-7 or 1,4,9)
- Click Save
Chrome will save only the selected pages as a new PDF. This is the simplest fully offline method on Windows with no additional software.
Method 3: Use Preview on Mac
Mac users can split PDFs directly in Preview:
- Open the PDF in Preview
- Go to View > Thumbnails to show the page sidebar
- Select the page or pages you want to extract (hold Command to select multiple)
- Drag the selected thumbnails to your desktop or a Finder folder
- macOS will create a new PDF containing only those pages
Alternatively, go to File > Print, select the page range, and save as PDF to extract a section as a single document.
Method 4: Use PDF Arranger on Windows
PDF Arranger is a free, open-source desktop app available from the Microsoft Store. It gives you a visual interface for splitting, merging, and reordering PDF pages entirely offline:
- Install PDF Arranger from the Microsoft Store (free)
- Open your PDF in the app
- Select the pages you want to remove or keep
- Delete the pages you do not want
- Save the result as a new PDF
This is the best offline option for Windows users who regularly need to split or rearrange PDF pages.
Splitting vs Extracting: What Is the Difference?
- Splitting — takes a multi-page PDF and creates multiple separate files (one per page, or by defined sections)
- Extracting — pulls out specific pages and saves them as a single new document
Most online tools support both. When you just need a couple of pages from a large document, extracting is usually what you want.
Common Use Cases
- Extracting a single invoice from a batch statement
- Removing blank or unwanted pages before sending
- Breaking a large manual into chapter sections
- Isolating a signature page from a contract
