How to merge PDF files on a Mac
A Mac can merge PDFs without any extra software, in two ways: drag pages between documents in Preview, or select the files in the Finder and use Create PDF. Both work; both have a habit that catches people out, and the browser tool avoids it.
The built-in way on a Mac: Preview and Finder
- 01
Finder: select the PDFs, right-click, choose Quick Actions → Create PDF. The pages are combined in the order the files were selected.
- 02
Preview: open the first PDF, choose View → Thumbnails, then drag the second PDF from the Finder into the sidebar where you want its pages to go.
- 03
Drag thumbnails up or down in the sidebar to reorder pages.
- 04
Choose File → Export as PDF and save under a new name; otherwise Preview writes the change into the original file.
Where it falls short
- Create PDF in the Finder offers no reordering; the order comes from how you selected the files.
- Preview keeps only the pages, so bookmarks and form fields from the added file do not come across.
- Dropping a file into the sidebar at the wrong position nests it under a page instead of after it, and the difference is a few pixels.
Do it in the browser instead
The same Merge PDF tool as the main page, running in Safari or Chrome on a Mac. Nothing is installed and the file is processed on your device.
Drop your PDFs here
PDF · up to 100 MB each · add two or more to merge
Processed in your browser. This file never leaves your device.
- 01
Add your PDFs
Open the tool in Safari or Chrome on your Mac and choose the file, or drag it from the Finder straight onto the page.
- 02
Put them in order
move files up or down with the arrows; the list order is the page order of the result.
- 03
Download the result
Click Merge PDFs and save the combined file. Nothing was uploaded; the merge ran in the browser tab.
Preview and Finder or the browser tool?
| Preview and Finder | PDF Spree | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, built in | Free, no account |
| Text stays selectable | Yes | Yes |
| File leaves your device | No | No — processed in the browser |
| Works on other devices | No, this platform only | Yes, any modern browser |