Last Updated on August 24, 2022 by
Not all PDF editors can make PDF smaller. You need a PDF editor to combine PDF files to merge PDF online. However, the ones with full functionality are sometimes expensive.
So, when people need to merge PDF documents, they look for free tools online.
Knowing how to merge PDF saves time and makes it easy to locate information. We have recommended the best online PDF editors to save you time and money. All the tools listed below can merge PDF documents seamlessly. We will also share tips on how to combine PDF online for free.
Table of Contents
How do I combine PDF files for free?
PDF technology is an essential tool to the academic and corporate world because it allows users to manage and combine PDF into one compact file.
Here are free tools to combine PDF files online:
Lumin PDF
To combine PDF files online, you must use an editor that supports the merge PDF feature. Lumin PDF is a reliable PDF split and merge editing tool that helps you join PDF files online in simple steps.
- Select or drag-and-drop the PDF files from your PC or cloud storage into the slot provided on the website.
- Adjust the PDF files and place them in the appropriate order.
- Delete unneeded pages.
- Click on “Merge PDF” to combine the PDFs.
- Download the finished article to your device or forward it to your mail.
Google Drive
Google Drive is an easy-to-use option for merging PDF files. The tool is free to download for Android users, and the web extension works well on most web browsers. You will need an internet connection if you intend to save your files on the cloud after merging.
Although it is not a dedicated PDF merger, you can convert Google Drive into one using the Add-on feature. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Google Drive on your computer.
- Upload all PDFs you wish to merge to Drive.
- View any of the PDF files you want to merge. Then, click on “Open With.”
- Select “Connect More Apps” which directs you to the Google Workspace Marketplace.
- Search using the keyword PDF merge, and a list of PDF add-ons opens. You can choose from any of them (Lumin PDF or PDFMergy are decent options).
- Follow the instructions for linking to your Google Drive.
- Once linked, you can upload all types of PDFs you wish to merge, including PDF templates and fillable PDF.
- Click on “Merge” to complete the operation.
Note: Always select the pages from the file you wish to include. To merge the entire document, select the first and the last page. Don’t forget to specify where you’d like the file placed in the document.
Mobile Devices
Apps like Lumin PDF make it easy to merge PDF files on your smartphone. People without access to a desktop and those who need to join or split PDFs urgently can do the following:
- Using the Lumin PDF mobile app, select “Page Tools” options directly from the toolbar.
- Upload the file you wish to combine with your open document.
- If you want to merge a few uploaded files, enter the desired pages and differentiate them with a comma.
- Select “All pages” if you’re going to combine the entire document.
- Choose the position you would like to insert the uploaded file.
- Click on “Merge” to complete the operation.
Note: If you have your document stored in your Google Drive, you need to save it to your device to merge it.
Preview on Mac
Mac computers come with an intuitive software called Preview that helps to merge PDF files. This software is effective in signing documents and editing images.
You can perform simple PDF merging tasks for free using the steps below:
Combining two PDFs
- Open your PDF file in “Preview.”
- Click the “View” panel.
- On the sidebar, click the “Thumbnails” option.
- Click “Edit” and then hit the “Insert” option.
- Select “Page from File.”
- Open the PDF file you want to add from the file dialog.
- Click “File” and select “Export as PDF” on the menu bar.
Merging part of a PDF with a separate PDF
- Open the PDF files you wish to merge.
- Select “Thumbnails.”
- Click the “Command” button and hold it for 3 seconds.
- Choose the thumbnails you want to add before you release the button.
- Drag and drop the thumbnails into the other PDFs sidebar.
- Choose and arrange the files in the desired order.
- Click “File” on the menu bar to save your work.
- To conclude, select the “Export as PDF” feature.
How many PDFs can be combined?
There is no exact limit to how many PDFs you can merge. If you combine over 500 PDFs with one page each, you should not encounter any problems.
But, if you try merging too many files on your mobile device, you might encounter performance issues. Also, some free sites limit the number of files you can combine to have you take on their premium offers.
What is the best free PDF merger?
You have learned simple ways to do PDF to PDF merge online, and you must be wondering which PDF merger is best for you.
So many PDF tools exist online, but you will have to download or pay a fortune to use them. Also, when choosing a merger online, you will need one with the following features:
- user-friendly interface
- low turn-around time
- collaboration functionality
- compatibility
- cloud storage.
We recommend 5 of the best free PDF editors online below. These online-based tools meet all the requirements listed above, and they are free.
You can find some interesting tools here at editing documents to edit your PDFs with powerful yet easy workflows across desktop, mobile, and web, anywhere.
Lu min PDF
Lumin PDF is one of the best PDF splitter tools as it permits users to split and merge PDF documents. Lumin PDF also allows its user to collaborate by reflecting changes made by any who has access to the document.
SmallPDF
This software converts JPG files to PDFs, converts PDFs to Microsoft Word documents, and vice versa. The tool also allows you to delete or adjust single pages while merging documents. Not all free tools can achieve this.
Combine PDF
The uniqueness of this software is its ability to delete all uploaded file data after an hour as an added layer of security. The PDF splitter and merger also permit you to merge up to 20 files into one document.
ILovePDF
ILovePDF allows you to rotate your pages before merging them. It also has many document editing features, like SmallPDF.
PDF Merge
PDF Merge is a handy tool used to merge documents (PDF fill online forms too), compress PDF file, and convert files.
Conclusion
Combining PDF files is easy to achieve if you use the right tools. Interestingly, Lumin PDF and other top-notch tools are guaranteed to compress PDF online, merge, and split PDF without any glitches. If your work involves combining PDF files for storage or record-keeping, consider the recommended tools in this article.
