How to View PDF Pages Side by Side on Windows and Mac

When reading a digital PDF file, if put and stitch pages side by side in a PDF, it gives you the experience of reading a physical book in a two-page spread, this is a practical trick when reading PDF eBooks.

However, how exactly can you view PDF pages side by side? On this page, we’ll introduce several dedicated PDF reader tools that support that, and all of them are free to use.

View PDF Pages Side by Side for Free

PDFgear is the best free PDF reader that offers a plethora of practical PDF viewing features such as a dark mode, a slideshow tool, and PDF auto-scroll.

Moreover, PDFgear is also a powerful PDF editor that allows you to edit PDF text, sign on PDFs, and even print a zoomed portion of PDF pages.

Step 1. To get started, download and install PDFgear from the official website. It’s free to use!

Step 2. Click the Open File button to open the PDF you need to view.

Step 3. In the Home section, click the upper Double button to switch from single-page view to double-page view.

Step 4. Meanwhile, you can use the page size buttons to the left to change the pages to Actual Size, Fit Page, Fit Width, or Fit Height.

PDFgear uses synchronized scrolling so the two pages scroll simultaneously.

View or Compare PDF Pages Side by Side in Adobe Acrobat

As a basic PDF viewing feature, the 2-page view is available in both the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader and the paid Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Step 1. Click the upper-left hamburger Menu.

Step 2. Hover on View from the dropdown.

Step 3. Go to Page display > Two page view.

Adobe Acrobat 2-Page View Shortcut

Adobe Acrobat does not have a direct keyboard shortcut specifically for switching to a two-page view. However, you can use the following shortcuts to navigate and adjust the view:

• Full Screen Mode: Ctrl+L (Press Esc to exit Full Screen mode).
• Fit Page: Ctrl+0 (zero).
• Fit Width: Ctrl+2.

Compare 2 PDF Files Side by Side

Additionally, if you need to compare and view 2 seperate PDF files side by side, instead of viewing 2 pages in 1 PDF files, you can use the compare feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

However, you should note that Adobe Acrobat Pro requires a paid subscription.

Step 1. Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro on your device.

Step 2. Go to All tools > Compare files.

Step 3. Click on Select File on the left and right side to choose the 2 PDF files you need to compare.

View Two PDFs Side by Side on iPad Using Safari

The Safari web browser app on your iPad features a useful Split View that allows you to view two Safari browser screens side by side.

When opening each PDF in a different Safari window using Split Vie, you get to view 2 PDF files side by side or view the same PDF file’s different pages.

However, note that this method only works with web-based PDF files.

Step 1. Launch the Safari app on your iPad.

Step 2. Tap on the upper-right button that looks like two overlapping squares, then tap “Open Split View” from the menu that appears.

Step 3. In the 2 split-view windows, respectively navigate to the PDF links you need.

View PDF Pages Side by Side on Mac in Preview

The Preview app on your Mac device is an inbuilt application to view and edit PDFs and images. It comes with a practical 2-page PDF view that you can access in simple clicks.

It’s easy as a breeze to view PDF pages side by side in Preview:

Step 1. Right-click on a PDF on your Mac, select Open with, and click Preview.

Step 2. Go to the upper menubar, and click on the View tab.

Step 3. Click Two pages from the dropdown.

View PDF Pages Side by Side in Chrome

The Chrome web browser is not just a web browser, it also serves as a handy PDF reader tool. It offers a handful of basic PDF viewing and editing features, and one of them is a 2-page view.

To view PDF pages side by side in Chrome, it’s simple:

Step 1. Drag and drop your PDF into the Chrome web browser to load it in Chrome.

Step 2. When the PDF file is displayed, click the upper-right More actions button, which looks like triple dots.

Step 3. Click Two page view from the drop-down and your PDF will be displayed in a beautiful 2-page view that fits the full width of the Chrome browser.

How to View Two Separate PDFs Side-by-Side?

The above methods work with one PDF file with multiple PDF pages, but is it possible to view two separate PDFs side-by-side? Yes, it is.

The following methods allow you to flawlessly view two separate PDFs side-by-side:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader: Open the first PDF > Window > New Window > Open the second PDF > Tile > Vertically.
• Dual Monitors: Open PDFs in any reader > Drag to separate monitors.
• Web Browsers: Drag PDFs into different browser windows > Tile browser windows manually.
• Split-screen feature: For Windows 10 and Windows 11, use the keyboard shortcut Win + → or ← to use the split screen.
• Safari browser: Open Safari > Navigate to the web-based PDF > Activate Split View > Open another PDF link in Split View