You have a 47-page PDF and only need pages 3 through 12. Or maybe there’s a blank page stuck in the middle that shouldn’t be there. Either way, you need to delete pages from a PDF – and you don’t want to pay $20/month for Adobe Acrobat to do it.
I’ve been testing PDF tools for over two years now, and removing pages is one of those tasks where free tools genuinely work just as well as paid ones. Here’s what I found after testing 9 different options last month.
Looking for a full-featured PDF editor instead? Check our guide to the best free PDF editors – it covers tools that handle page deletion plus annotations, form filling, and more.
Quick Comparison: Best Free Tools to Delete PDF Pages
| Tool | Type | File Size Limit | Daily Free Limit | Batch Processing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDF24 | Online + Desktop | No limit | Unlimited | Yes | Heavy use, no restrictions |
| Smallpdf | Online | 5GB | 2 tasks/day | Yes (Pro) | Large files, clean UI |
| iLovePDF | Online + Desktop | 100MB | 3 tasks/day | Yes | Quick one-off removals |
| Sejda | Online + Desktop | 50MB / 200 pages | 3 tasks/day | No | Precise page selection |
| PDFsam Basic | Desktop (offline) | No limit | Unlimited | Yes | Privacy-sensitive docs |
| Google Drive | Built-in viewer | 100MB | Unlimited | No | Already in Google ecosystem |
| macOS Preview | Built-in (Mac) | No limit | Unlimited | No | Mac users, zero setup |
| Microsoft Edge | Built-in browser | No limit | Unlimited | No | Windows, nothing to install |
Method 1: PDF24 – Unlimited Free Page Deletion
PDF24 is the tool I recommend most for this task. No account needed, no daily limits, no file size cap. It’s run by a German company (Geek Software GmbH), and they make money from their enterprise tier – the free version has zero restrictions for individual use.
How to delete pages with PDF24:
- Go to pdf24.org and click “Remove PDF Pages”
- Upload your file (drag-and-drop works)
- You’ll see thumbnail previews of every page
- Click the X on any page you want to remove
- Hit “Create PDF” and download the result
The whole process takes under 30 seconds for a typical document. I tested it with a 312-page technical manual (28MB) and the upload + processing finished in about 45 seconds on a standard connection.
What I like: No watermarks, no signup wall, GDPR-compliant (servers in Germany, files auto-deleted after 1 hour). The desktop version processes files locally if you prefer.
Limitation: The interface looks a bit dated compared to Smallpdf. Functional, not pretty.
Method 2: Smallpdf – Best Interface, But Limited Free Use
Smallpdf handles massive files (up to 5GB) and the page-deletion interface is genuinely pleasant to use. Smooth drag-and-drop reordering, clear page thumbnails, responsive even with 200+ pages.
Steps:
- Open smallpdf.com/delete-pdf-pages
- Drop your PDF in
- Hover over pages and click the trash icon to remove them
- Click “Apply Changes” then download
The catch: You get 2 free tasks per day. After that, it’s $12/month (billed yearly) for Pro. If you only need to delete pages from one file, that’s fine. If you’re processing a batch of 15 contracts on a Friday afternoon, PDF24 or PDFsam is a better fit.
What I like: The page preview quality is noticeably better than other tools. You can actually read the text on thumbnails, which helps when you’re not sure which page to remove.
Method 3: iLovePDF – Solid Middle Ground
Three free tasks per day, handles files up to 100MB, and the interface is straightforward. iLovePDF has been around since 2010 and they’ve refined the UX significantly over the past few years.
The page selection works two ways: click individual pages to select them for deletion, or type page ranges manually (like “1,4,7-12”). That range input is surprisingly useful when you know exactly which pages need to go – faster than clicking 15 thumbnails one by one.
Pricing if you exceed free limits: $7/month (billed yearly) for unlimited tasks. Cheaper than Smallpdf.
Method 4: PDFsam Basic – Offline and Completely Free
PDFsam (PDF Split and Merge) is open-source desktop software. Everything happens on your machine – nothing gets uploaded anywhere. This matters for legal documents, medical records, financial statements, anything you wouldn’t want sitting on a third-party server even temporarily.
How to use it:
- Download PDFsam Basic from pdfsam.org (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Open the “Split” module
- Load your PDF
- Set the pages you want to extract or define split points
- Run it – your new PDF appears in seconds
Honestly, PDFsam’s approach is a bit different. It doesn’t show you a visual grid where you click pages to delete. Instead, you specify which pages to keep (or where to split). For “delete page 5 from a 10-page doc,” you’d split at pages 1-4 and 6-10, then merge. It’s an extra step compared to visual tools.
Best for: Privacy-sensitive documents, batch operations (process 50 PDFs at once), or situations where you’re offline.
Method 5: macOS Preview – Already on Your Mac
If you’re on a Mac, you don’t need to install or open anything special. Preview handles this natively.
- Open the PDF in Preview (double-click usually does it)
- Go to View > Thumbnails (or press Cmd+Opt+2)
- Click the page(s) you want to remove in the sidebar
- Press Delete
- Save (Cmd+S) or File > Export as PDF for a new copy
Hold Cmd to select multiple non-adjacent pages, or Shift for a range. I’ve used this for years and it’s never failed, even on 500+ page documents. The one thing to watch: if you hit Cmd+S it overwrites the original. Use Export if you want to keep the original intact.
Method 6: Microsoft Edge – Windows Built-In Option
Edge added PDF page management in 2024 and it’s gotten better with each update. Not many people know about this one.
- Right-click your PDF > Open with > Microsoft Edge
- Click the “Page view” icon in the top toolbar (looks like a grid)
- Right-click any page thumbnail > “Delete page”
- Or select multiple pages and delete them at once
- Click “Save” or “Save as”
No internet needed, no tool to install. Works on Windows 10 and 11. The page thumbnails are small though, so identifying specific pages in a long document takes some squinting.
Method 7: Sejda – Good for Precision Work
Sejda limits free use to 3 tasks/day with files under 50MB or 200 pages. Within those limits, it does the job well. The page selection interface shows large, clear thumbnails and lets you type exact page numbers.
One feature I appreciate: Sejda shows the page count and file size of your output PDF before you create it. Useful when you need the final file under a specific size for email attachments.
Desktop version: Available for $7.50/week or $63/year. Only worth it if you use their other tools (merge, compress, convert) regularly.
Method 8: Google Drive – If Your PDF Is Already There
Not obvious, but Google Drive can handle basic page deletion through its integration with third-party PDF apps. The process is less streamlined than dedicated tools, but works if your file is already in Drive.
Here’s what actually works: open the PDF in Google Drive, click “Open with” at the top, and select one of the connected PDF apps (DocHub or Lumin PDF are commonly suggested). From there, you can delete pages within the editor.
Google Docs itself can’t do it – if you “Open with Google Docs” you’ll get a converted text document and lose all formatting. Don’t go that route.
How to Delete PDF Pages on iPhone and Android
iPhone (iOS 15+):
- Open the PDF in the Files app
- Tap the page thumbnail icon (top-left)
- Long-press a page > “Delete”
- Or tap “Select,” pick multiple pages, then tap the trash icon
Android:
Android doesn’t have a built-in PDF page editor. Your options:
- Xodo PDF: Free, no watermarks, handles page deletion cleanly
- Google Drive + DocHub: Works but clunky
- iLovePDF mobile app: Same 3 free tasks/day as web version
Deleting Pages from Password-Protected PDFs
If the PDF has a “permissions password” (restricts editing but doesn’t require a password to open), most online tools will ask you to unlock the PDF first. PDF24 and iLovePDF both have separate unlock tools that strip the permissions password, after which you can delete pages normally.
If the PDF requires a password just to open it, you’ll need to enter that password in whatever tool you’re using. Can’t get around that one – it’s encryption, not just a permission flag.
Tips for Batch Page Deletion
If you need to remove the same pages (say, a cover sheet and back page) from 30 PDFs:
- PDF24 Desktop: Lets you queue multiple files and apply the same page removal to all
- PDFsam: Batch split with consistent page ranges
- Command line (advanced):
qpdf input.pdf --pages . 2-9 -- output.pdfremoves page 1 and everything after page 9. Script it with a loop for bulk processing
The command-line approach with qpdf is honestly the fastest if you’re comfortable with terminal. Processing 100 files takes under 10 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete pages from a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. Tools like Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24, and Sejda let you remove pages from any PDF directly in your browser for free. No Adobe subscription needed. On Mac, Preview handles it natively. On Windows, Microsoft Edge has built-in page deletion.
Is it safe to upload PDFs to online page-removal tools?
Most reputable tools (Smallpdf, iLovePDF, PDF24) auto-delete uploaded files within 1-2 hours. For sensitive documents, use offline tools like PDF24 Desktop or PDFsam – they process everything locally on your machine with nothing uploaded anywhere.
Can I delete pages from a PDF on my phone?
On iPhone (iOS 15+), open the PDF in the Files app, tap the page thumbnails icon, select pages, and tap Delete. On Android, use Xodo PDF (free, no watermarks) or the iLovePDF mobile app.
What’s the maximum file size for free PDF page deletion?
It varies. Smallpdf allows up to 5GB per file (2 free tasks/day). iLovePDF handles files up to 100MB free. PDF24 has no file size limit at all. For very large files (100MB+), desktop tools like PDFsam avoid upload/download time entirely.
Will deleting pages reduce my PDF file size?
Usually yes, especially if the deleted pages contain images or graphics. A 50-page PDF with heavy images might drop from 15MB to 8MB after removing 20 pages. Text-only pages make less difference – maybe 5-10% reduction per page removed.
Bottom Line
For most people, PDF24 is the best option – unlimited, free, no account needed. If you’re on Mac, just use Preview. On Windows, Edge handles it without installing anything. And if privacy matters more than convenience, PDFsam keeps everything offline.
Need to do more than just delete pages? Our complete guide to free PDF editors covers tools that handle annotations, form filling, merging, and OCR alongside page management. You might also find our guides on splitting PDFs and compressing PDF files useful if you’re working with large documents.