How to Combine PDF Files on Windows 11

There are many reasons to combine multiple PDFs into a single document. For example, you may have to submit them to your school or workplace as a single document. Or you might want to reduce the clutter of dealing with multiple documents.

This guide shows you how to combine PDF files on Windows 11 using various methods, including:

• Free offline combiners
• Paid offline combiners
• Free online PDF combiners (i.e., on a browser)

Method #1: Merge PDFs using free offline combiners

Free offline combiners are excellent for combining PDFs if you don’t need advanced features. Here are some commonly used ones.

1. PDF Merger & Splitter

PDF Merger & Splitter is a free PDF editing software that can combine or split PDF documents.

1. Go to the Start menu and search for “microsoft store”. Launch the app.

   

2. In the search bar, type in “PDF Merger & Splitter”.

   

3. The first result should be what you’re looking for. Select it and click the Get button to install it.

   

4. Once installed, launch the app and click the Merge PDF option.

   

5. In the new window, click Add PDFs to select the PDFs you want to merge from your computer.

   

6. When you’ve added your files, click the Merge PDF button on the bottom right.

   

7. Select where you want to save the combined PDF file, and type in its name.

2. PDFsam

PDFsam is a free, open-source PDF editor that can split, merge, rotate, and crop your PDF files. It also has a handy function to extract pages from a PDF and save them as a separate document.

1. Go to the PDFsam website and click the Download PDFsam Enhanced button.

   

2. Once the download is finished, open the file and follow the installation instructions.
3. After installing, open the program and select Merge files to PDF.

   

4. Click the plus symbol under Merge Files.

   

5. Select the PDF files you want to merge from your computer and click Open.

   

6. Once the files have been added, click the MERGE button in the upper right corner.

   

7. PDFsam will now combine your PDFs into a single document. To save it, click the three-line icon in the upper left corner, then choose Save as.

   

Method #2: Merge PDFs using paid offline combiners

Paid offline combiners offer many features that free ones don’t, such as editing the text and images in your PDFs, converting them to other formats, or password-protecting them. If you need more than just the basics, then a paid offline combiner is the way to go.

1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe is the company that created the PDF format, so it’s no surprise that their Adobe Acrobat software is one of the best PDF editors. Adobe Acrobat, you can merge and split PDFs, add text and images, fill out forms, and sign documents electronically.

1. To get started with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, go to the Adobe website and click the Free for 7 days button to begin your free trial.

   

2. Select a plan and enter your payment information.

   

3. Once you’ve completed the sign-up process, you can download and install Adobe Acrobat Pro DC on your computer.
4. When you’re done, open the program.

   

5. If you can’t see the Combine Files option in the main workspace, click the Tools tab and select Combine Files from the list of options.

   

6. Click Add Files to select the PDFs you want to merge in the Combine Files interface.

   

7. After selecting your files, click Combine. It’s at the top-right corner of the window.
8. Adobe Acrobat will now combine your PDFs into a single document. To save it, click File in the window’s upper-left corner, then click Save As.

2. Wondershare PDFelement

Wondershare PDFelement is another easy-to-use paid PDF editor that allows you to combine documents.

1. Go to the Wondershare PDFelement website and select Free Download.

   

2. After downloading and installing the program, open it and click the Combine PDF option in the main workspace.

   

3. Next, click the Add Files button to select the PDF files you want to merge.

   

4. After selecting your PDF files, click Apply.

   

   Note: the free version can only combine up to 3 files with a 20MB total file size limitation. You must upgrade to the paid version if you want to combine more files or larger PDFs.

   

5. To save your merged PDF, click the File button in the upper left corner, choose Save As, and select the path you want to save your file.

   

Method #3: Merge PDFs using free online combiners

Online combiners are an excellent option when you don’t want to install additional software. They also tend to be more user-friendly than offline editors.

1. Smallpdf

1. Go to the Smallpdf website.
2. Click the CHOOSE FILES button to select the PDFs you want to merge. You can also drag and drop your files into the provided area.

   

3. After selecting your files, check the radio button next to Merge files, then click Choose option.

   

4. In the next window, click MERGE PDF!

   

5. Your merged PDF will be ready for download. Click on Start Download to save it to your computer.

   

2. PDF Converter

1. Go to the PDF Converter website and click Choose PDF file.

   

2.  After selecting the PDFs you want to combine, click Merge PDF.

   

3. Your merged file will now be ready for download. Click Start Download to save it to your computer.