Tools for merging PDFs, splitting them into pages, compressing, reordering or rotating pages and protecting a file with a password. First decide whether the file may be uploaded to a website or should be processed on your own computer.
Good to know: Free-use terms vary by tool and plan. When a card lists no tool-specific limit, check quotas, watermarks and export terms on the official page.
PDFgear is a free desktop app and online toolkit for editing, merging, splitting, compressing and converting PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint or JPG.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Good to know: Requires desktop installation.
PDFsam Basic is a free, open-source desktop app for merging, splitting, extracting, rotating and mixing the pages of PDF files on your own computer.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Good to know: Requires desktop installation.
Sejda offers PDF tools for merging, splitting, compressing, editing and converting to Word, Excel or JPG in the browser or a desktop app.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Stirling PDF is an open-source PDF platform with dozens of tools such as merge, split, compress, sign, redact, convert and OCR, available as a desktop app or on your own server.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Good to know: Requires desktop installation.
TinyWow is a multi-tool website with dozens of PDF, image, video and file conversion tools in the browser, usable without registration, plus an optional paid plan.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Turn scanned PDFs and photos into searchable documents with OCR.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Ask a PDF questions and summarize specific sections.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Turn text in scanned PDFs into searchable, selectable content.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Find the main points of long PDFs with concise summaries.
Merge, Split or Compress PDF
Try a harmless sample first: check page order after merging, the page range after splitting, and after compressing zoom in to see whether images and small text stay readable. For sensitive files such as IDs, contracts or medical records, prefer an app that works on your device.
For websites, read the official privacy page to see how long uploaded files are kept and how they are deleted. A free plan may limit file size, daily tasks or batch processing; do not assume a condition is free until a source shows it.
Does compression reduce quality? Most tools shrink a PDF by re-encoding the images on its pages, so text in scanned documents can become blurry. Try different compression levels and open the result before printing or sending it.
Is a password enough to protect a PDF? A password limits opening or editing the file, but its strength depends on the password you choose and the encryption method used. Use a long password and never send it in the same message as the file.
This comparison is based on published official documentation. It is not a hands-on test or a quality ranking. Unknown features are not treated as verified.
| App name | Where will you use it? | Free output | No account needed | No watermark | Works offline | Batch processing | Content language | Good to know / Sources and review date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDFgear | Desktop | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Sources and review date |
| PDFsam Basic | Desktop | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Not verified | Sources and review date |
| Sejda | Website | Yes | Yes | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | Verify file formats, size limits and language support in the official plan. Sources and review date |
| Stirling PDF | Desktop | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Sources and review date |
| TinyWow | Website | Yes | Yes | Not verified | No | Not verified | Not verified | Sources and review date |
| PDF24 | Website | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Sources and review date |
| Adobe Acrobat | Website | Not verified | Not verified | Yes | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Sources and review date |
| iLovePDF | Website | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Sources and review date |
| Smallpdf | Website | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Sources and review date |