Split PDF Pages by Range, Chapter or Single Page
Split a PDF into separate files by page range, extract individual pages, or divide a large document into chapters. Free PDF splitter — no signup, no watermark, runs entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
Rated 4.5/5 by 459 users
Updated July 2026 · Reviewed by the PDFWix Team
PDF splitting is the process of dividing a single PDF document into two or more separate PDF files — either by page range, by individual page, or by extracting all pages at once (bursting). Split a PDF into separate files by page range, extract individual pages, or divide a large document into chapters. Free PDF splitter — no signup, no watermark, runs entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your device. PDF splitting is also called separating, dividing, or bursting a PDF — all refer to the same process of breaking one PDF into multiple smaller files.
To split a PDF online free: open PDFWix Split PDF, upload your file, choose split by page range (e.g. 1-3, 5, 7-9) or extract every page individually, click Split, and download your files as a ZIP. Runs in your browser via WebAssembly — your PDF never leaves your device. Free, no signup, no daily limit, no watermark.
PDF, images (JPG, PNG, HEIC, SVG…) or Word (.docx) — non-PDFs are converted to PDF automatically
Free account keeps your last 30 jobs (filename + tool only — never your files) so you can re-find them later.
🔒 HTTPS · Browser-side processing · 100% free
How to Separate PDF Pages into New Files
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Upload your PDF
Drag it into the upload area or click to select. Any page count is supported. The tool shows thumbnails of every page so you can see exactly what you are splitting.
- 2
Choose your split method
Split by page range (e.g. pages 1–5 into one file, 6–10 into another), extract specific pages, or split every page into its own individual PDF file.
- 3
Click Split
Your browser processes the file locally using WebAssembly — no upload, no server. Download the resulting files as a ZIP or individually in seconds. To do the reverse and combine files, use the [merge PDF](/merge-pdf) tool.
When Do You Need to Split a PDF?
Split PDF by Page Range vs Extract Pages
Tips for splitting PDFs
Use ranges, not 'every page'
If you only need three pages, type the range (e.g. 4-6) instead of bursting and deleting. It's faster and the output is one file, not a ZIP.
Bursting? Expect a ZIP
Splitting into individual pages produces one PDF per page bundled in a single ZIP. macOS and Windows can both unzip it without extra software.
Re-merging is fine
If you split too aggressively, our Merge PDF tool joins them back. PDF page content is lossless across split → merge cycles.
Thumbnails are your sanity check
Always glance at the page previews before clicking split — page numbering and content order can be different from what file names suggest.
Locked PDF? Unlock first
Encrypted PDFs need unlocking before split. We won't process a file you can't yet decrypt yourself.
Cross-platform walkthrough
Need only a subset, not a burst? See How to Extract Pages From a PDF for native Mac/iPhone methods plus the browser route.
How PDFWix split compares
| Feature | PDFWix | iLovePDF | Smallpdf | PDF24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free, no daily limit | ✓ Always | ✗ 2 tasks/day | ✗ 2 tasks/day | ✓ Always |
| No signup required | ✓ Never | ✗ Required | ✗ Required | ✓ Not required |
| Files stay in browser | ✓ WebAssembly | ✗ Server upload | ✗ Server upload | ✗ Server upload |
| Split by page range | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Split every page (burst) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No watermark on output | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Comparison based on publicly documented free tier limits as of June 2026.
Why Use PDFWix to Split PDFs?
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Completely free. Split as many PDFs as you need without paying a cent or hitting a paywall. No daily limits, no watermarks.
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No signup required. Skip account creation. Just upload, split, and download.
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Runs in your browser. Your file is never uploaded to any server. PDFWix uses WebAssembly to process the PDF locally on your device.
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Privacy first. Sensitive documents — bank statements, medical records, HR forms — never leave your device.
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No page limit. Split a two-page contract or a 1,000-page legal bundle. The tool scales with your browser's RAM, not our quota.
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Lossless output. Pages are copied byte-for-byte. Text stays selectable, signatures stay valid, embedded fonts stay embedded.
To extract specific pages into a new file, also see extract pages from PDF.
Common uses for spliting PDFs
- Pulling a single signature page out of an HR onboarding packet
- Breaking a year-long bank statement PDF into one file per month for accounting
- Sending only the executive summary of a 200-page strategy doc to a busy stakeholder
- Splitting a scanned book into chapters for a reading list
- Extracting your appendix or methods section from a thesis to share with an advisor
- Carving up a real-estate closing packet into deed, survey, and disclosure files
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to split a PDF online?
Yes. PDFWix's split PDF tool is completely free with no task limits and no watermarks added to output files. No account or signup is required.
Can I split a PDF by page range?
Yes. You can define custom page ranges — for example extract pages 5 to 12 as one file and pages 13 to 20 as another. You can also extract specific individual pages or split every page into a separate file.
Is there a page limit when splitting a PDF?
No artificial limit. The tool handles PDFs of any page count. Very large files (500+ pages) work best on a desktop or laptop rather than a mobile device due to RAM requirements.
Are my files safe when splitting a PDF online?
Yes. PDFWix's split tool runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded to any server. Everything is processed on your device using WebAssembly.
Can I split a PDF on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open pdfwix.com/split-pdf in Safari on iPhone or Chrome on Android. No app install needed. The tool works the same as on desktop.
What file format are the split PDFs in?
All output files are standard PDF files. If you split into multiple parts, they download as a ZIP archive containing each individual PDF.
Can I split a PDF without uploading it to a server?
Yes. PDFWix splits PDFs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your file never leaves your device and is never sent to any server. This makes it safe for confidential documents, contracts, and sensitive records. You can verify this by opening your browser's DevTools Network tab during a split — no file upload request is made.
How do I split a PDF into individual pages?
Use the 'Extract every page' or 'Burst' option in PDFWix Split PDF. This converts each page of your PDF into a separate PDF file. All individual page files download as a ZIP archive. There is no page limit.
How do I split a PDF in half?
To split a PDF in half: open PDFWix Split PDF, upload your file, and in the page range field enter '1-[half]' for the first output and '[half+1]-end' for the second. For example, a 20-page PDF: enter '1-10' for the first half and '11-20' for the second. Download both files. There is no automatic 'split in half' button — use the page range method for precise control.
Can I split a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. PDFWix Split PDF runs entirely in your browser — no Adobe Acrobat, no software installation, no account needed. Upload your PDF, choose your split method, click Split, and download. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, and Android in any modern browser.
How do I separate PDF pages into individual files?
Use the 'Extract every page' option in PDFWix Split PDF. This converts each page of your PDF into a separate PDF file — also called 'bursting' a PDF. All individual page files download together as a ZIP archive. There is no page limit.
More PDF tools
Platform-specific guides for Split PDF
Each guide walks through the native workflow on that platform first, then shows the PDFWix flow when native falls short.