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PDFsam alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave PDFsam: basic only reorganises pages, no editing, and installer promotes the paid editions. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces PDFsam, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. PDF24 Tools currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Stirling PDF logoStirling PDFOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, Windows +24 of 462.6
2Okular logoOkularOpen sourceYesLinux, Windows4 of 455.3
3PDF Arranger logoPDF ArrangerOpen sourceYesLinux, Windows4 of 440.0
  1. Stirling PDF logo

    1. Stirling PDFTop pick

    Best for: Teams that want online-style PDF tools without sending files to a third party

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Windows, macOS, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from PDFsam

    Open-source toolkit with far more operations, run in a browser or on a server.

    Pros

    • Runs on your own server, so files stay private
    • Dozens of tools plus automation and an API
    • Free open-source core with optional paid support

    Cons

    • Self-hosting needs Docker or server know-how
    • SSO and admin features sit in paid plans
    • Interface is more functional than polished
    Visit Stirling PDF Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Stirling PDF a good PDFsam alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0, open-source edition
    Checked Oct 25, 2026stirlingpdf.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment
    Web, desktop, self-hosted
    Checked Oct 25, 2026stirlingpdf.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Tools
    60+ PDF tools
    Checked Oct 25, 2026stirlingpdf.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.stirlingpdf.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Okular logo

    2. Okular

    Best for: Linux users and anyone wanting a free viewer with strong annotation and signing

    Open sourceLinux, Windows

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from PDFsam

    Free open-source viewer for annotating the files once they are arranged.

    Pros

    • Excellent annotation tools saved into the PDF
    • Opens many formats besides PDF
    • Can verify and add digital signatures

    Cons

    • Cannot edit existing text or convert files
    • macOS only through untested nightly builds
    • KDE-style interface feels out of place on Windows
    Visit Okular Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Okular a good PDFsam alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPLv2+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026okular.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Digital signatures
    Verify and sign
    Checked Oct 25, 2026okular.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Windows
    Microsoft Store
    Checked Oct 25, 2026okular.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Linux
    Packaged by distributions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026okular.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. PDF Arranger logo

    3. PDF Arranger

    Best for: Linux users who need to merge, split or reorder PDF pages offline

    Open sourceLinux, Windows

    40.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from PDFsam

    Visual drag-and-drop page thumbnails make reordering and rotating faster on Linux.

    Pros

    • Drag-and-drop page thumbnails make reordering fast
    • Works offline, so files never leave your computer
    • Free and open source, packaged by most Linux distributions

    Cons

    • Cannot edit text, fill forms or sign documents
    • No OCR or compression tools
    • Plain interface aimed mainly at Linux desktops
    Visit PDF Arranger Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.312
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is PDF Arranger a good PDFsam alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Merge and split
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Page tools
    Rotate, crop, rearrange
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Built with
    Python and GTK
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best PDFsam alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

PDF24 Tools logo

Best PDFsam alternative for most people

PDF24 Tools

Free Windows toolkit that also compresses, converts and runs OCR.

Stirling PDF logo

Best PDFsam alternative for a free option

Stirling PDF

Open-source toolkit with far more operations, run in a browser or on a server.

iLovePDF logo

Best PDFsam alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

iLovePDF

Online merge and split tools if you prefer not to install anything.

Okular logo

Best PDFsam alternative for open source

Okular

Free open-source viewer for annotating the files once they are arranged.

Stirling PDF logo

Best PDFsam alternative for self-hosting

Stirling PDF

Open-source toolkit with far more operations, run in a browser or on a server.

Sejda logo

Best PDFsam alternative for Mac

Sejda

Desktop and web app that adds editing to page organising.

PDF Arranger logo

Best PDFsam alternative for Windows

PDF Arranger

Visual drag-and-drop page thumbnails make reordering and rotating faster on Linux.

Stirling PDF logo

Best PDFsam alternative for Linux

Stirling PDF

Open-source toolkit with far more operations, run in a browser or on a server.

iLovePDF logo

Best PDFsam alternative for iPhone and Android

iLovePDF

Online merge and split tools if you prefer not to install anything.

PDF24 Tools logo

Best PDFsam alternative for working in the browser

PDF24 Tools

Free Windows toolkit that also compresses, converts and runs OCR.

PDFsam alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to PDFsam?

PDF24 Tools ranks first right now. Free Windows toolkit that also compresses, converts and runs OCR. Stirling PDF and iLovePDF follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to PDFsam?

Yes. PDF24 Tools (free), Stirling PDF (open source), iLovePDF (free plan + paid) and Sejda (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to PDFsam?

Yes: Stirling PDF, Okular and PDF Arranger. Stirling PDF can also be self-hosted.

Which PDFsam alternatives work on Linux?

Stirling PDF, Sejda, Okular and PDF Arranger run on Linux.

Why do people switch from PDFsam?

The complaints we hear most: basic only reorganises pages, no editing; installer promotes the paid editions; plain, utilitarian interface.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces PDFsam, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.