How to Merge PDFs on Mac for Free — 3 Methods

Mac users have a genuine advantage when it comes to merging PDFs — the built-in Preview app has a surprisingly capable merge feature that many people do not know about. Here are all the free methods to combine PDF files on Mac in 2026.

Method 1 — Preview App (Built into macOS, No Download Needed)

This is the fastest method if you are already on a Mac — no internet connection needed, completely free, built into every Mac.

1. Open the first PDF in Preview (double-click any PDF — it opens in Preview by default)
2. Show the sidebar: View → Thumbnails
3. Open your second PDF in a separate Preview window
4. In the second window's thumbnail sidebar, select the pages you want to add
5. Drag those page thumbnails into the first window's sidebar at the position you want them
6. Save the first document: File → Export as PDF (or Cmd+S)

Limitation: Dragging pages between windows can be fiddly with many files, and there is no "combine entire files at once" button — you work page by page or select-all per document.

Method 2 — Browser-Based Tool (Easiest for Multiple Files)

For combining many files quickly without the drag-and-drop fiddliness:

1. Open flipfiles.io/pdf-merger.html in Safari or Chrome
2. Drag all your PDF files into the upload area at once
3. Reorder using the up/down arrows
4. Click Merge PDFs
5. Download the combined file

Advantage: Handles any number of files at once, simple reordering, and processes entirely on your Mac — nothing uploaded anywhere.

Method 3 — Automator (Advanced, One-Time Setup)

For users who frequently merge PDFs, macOS Automator can create a permanent "Combine PDF Pages" right-click action:

1. Open Automator (find via Spotlight search)
2. Create a new Quick Action
3. Set "Workflow receives" to PDF files in Finder
4. Add the "Combine PDF Pages" action
5. Add a "Move Finder Items" action to save the result where you want
6. Save with a name like "Merge PDFs"

Afterwards, select multiple PDFs in Finder, right-click → Quick Actions → Merge PDFs.

Which Method Should You Use?

• One-off merge of 2 files: Preview app (Method 1)
• Merging many files quickly: Browser tool (Method 2)
• Frequent merging tasks: Set up the Automator action once (Method 3)

Reordering Pages After Merging

If pages end up in the wrong order after merging, use our Reorder PDF Pages tool to rearrange them without starting over.

File Size After Merging

Merging does not compress files — your merged PDF will be roughly the sum of the original file sizes. If the result is too large, run it through our PDF Compressor afterwards.