Windows operating systems don’t provide built-in means to combine PDF files, but you aren’t without options. In this article, we’ll walk you through each of those options.
Combining multiple PDFs into a single document helps reduce clutter and makes reading, printing, and sharing easier. However, you won’t find native ways to merge PDF files in Windows 11 and 10. So, here are several third-party PDF tools and web apps that can do the job for you instead.
If you have a copy of Adobe Acrobat DC on your PC, you can use it to combine two or more PDFs quickly. The PDF editor also makes it easy to rearrange and delete pages in files before merging them.
1. Open Adobe Acrobat DC and switch to the Gereedskap tab. Then, locate the Kombineer lêers tool and select Opening.
2. Select the button labeled Sit dokumente by. If you already have the files open in Adobe Acrobat Pro, select Add Open Files instead to insert them.
3. Pick the files you want to combine and select Opening. Or, drag and drop them into the Adobe Acrobat Pro window.
tip: Hou die Ctrl button to select multiple files from the same directory.
4. Drag the files in the order you want to combine them. If you also want to rearrange or delete the pages within a file, highlight the thumbnail and select the Uit te brei button (or just double-click it). Then, sort or trash pages as needed.
5. Kies Opsies on the toolbar and specify the file quality and other preferences—e.g., such as deleting the source files, adding bookmarks, etc.
6. Kies die Kombineer button at the upper-right corner of the screen.
7. Kies File > Stoor as op die spyskaart.
8. Pick a directory, enter a name for the new PDF, and select Stoor.
If you don’t have a subscription to Adobe Acrobat DC, you can use the online version of Adobe Acrobat to combine files for free with the same set of features above. The only thing you need is a free account with Adobe. Foxit PDF, a popular alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro, also offers a free online tool to merge PDFs.
PDF Merger & Splitter is a free app that allows you to combine multiple PDF documents into a single PDF file. It’s available for download on the Microsoft Store.
1. Install and open PDF Merger & Splitter. Then, select Voeg PDF saam.
2. Kies die Add PDFs button and add the PDF files you want to merge.
3. Gebruik die Skuif op en Af beweeg buttons to change the order of the files. The program does not allow you to reorder or remove PDF pages.
4. Use the drop-down menu next to Page size settings to determine the page size if needed.
5. Kies die Voeg PDF saam button and save the output file.
PDF Reader Pro is another excellent Microsoft Store app that offers similar functionality. Although the program offers in-app purchases, you don’t have to pay to combine documents. It also lets you wysig PDF's.
As jy ' trouble downloading from the Microsoft Store, then PDFsam should do the job just fine. The basic version of the program allows you to convert PDFs into a single document for free. You can grab it from the official pdfsam webwerf.
1. Install and open PDFSam. Then, select Kombineer.
2. Kies Voeg and pick the files you want to merge. Or, drag the files into the PDFsam window.
3. Drag the files in the order you want. You can also exclude pages by specifying page ranges under the Bladsyreeks column (e.g., 1-10, 12, 14-16) for each file.
4. Gebruik die Merge settings section to tweak the output file as needed—e.g., add a blank page if the page number is odd, normalize page sizes, and so on.
5. Specify a save destination and select Run.
PDF Creator Gratis is another non-Microsoft Store app that can put together PDFs quickly. It’s a solid alternative if you don’t want the extra features from PDFsam Basic.
PDF Online is a free web app that lets you easily merge PDF files. It’s incredibly versatile and can also convert PDFs into PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheets, and Word documents. It even sports the ability to save PDFs in the PNG and JPG image file format, so you might want to bookmark the site for later.
1. Load PDF Online in your favorite web browser and select Voeg PDF saam.
2. Kies Local device and pick the PDFs you want to merge. Or, drag the files into the browser tab.
3. Organize the PDF files. You can also select Bekyk alle bladsye if you want to organize and delete individual pages within files.
4. Kies die Kombineer option to combine the file.
5. Kies Aflaai.
Other top free PDF web apps that allow you to merge PDF files quickly include Kombineer PDF en Klein pdf. Also, don’t forget that you can also use the online versions of Adobe Acrobat and Foxit PDF to accomplish the same thing.
Make Your Pick
As you just saw, you’ve got multiple ways to combine PDFs in Windows 11 and 10. However, your privacy matters always, so make it a point to stick to local apps while merging files containing sensitive or confidential information. If you also use a Mac, you can combine PDFs in macOS just by using Apple Preview.