Why does Preview's merged PDF look slightly different from the originals?

Preview re-renders pages on export, which can subtly shift text positioning if the original PDF used unusual fonts. PDFWix preserves the original page streams byte-for-byte where possible, which is closer to a true append. For pixel-perfect preservation, use PDFWix.

Can I merge a PDF and an image (JPG/PNG) on a Mac?

Yes — Preview accepts images in its thumbnail sidebar. Or use PDFWix's JPG to PDF tool to convert the image first, then merge. The JPG-to-PDF route gives you better control over page size and orientation.

How to Merge PDFs on Mac

A simple step-by-step guide to merge pdfs on Mac using PDFWix's free online tools.

How it works

Open the first PDF in Preview — Double-click the PDF in Finder to open it in Preview.
Show thumbnails — Choose View > Thumbnails to show the page sidebar.
Drag in additional PDFs — Drag the other PDFs from Finder into the thumbnails sidebar.
Reorder pages — Drag thumbnails up or down to set the final page order.
Export as PDF — Choose File > Export as PDF and save the merged document.

Frequently asked questions

What's the easiest way to merge PDFs on a Mac?

For 2-4 PDFs you already have in Finder: Preview. Open the first PDF, View > Thumbnails, drag the others into the sidebar, File > Export as PDF. For more files or large PDFs: PDFWix at pdfwix.com/merge-pdf — both are free and both run on-device.

Do I need Adobe Acrobat on a Mac to merge PDFs?

No. Mac is the one mainstream OS where you genuinely don't need Acrobat for PDF merging — Preview does it natively and well. Adobe Acrobat Pro on Mac is 9.99/month as of May 2026; for occasional merging that's hard to justify when Preview is free.

Does Preview keep my files private?

Yes — Preview runs entirely on your Mac and never uploads files. PDFWix's merge tool also runs entirely in your browser. Both are appropriate for confidential documents. For server-side tools (PDFWix's OCR or Protect, for example), check the Security page for details.