PDFsam Basic: Split, Merge, and Reorder PDF Pages
PDFsam Basic is a desktop application that rearranges existing PDF files rather than creating new ones. Its six tools cover the common jobs: merge joins several documents into one with optional bookmarks and a clickable table of contents, split breaks a file at chosen pages, size, or bookmark levels, and mix interleaves pages so single-sided scans end up in reading order. Rotate fixes sideways pages, extract pulls selected pages into a new file, and insert drops pages from one document into another at a chosen position. Every operation runs on the local files, so nothing is uploaded and no connection is required.
The merge module is where most of the detail lives. Each input file can be included whole or limited to page intervals written as comma-separated ranges, so a chapter can be pulled from one document and an appendix from another in a single pass. Output settings decide what happens to bookmarks, to interactive form fields when two documents contain them, and whether a table of contents is generated with one entry per merged file. For creating PDFs from scratch, a print driver such as Bullzip PDF Printer is the starting point; PDFsam Basic takes over once the files already exist.
Benefits of Using PDFsam Basic
PDFsam Basic is useful because page-level PDF surgery is normally the point where people give up and reach for an online service. Everything here happens on the machine that already holds the documents, which matters for contracts, medical records, and anything covered by an internal policy that rules out uploading files to a third party. The tool set mirrors real problems rather than hypothetical ones: a scanner that only handles one side produces two files that mix puts back in order, a report that arrives as one thick document can be split by size for email limits, and a form scanned upside down is fixed by rotating selected pages. Setting a page range per input file means a merge rarely needs a preliminary edit, and the resulting file can carry a table of contents that makes it navigable. Output keeps the original pages as they are, with nothing added to them.
PDFsam Basic Software Information
- Developer: Sober Lemur S.r.l.
- Current Version: 6.0.5.0
- File Size: 93.8 MB
- License: Open Source
- Language: en-US
- Downloads: 410K
- Platform: Windows Desktop
System Requirements
- Processor: 2-core CPU
- RAM: 2 GB RAM
- Storage: 1.5 GB available storage
- Graphics / GPU: Not required
Visit the official PDFsam Basic website
PDFsam Basic Features
Merge Multiple PDF Files
PDFsam Basic can combine several documents into a single PDF, or split them across a handful of outputs, with the input order controlled from a list. Files are added in bulk, reordered before the job runs, and the result is written to a destination folder of your choosing.
Page Ranges Per Input File
Each source file can contribute only the pages you name, written as comma-separated intervals that can end open, meaning the rest of the document. That makes it possible to assemble a report from chapters, appendices, and a cover page without editing the originals first.
Bookmarks, Forms, and Contents
Merge output options decide how bookmarks are treated, so outlines can be combined, discarded to shrink the file, or rebuilt with one entry per merged document. Interactive form fields can be dropped or merged, including a mode that renames clashing field names, and a clickable table of contents can be generated.
Split by Pages or Page Count
A document can be broken after every page, after even or odd pages, at specific page numbers you list, or after a fixed number of pages. Each fragment is saved as its own file, which turns one bulky scan into sections that are easier to file or send.
Split by Size or Bookmarks
Files can also be divided until each piece falls under a target size, which is useful when a document is too large to attach to an email or upload through a portal. Splitting at a chosen bookmark level cuts the document wherever the outline points instead.
Mix to Rebuild Scans
The mix tool in PDFsam Basic interleaves pages from two or more documents, in forward or reverse order, which puts the odd and even sides of a single-sided scan back into reading sequence. It also handles cases where one document has to be slipped inside another page by page.
Rotate Selected Pages
Pages can be turned by 90, 180, or 270 degrees, applied either to an entire document or to a subset of its pages. Rotating only the pages that were scanned the wrong way keeps the rest of the file untouched and corrects the reading direction permanently.
Extract and Insert Pages
Extract in PDFsam Basic pulls chosen pages or ranges out of a document and saves them as a new file or a set of files, while insert places pages from one PDF into another at a specified position. Together they cover the small edits that otherwise mean rebuilding a document.
PDFsam Basic Old Versions
Version 6.0.3.0 Updated: July 10, 2026 Download
Version 6.0.4.0 Updated: July 10, 2026 Download
Version 6.0.1.0 Updated: May 1, 2026 Download
Version 6.0.0.0 Updated: March 30, 2026 Download
Version 5.4.5.0 Updated: January 27, 2026 Download
PDFsam Basic FAQs
Do my files get uploaded when I use PDFsam Basic?
No. Every tool runs on the computer where the files already are, so documents are never sent to a server and no internet connection is needed. That is the practical difference between this application and the online split-and-merge websites.
Which tools does PDFsam Basic include?
Six: merge, split, mix, rotate, extract pages, and insert pages. Merge and split cover the bulk of everyday work, while mix, rotate, extract, and insert handle the smaller fixes that would otherwise require rebuilding a document from its pages.
Can I merge only some pages from a file?
Yes. Each input file in a merge can be limited to a set of page intervals, written as a comma-separated list where a range such as 25- means everything from that page onward. Files with no interval contribute every page.
How do I put the two sides of a scan back together?
Use the mix tool, which interleaves pages from two or more documents in forward or reverse order. Feed it the odd pages and the even pages produced by a single-sided scanner and the result reads in the correct sequence.
What happens to bookmarks and form fields after a merge?
Merge options in PDFsam Basic let you keep and combine outlines, discard them to keep the file smaller, or build a new bookmark tree with one entry per merged document. Interactive form fields can be discarded or merged, including a mode that renames fields with clashing names.
Can I split a document by something other than page numbers?
Yes. Alongside splitting at listed page numbers, after every page, or after a fixed page count, a document can be divided so each part stays under a target size, or split at a chosen level of its bookmarks, which follows the structure of the outline.