Top 10 PDF Mergers of 2023
Most users whose activities are connected to digital documents have had to deal with PDF files in one way or another. Often there is a need to use a PDF merger to gather documents into one file for more convenient sharing.
In this article, we will tell you about the 10 best PDF mergers that you can use to combine PDF documents into one. After reading, you will be sure of some of the top ways how to merge PDF files.
How we picked and tested PDF mergers
In this article, we review 10 PDF combiners, 5 of them are desktop applications, while the other 5 are online services.
For rating the PDF joiners, we compared them based on the following criteria:
- Compatibility with various operating systems.
- The system requirements for desktop apps and processing speed for online tools.
- Limitations of the file size, free operations, etc.
- Price of the PRO version, if applicable.
All of them offer more than just a tool to join PDFs. User interface, comfortability to use and the overall experience also were taken into consideration.
PDF combiners: summary table
| Program | Max file size | Supported OS | Free usage | Yearly PRO cost | Processing Speed | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icecream PDF Split & Merge | no limit |
Windows
macOS
|
unlimited | free | instant | 5 |
| PDF24 | no limit |
Web
|
unlimited | free | fast | 4.5 |
| PDFsam Basic | 10 MB |
Windows
macOS
Linux
|
unlimited | free | instant | 4.5 |
| Free PDFconvert | no limit |
Web
|
1 task per hour | free | slow | 4 |
| Soda PDF | 1 GB |
Web
|
3 tasks per day | $69 | slow | 4 |
| iLovePDF | 100 MB |
Web
|
unlimited | $48 | instant | 4 |
| Clever PDF | 20 MB |
Windows
macOS
|
unlimited | from $19.99 | instant | 3.5 |
| Sejda Desktop | 50 MB |
Windows
macOS
Linux
|
3 tasks per day | $63 | instant | 3.5 |
| SmallPDF | no limit |
Web
|
2 tasks per day | $108 | slow | 3 |
| Adobe Acrobat | 100 MB |
Windows
macOS
Linux
|
n/a | from $155 | instant | 3 |
1. Icecream PDF Split & Merge
PDF is widely used for document sharing, as it preserves the layout and ensures that the file looks the same across different devices and operating systems. PDF files can be compressed to reduce file size while maintaining the quality of the content. This makes it easier to share and store large documents without sacrificing quality.
Icecream PDF Split & Merge is a PDF merger and splitter - two-in-one. It has been designed for both professionals and hobbyists with little PDF experience. This is due to the presence of basic functions for joining PDF files, as well as a simple and convenient interface that everyone will understand.
Use this PDF merging software for combining PDFs, select specific pages for joining, and set the password for the created files if needed. It's also possible to set file permissions (editing, printing, copying). You can join PDF files that are password-protected, preview the added documents and rearrange their order before merging.
Pros:
- Simple and convenient interface.
- Fast processing of even large files.
- Preview of the files before combining PDFs.
- No internet connection is required to run.
- PDF joiner is available in 50+ languages.
The software has versions for Windows and Mac PCs and only requires 512MB of RAM and 30MB to 300 MB of free disk space. Intuitive interface and support of drag-and-drop mechanism makes working with this PDF merging tool a breeze.
2. PDF24
This is a basic PDF combiner that you can use in any browser. Basically, you can sort the uploaded files and preview and open PDFs in the queue. This is more than sufficient for a quick PDF joining.
The process is very intuitive and you can send the created document by email or upload it to cloud services. All-in-all, it's a great free online PDF merger for occasional work.
Pros:
- Convenient tool for PDF joining online.
- Apart from the tool to combine PDFs, many other free features are available.
Cons:
- Not an option if you work with large files.
- Difficult to locate tools due to the interface with many pictures.
With PDF24, you can merge not only PDFs but combine PDF files and images, PDF and Word documents. The conversion is not the fastest, but the website has no limits to the size of your files.
3. PDFsam Basic
This is an open-source and completely free PDF merger The application allows you to quickly combine PDF files into a single document. However, this function is only available after user registration.
The program also has a rather large set of tools to work with PDFs (some require a premium upgrade). It is capable of splitting, compressing, and rotating PDF documents.
Pros:
- Pleasant to work with the PDF joiner's interface.
- Wide possibilities and flexible settings even in the free version.
- The PDF combiner does not require great PC performance.
Cons:
- Some features are not available in the Basic version, requiring to download of an extended paid toolkit.
- Ability to merge PDFs of less than 10 MB and less than 100 pages.
The interface is not overloaded and very neat, so learning how to merge PDF files with this program will be easy. In addition, you can use this PDF combining software on Windows, macOS, and Linux. To run this program, you only need 70 MB of free disk space and 256 MB of RAM.
4. Free PDFconvert
This is another online PDF merger to join multiple documents into one cohesive file for easy sharing and printing. Using this website is free and easy, which makes it a convenient way to work with PDFs online. It also has other features, including various conversion options from and to PDF format.
Pros:
- Web-based PDF combining service with extended functionality.
Cons:
- 1 free task per hour limitation.
- Some errors in processing may occur as you use the website.
The service is a part of the convenient hub to work with PDFs. Despite the name, there is a paid subscription. However, anyone can use the PDF combiner for free and with no limitation once each hour.
5. Soda PDF
SodaPDF is an online PDF merger with tons of tools to work on PDF documents. One of the offered tools is the ability to join PDF documents quickly and easily. It's a breeze to use, secure, and free to use for merging up to 5 documents.
Pros:
- The "Merge PDF" tool is one of those you can try for free.
- Simple and pleasant to eyes interface.
- Support of files of up to 1 GB.
Cons:
- Standard package is very limited, forcing users to choose a more expensive option.
- Slow processing compared to other online PDF mergers.
- Only 3 tasks per day are possible to complete for free.
With its easy-to-use interface, you can quickly combine multiple PDF documents into one good-looking PDF file without any hassle or worry. Additionally, check out many other instruments the service offers.
The full unlimited access to the platform costs $69 per year.
6. iLovePDF
iLovePDF is an effective way to seamlessly perform PDF joining online. It also offers other useful tools, such as splitting a PDF into multiple separate files, compressing a PDF to reduce file size, converting documents to and from PDF format, and more!
Pros:
- Almost all tools of the PDF combiner are available with free access.
- Simple to use by inexperienced users or on the go.
- Variety of supplementary tools apart from PDF combining.
Cons:
- Limited number and size of files when merging PDFs - up to 25 documents of up to 100 MB.
This is the fastest online platform to join PDFs. Even though the free version has significant limitations in file size and volume, the paid account will grant the ability to merge up to 200 files with a limit of 1GB per task. The annual subscription to this service is $48.
7. Clever PDF
A fairly easy-to-use PDF combining software that allows you to merge PDF files into one document. To do this, all you have to do is download and install the free version on your computer. The program can set protection, add images, and convert PDF files into other formats.
The software has a user-friendly interface that is a pleasure to work with. The documents processed in this PDF joiner are not watermarked. Apart from tools to work with PDFs, there is an image converter included.
Pros:
- Simple and intuitive interface of the PDF combiner.
- Instant file processing.
Cons:
- Can work with files of less than 20 MB in size.
This program can installed on a Mac or Windows PC. For upgraded access, users will have to pay $19.99 for the perpetual license. Depending on the operating system, you will need a RAM of 1GB and disk free space of 29.3MB - 200MB.
8. Sejda Desktop
This software has a wide range of features that allow you to merge PDF files into a single document. Furthermore, the utility has many additional tools. These are compression, conversion, watermark creation, and many other useful options. There is also a built-in PDF editor for processing documents.
Pros:
- PDF merger with user-friendly interface.
- Cross-platform tool to join PDF.
Cons:
- Slow processing time.
- The inability to process documents over 200 pages and larger than 50 MB.
With the free version of this PDF combiner, you can do just 3 tasks per day. The software has high system requirements of 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended), and free disk space of 2 GB or more. The paid subscription is $63 per year.
9. SmallPDF
Merging PDFs can be a time-consuming task if you do not have the right tools. Luckily, with SmallPDF, learning how to combine PDF files is easy. With this platform, you can quickly merge multiple PDFs into one without the need for complicated software or tedious manual labor. Plus, it offers other 20 tools to convert, compress, and edit PDFs.
Even though it requires a subscription, there is a free trial to explore the functionality of this online PDF joiner before you commit to the paid version.
Pros:
- 21-in-1 toolkit to work with PDFs.
- 7-day free trial for combining PDFs before signing up for the paid version.
Cons:
- Limitation of 2 conversions per day if not signed in.
- Unclear cancellation policy when you no longer need the PDF combiner.
Not all files can be joined with this website. For instance, the PDF merger could not process the PDF form we uploaded. Additionally, with the smallest amount of additional tools, this service is the most expensive among the online PDF joiners reviewed - $108 per year.
10. Adobe Acrobat
The program offers many tools for manipulating files in this format, including the ability to merge PDFs in no time at all. The developers also offer an online service with similar functionality that can be used supplementary.
Both online and offline versions allow easily combine PDF files and overall manage PDFs with maximum efficiency. However, this PDF joiner comes at a cost that ranges based on the plan selected.
Pros:
- A PDF combiner with a long-time reputation.
Cons:
- Paid PDF merging software with costly plans.
- Customers report difficulties in uninstalling or unsubscribing.
- Extremely high system requirements (2GB of RAM and 4.5GB of available hard disk space).
- Limit of 100 MB per file.
Although expensive and well-known, this software is not the best one when it comes to merging PDFs based on the cost and benefit analysis. However, it is still a powerful and reliable tool that completes the task almost immediately. The subscription cost begins at $155 per year.
FAQ
- Q: Why would I need to merge PDF files?
- A: There are several reasons why merging PDF files can be useful. It allows you to combine related documents, create a single cohesive file, simplify document organization, and make it easier to share and distribute multiple documents as one file.
- Q: Does merging PDF files result in any loss of data or content?
- A: No, merging PDF files does not typically result in any loss of data or content. The files are combined without altering the original content unless you choose to edit or modify them during the merging process.
- Q: Can I undo the merging of PDF files?
- A: Once the PDF files are merged into a single document, you cannot undo the actionafter saving the file. However, you can use a PDF splitter and separate the file.
PDF combiners: summary
Learning how to combine PDF files is a necessity for those working with PDFs regularly. Today, we have reviewed the best PDF mergers. Our revision is based on customer reviews and personal testing.
Of course, the choice of the software is up to the user based on the tasks at hand and the functionality of the program. If you are working with large or confidential files - pick a software. If you are looking for a one-time job then opt for an online PDF combiner.
Icecream Apps Staff Writer
