How to Combine PDF Files Without Acrobat

There are many ways to combine PDF files into one PDF document. Many websites do this for free, as do many third-party programs (although trusting such services is up to you, as some contain malware).

If you are a MacOS user, you don't need to worry about these sites or apps. You have an easy, free tool you've probably used when viewing photos on your computer.

If you're a Windows user, you can use one of these third-party programs—do your research carefully first to find out which one is safe—or, to be on the safe side, use Adobe's Acrobat DC program. It's specifically designed by Adobe for creating, managing, and editing PDF files, so you know it's accurate and efficient for things like converting PDF to Word, and of course combining your PDF files into one PDF document.

macOS users: If you need to combine PDF files into one PDF document, you can simply use the Preview app that came with your Mac when you bought it. You just need to drag and drop the files, so the process is fast and effortless.

Before you start, make sure you have all the files you want to merge in one folder to make the merging process more comprehensive.

Step 1: Open the Finder folder where your files are stored and make a copy of the file you want as your first page.

You can take a copy of the original file and keep it to have a copy in case of mistakes or regrets.

Step 2: Double click on the original file to open it in Preview.

Make sure the thumbnails sidebar is visible. If not, go to View>Thumbnails or press Option+Cmd+2. If your file doesn't open in Preview by default, you can double-click on it and then go to Open with > Preview.

Step 3: Add PDF, JPG, PNG and other files to Preview by dragging and dropping them to the sidebar.

Unfortunately, Preview does not allow you to add Word, Excel, and HTML files to a PDF document. If you want to add these using Preview, convert them to PDF documents first. Otherwise, it is better to use the Adobe Acrobat DC program that is available on macOS.

If you decide to use Adobe Acrobat DC, scroll down to follow the steps for Windows 10, as they are compatible with macOS.

Step 4: Arrange the files in the order you want by dragging and dropping them in the sidebar.

Step 5: When ready, go to File > Export as PDF. Type the name of the file you want and select the folder where you want to save the file.

How to combine PDF files in Windows 10:

As we mentioned earlier, there are many third-party websites and programs that you can use to combine multiple PDF documents into a single file. And many of them make it very easy for you - often, it's just a matter of selecting files and clicking a button.

But again, you should do your research to make sure the service you're using is safe and won't install a malicious file on your computer. If you don't want to do this, you're probably better off using Adobe Acrobat DC to process PDF files.

Fair warning: Acrobat DC is not free. You must sign up for a monthly or annual membership, which starts at $12.99 per month and goes up to $24.99 per month.

However, if handling PDF files — such as editing, creating, sending, or converting and combining PDF files — is a big part of your job, it might be worth paying the $14.99/month annual subscription. Not just for safety, but also for convenience and to ensure that your PDF documents are accurate and error-free.

Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat DC. Go to Tools > Create & Edit.

Step 2: In the Combine Files section, click Open.

This will take you to the Combine Files workspace where you can add files, rearrange them in the desired order, and merge them into a single PDF file. The beauty of this tool is that it accepts a variety of file types, from PDF and image files to Word and Excel documents.

Step 3: In the Combine Files workspace, drag and drop the files you want to combine or click Add Files and select them in the dialog box.

You can also add folders, add a web page or add from Clipboard.

Step 4: Arrange the files in the order you want them to appear in the final PDF document by dragging and dropping.

Step 5: Once ready, click the Combine button on the top right or simply press Shift + Ctrl + I.

Once your files have been merged into a single PDF document, a tab will appear next to the Home and Tools tab. Click on the document to access it.

Step 6: When you are satisfied with the PDF document, click the save icon at the top left of the page to save it. You can also press Ctrl + S.