PDF Arranger review: merge PDFs on your PC

PDF Arranger is a free open-source desktop program that merges or splits PDFs and rotates, crops and rearranges their pages.¹⁴ Use it to put a letter, a scan or a handout in order on your own computer.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A desktop program that merges, splits, rotates, crops and reorders PDF pages. It is a front end for pikepdf.¹

Works on: Windows (MSI installer and portable zip, release 1.14.0), Linux (Flathub, desktop only), and Mac (Nix or a manual build).²⁴⁵

Price: Free.⁴

Licence: GNU General Public License version 3 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later).¹

Best for: Combining or reordering pages, then saving a PDF.

Official site: github.com/pdfarranger/pdfarranger¹

What PDF Arranger does (and how it protects your privacy)

PDF Arranger shows pages side by side so you can drag them into order, drop one, rotate a scan, or combine several PDFs.³ It is a front end for pikepdf, the library that opens and saves the PDF.¹⁶⁷

You open a file, import more pages, and save or export a PDF.³ You can edit metadata, the extra details stored in the file, and version 1.14.0 can rebuild outlines (bookmarks).²³ For reading only, Sioyek is a better fit.

Key features

Reorder by dragging, copy and paste, reverse the order, or swap odd and even pages.²³
Rotate in 90-degree steps, crop margins with the mouse, or hide margins.³
Open several PDFs, delete pages, and export only the pages you select.³
Add blank pages, and turn images into pages when img2pdf is installed.³
Edit metadata. On export, keep the first file’s information (needs pikepdf 8.0 or newer) or merge bookmarks from every file.³
Search for text, undo changes, and export pages as PNG or JPEG images.³
Save a copy with a password. The save code uses that same password as both the user password and the owner password, at encryption revision 6.⁷

Pros and cons

Pros

Free, and licensed under GPL version 3 or later.¹⁴
You can undo a change, and you can search for text in the PDF.³
Release 1.14.0, dated 23 May 2026, includes a Windows MSI and a portable zip.²
You can see every page and fix order, rotation, crops and booklet layout by hand.³
A password on the saved file uses pikepdf’s strongest option, AES-256 in CBC mode (revision 6).⁶⁷

Cons

Flathub lists it as desktop only. Release 1.14.0’s files are Windows builds, and the Mac guide is for macOS.²⁴⁵
An Android app that uses the name PDF Arranger has a privacy policy that says the free version shows ads through Google AdMob.⁸
On a Mac, the guide suggests Nix, or installing GTK and building it yourself. The 1.14.0 files are a Windows MSI and zip.²⁵
Image import needs img2pdf. Bookmarks and links can also be dropped by some edits, including merging pages, hiding margins, booklet layout, and resizing a page that contains links.³
A PDF password is a lighter lock than it looks. pikepdf says anyone with the user password or the owner password can open the file and make a copy, and that someone who already has the file can keep guessing.⁶

Is PDF Arranger safe and private?

The desktop program is from the PDF Arranger team, published on GitHub under the GNU GPL version 3 or later. Release 1.14.0 is dated 23 May 2026. Flathub lists that version, marks the app verified, and names the same team. The 1.14.0 Windows builds updated the OpenSSL library files they ship.¹²⁴

You open PDFs, the window shows the pages, and Save writes a PDF. Export can write selected pages, or PNG and JPEG images.³ Edit metadata before you share a file if it still carries details you do not want to pass on.

It can open a PDF with a password. On save, the export code gives pikepdf that same password as both the user password and the owner password, at revision 6. pikepdf says that is AES-256 in CBC mode, the strongest encryption it supports, and that either password can open the file and make a copy. Someone who already has the file can also try passwords as fast as their hardware allows.⁶⁷

A phone search can show another app with this name. A privacy policy updated on 5 July 2026 describes an Android package, com.pdfarranger.app. It says documents are handled on the device and are not uploaded to the app’s servers, and that the free version shows ads through Google AdMob, which may collect device and advertising-related data. The app requests internet access to load ads and check purchases. For this desktop program, use the GitHub release or Flathub.⁴⁸

How to get started

On Windows, open the 1.14.0 release and download pdfarranger-1.14.0-windows-installer.msi. If you cannot install software, download pdfarranger-1.14.0-windows-portable.zip.²
Run the installer and start PDF Arranger. With the zip, unzip it and start pdfarranger.exe. The portable version looks for its settings file in that same folder.³
On Linux, install it from the Flathub page, which shows version 1.14.0 and lists the app as free and desktop only.⁴
On a Mac, follow the project’s Mac guide. It suggests Nix, then launching pdfarranger from Nix, or a manual setup with GTK and gettext.⁵
Open a PDF, import more files, or drag them in. Reorder, rotate, crop, or delete pages.³
Save, or export the pages you selected. Open the new file before you delete the original. If you still need links or bookmarks, skip edits the manual says will drop them, such as merging pages or hiding margins.³
To lock the new file, set a password for that save. BellCrier’s password generator can make a long one. Anyone who knows it can save an unlocked copy, so send the password separately.⁶⁷

Who should use PDF Arranger (and who might prefer something else)

Use it to join letters, drop a blank sheet, fix a sideways scan, or put fronts and backs together. Windows has an installer and a portable zip, and Linux has Flathub. You open the file and save a PDF, and you can edit metadata before you share it.²³⁴

To read only, use SumatraPDF on Windows, or Sioyek for textbooks and research PDFs. To write on the page, use Xournal++. To turn a scan into text, use gImageReader. On a phone, an app with this name is a different listing: its privacy policy describes ads.⁸

Frequently asked questions

Is PDF Arranger free?

Yes. Flathub lists it as free, and the licence is the GNU GPL version 3 or later. Release 1.14.0 publishes a Windows installer and a portable zip on GitHub.¹²⁴

Is PDF Arranger safe?

The program opens PDFs and saves a PDF file, and the source is under the GPL. A password you set is AES-256 in CBC mode. That password can unlock a copy, and someone who has the file can keep guessing. The Android app that shares the name is a separate case: its policy says the free version shows ads.¹³⁶⁷⁸

Does PDF Arranger work on iPhone?

Flathub marks it desktop only. Release 1.14.0 attaches Windows files, and the Mac guide is for a Mac computer. An Android app uses the same name, and its policy says the free version shows ads.²⁴⁵⁸

Can PDF Arranger password-protect a PDF?

Yes. The export code encrypts the saved file with pikepdf, using the password you set as both the user password and the owner password, at revision 6 (AES-256 in CBC mode). Either password can open the file and make a copy, and here they are the same one.⁶⁷