Are my PDFs uploaded when I split with PDFWix on a Mac?

No. The split runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly — your PDF never leaves your Mac. Verify in Safari's Web Inspector or Chrome DevTools > Network tab: no upload requests during the split.

Why is the file from Preview's Print > Save as PDF larger than the original pages?

Print routing re-renders the page rather than copying the original PDF stream. For byte-for-byte preservation use the thumbnail drag method, or use Split PDF which copies the original page content without re-rendering.

Home / How-to

How to Split a PDF on Mac

A simple step-by-step guide to split a pdf on Mac using PDFWix's free online tools.

How to Split a PDF on Mac

Split a PDF on macOS using Preview's drag-out thumbnails or PDFWix in Safari for batch splits. Free, browser-based, no install, no signup, no watermark.

How it works

Open the PDF in Preview — Double-click the PDF in Finder so it opens in Apple Preview.
Show thumbnails — View > Thumbnails or press ⌥⌘2 to open the page sidebar.
Select pages — Click the first page, ⇧-click the last for a range, or ⌘-click to add individual pages.
Drag out to create a new PDF — Drag the selection from the thumbnail sidebar onto your Desktop — Preview creates a new PDF.
Or print a range — For a single range, File > Print, set Pages, then PDF dropdown > Save as PDF.

Frequently asked questions

What's the easiest way to split a PDF on a Mac for free?

Apple Preview. Open the PDF, show thumbnails (⌥⌘2), select pages, and drag them onto the Desktop — Preview creates a new PDF with just those pages. For a single contiguous range, File > Print > set range > PDF dropdown > Save as PDF is faster.

Can I split a PDF into many separate files at once on a Mac?

Preview is one-by-one. For multiple ranges in a single operation, use Split PDF — type '1-3; 5; 7-9' (semicolons separate outputs) and download three PDFs in one click. Split every page bursts a file into single-page PDFs in one zip.

Does Preview work the same on macOS Sequoia (15)?

Yes. Thumbnail drag and Print > Save as PDF behave identically on Sequoia (15), Sonoma (14), Ventura (13), Monterey (12), and Big Sur (11).