What it does
PDFtk supplies merging and splitting tools with free, paid graphical, and command-line editions. Pro adds rotation, watermarking, stamping, and document-protection operations.
Free offers a Windows merge/split interface, while the bundled Server tool handles repeatable command-line jobs. For two-pass scans, Server's shuffle examples interleave the two inputs and can reverse one sequence when the back-side scan runs backwards. Page-range selection can omit unwanted pages while creating a named output PDF. Pro adds a graphical route for rotation, stamps, watermarks and protection; those GUI entitlements should be kept separate from Server's command capabilities.
Strengths
- Offers graphical and command-line routes for common PDF assembly tasks.
Best for
- Simple PDF merging or scripted page assembly
Sources
- PDFtk - The PDF Toolkit (Oct 26, 2026)
- PDFtk Server Examples (Oct 26, 2026)