Add page numbers to any PDF. Processed locally in your browser — no uploads, no signup, no limits. Free.
Need to paginate a PDF or add page numbers online? PDFree lets you number PDF pages with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3), Roman numerals (i, ii, iii), or alphabetic (A, B, C) — with full control over position, starting number, custom prefix/suffix (e.g. "Page 1 of 20"), and which pages to include. PDF pagination runs entirely in your browser — no upload, no signup, nothing leaves your device. Free.
Click Choose files or drag your PDF into the drop zone. The file loads in your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server.
Choose format (1, 2, 3 / i, ii, iii / A, B, C), position (bottom center, bottom right, top center, top right), starting number, and optionally skip the first page (for cover pages).
Click Add Page Numbers. Numbers are embedded as clean text on each page. The PDF downloads immediately.
Numbering a batch of reports or chapters? Select or drag in multiple PDF files and PDFree numbers the pages of each one using your chosen format and position, entirely in your browser. The numbered files are bundled into a single ZIP for download — no upload, no daily limit, and every file keeps its own page count and formatting.
Universities and journals require numbered pages for reference. If your Word-to-PDF export missed page numbers or numbered from the wrong page, fix it in PDFree.
A 30-page proposal without page numbers is unprofessional and hard to navigate in a meeting. Add numbers to the bottom center of every page in seconds.
Contracts often reference specific page numbers ('see page 7, clause 3'). Adding page numbers ensures those references are meaningful and consistent.
Multi-section manuals benefit from numbering that starts at 1 for each section. Use different formats (1, 2, 3 for body; A, B, C for appendices) on merged documents.
Academic publishing standards require Roman numeral pagination (i, ii, iii) for front matter (preface, table of contents, abstract) and Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) for the main body. Merge the two sections separately numbered, or use the 'start at' option to continue numbering across combined documents.
Reports sent to print often require "Page 1 of 20" format. Use the prefix field to add "Page " before the number and the suffix to add " of 20" after. Works for any total page count.
Court filings and legal documents often require exhibit-style pagination: pages in Exhibit A are numbered A-1, A-2, A-3; pages in Exhibit B are numbered B-1, B-2. Set the prefix to "A-" and start from 1 to get this automatically. Combine with the legal document workflow: merge exhibits → number pages by exhibit → redact sensitive content → protect with password.
| Feature | PDFree | Typical cloud tools |
|---|---|---|
| Files uploaded | No — stays on device | Yes — sent to remote servers |
| Number formats | Arabic, Roman, Alphabetic + prefix/suffix | Often Arabic only on free tier |
| Custom starting number | ✓ Any starting number | Often starts at 1 only |
| Daily usage limit | None | Often restricted on free tier |
| Price | Free forever | Free with limits / paid plans |
No. Page numbering is processed entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Files never leave your device. You can verify this: open DevTools → Network tab — you should not see your PDF being uploaded during processing.
No. PDFree runs entirely in your browser — there is no backend server that receives your files. Because nothing is uploaded, nothing can be stored, logged, or retained. Your document exists only in your browser's memory for the duration of the session and is cleared when you close the tab.
No. PDFree has no page or file size limits. The only practical constraint is your device's available memory.
Yes. Set any starting number in the 'Start at' field. This is useful for documents where a cover page is page 0, or for chapters that continue numbering from a previous section.
Yes. Enable the 'Skip first page' option. Page 1 (the cover) receives no number, and numbering starts from the second page.
Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3), lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii), uppercase Roman (I, II, III), lowercase alphabetic (a, b, c), and uppercase alphabetic (A, B, C).
No. Page numbers are added as a new text layer on top of the existing content. The original text, images, and layout underneath are unchanged.
Yes. Position options include: bottom center, bottom left, bottom right, top center, top left, and top right.
Yes. Use the prefix field to add text before the number (e.g. "Page ") and the suffix field to add text after (e.g. " of 20"). This creates the common "Page 1 of 20" format used in professional print documents and reports.
Paginating a PDF means adding visible page numbers to each page of the document. Pagination makes long documents easier to navigate, reference, and print. PDFree paginates PDFs online free — choose the number format, position (header or footer), and starting number, then download the paginated PDF instantly.
Yes. PDFree is completely free — no subscription, no sign up, no watermarks on the output. There are no limits on file size or number of pages.
Yes. Scanned PDFs are treated identically to any other PDF — the page number is overlaid on each page as a text element. The underlying scan image is not changed.
Page numbers added by PDFree are embedded as text annotations in the PDF. They cannot be selectively removed with this tool — the simplest approach is to keep the original unnumbered file and re-run the tool with corrected settings when needed.
Yes. Select or drag in multiple PDF files and PDFree numbers the pages of each one using your chosen format and position, entirely in your browser. The numbered files are bundled into a single ZIP for download — no upload, no daily limit.
Add page numbers to each section, then merge into one document
Lock the numbered document with a password before distributing
Reduce file size before emailing the numbered document
Split a numbered document back into individual chapters
PDFree is a free online PDF page numbering tool — no account, no upload, and no software needed. Add page numbers to any PDF instantly in your browser with full control over position, format, and starting number. The numbered PDF downloads automatically.