How to Split PDF Files in Adobe Reader DC for Free

Adobe Reader is the official PDF reader tool from Adobe, and the PDF reader tool is also packed with PDF editing features such as splitting. With it, we can divide a PDF document into multiple PDF documents by page.

PDF splitting feature is available in Adobe Acrobat Standard DC and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, which are advanced versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader and are packed with tools for business users with special needs, combining PDF documents and splitting PDF documents, for instances. On this page, you’ll learn how to split PDF files in Adobe Reader DC for free, the best free online PDF splitter is also introduced.

For more advanced PDF editing features, our roundup of the best free PDF editors for Windows may have the option you need.

Can I Split PDF Files in Adobe Reader DC for Free?

As we know, Adobe Reader is the most popular PDF reader tool from Adobe. Many PDF users are in constant need of splitting PDF files.

However, the PDF splitting feature is only available from Adobe Acrobat Standard DC and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, both are paid versions of Adobe Acrobat. And the Adobe Reader version does not help edit PDF documents.

Thus you can’t split PDF files in Adobe Reader or Adobe Reader DC for free. You need a paid subscription starting at $14.99/mo. However, we’ve gathered some useful workarounds in this post, please read on to learn more.

Acrobat is indeed pricy, for free Adobe Acrobat alternatives, you should totally check out our post on the 17 best open-source PDF editors.

How to Split PDF Files in Adobe Reader Standard DC & Pro DC

For users that already have an Adobe Acrobat DC subscription, below is the guide on how to split PDF files in Adobe Reader Standard DC and Adobe Reader Pro DC.
This method works with Acrobat DC, Acrobat 2020, and Acrobat 2017 on Windows and Mac computers.

Step 1. Go to the File tab to import the PDF document

Step 2. Go to the Tools tab and select Organize pages

Step 3. Find and hit the Split button from the upper menubar

Step 4. Define the split manner from the Spit by box underneath the menubar

Step 5. Define the export options from the Output Options

Step 6. Hit Split to split your document in the defined manner

Acrobat DC Alternative: Split PDF Files Online Free

As mentioned, the splitting feature is only available from Acrobat Standard DC and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC versions, making it a must to get a paid subscription. So how to split PDF files in Adobe Reader for free?

For those who’d rather not fork out yet, here comes the best free alternative to Acrobat DC: PDFgear. PDFgear is the best free online PDF splitter that helps to split one PDF document by page, into multiple PDF documents of any amount. The flexible service also allows you to flexibly customize the pages that each document contains.

Below are 3 simple steps to split PDF using PDFgear.

Step 1. Upload PDF to the Acrobat Alternative

Navigate to the PDFgear online PDF splitter tool. Drag and drop your PDF document into the PDF splitter UI to upload the PDF to PDFgear free PDF splitter.

Step 2. Split PDF with Acrobat Alternative Free

From the box below, type in the corresponding numbers to define the number of PDF documents you intend to split your original PDF to, and the pages each document contains.

When ready, hit the Split button.

Step 3. Download the Split PDF Documents

The documents will be split in just 2 seconds. When it’s done, hit the blue Download button to download the zipped split PDF documents.

Why Choose PDFgear

PDFgear is a free online PDF tool for all your PDF management needs. You can use PDFgear to convert formats between PDF, Word, PPT, Excel, JPG, etc., split PDF, compress PDF to 300 KB or less, edit PDF, annotate PDF, flatten PDFs, etc.

The best part about PDFgear is that it’s completely free to use. Above that, PDFgear doesn’t ask you to sign up for an account, and it doesn’t have feature limitations against free users – so be sure to give it a try, there’re tons of other practical features waiting for you to find out!

How to Split PDF Files in Adobe Reader DC for Free: FAQs

How to Split PDF Files in Adobe Reader DC Free?

Since the PDF splitting feature of Adobe Acrobat is only available in the paid versions of Acrobat DC and Acrobat Pro DC, it’s not possible to split PDF documents in Adobe Reader DC for free. However, with the recommended free online PDF tool PDFgear, splitting PDF documents for free is possible.

How to Split PDF Documents with PDFgear?

To split PDF documents with PDFgear is simple, drag and drop your PDF document into the PDF splitter box, define the desired splitting manner, and hit the split button. The PDF document will be split as defined in 2 seconds.

Does PDFgear Work on Mobile Phones?

Yes, PDFgear is a cross-platform service that works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android phones, and iOS phones. On your mobile phone, you can access PDFgear from: pdfgear.com and convert/compress your PDF documents with ease!

Which Operating Systems are Supported?

PDFgear is a cross-platform PDF converter that allows you to convert PDF file formats on Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, and laptops.

Which File Types are PDFgear Supported?

PDFgear is an all-in-one document converter tool that supports a wide scope of input and output file formats including PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, JPG, HEIC, etc.

Is PDFgear Safe?

PDFgear is a completely safe and clean service. PDFgear is TSL encrypted and PDFgear does not save your files. Upload files will be permanently deleted once the browser is shut down.

The Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s not possible to split PDF files in Adobe Reader DC for free, you need a subscription, which is paid. However, with the best free Acrobat alternative PDFgear, you can easily split PDF documents just like what you do in Acrobat Pro DC, yet PDFgear is completely free to use and doesn’t have limitations of any kind. Anywho, try PDFgear on your own, and you’ll agree with my opinions!