At a glance
Cutting out a person or product used to take minutes in Photoshop; today AI does it in seconds. The tools differ mainly in how much you get for free, the resolution of the result, whether you can process many images at once and whether there is an API for shops and developers.
The short version: Photoroom for product photos and a cheap API; Adobe Express or Windows Paint for occasional free use; Clipdrop for a generous daily free limit; Pixelcut for unlimited removals at a low price; rembg for developers who want to self-host; and our free background remover for 25 full-resolution images a day without an account.
Quick picks
- remove.bg – existing users until the shutdown
- Photoroom – product photos and a cheap API
- Canva – people already designing in Canva
- Adobe Express – free occasional use from a known brand
- Clipdrop – a generous daily free limit
- Pixelcut – unlimited removals at a low price
- Windows Paint / Microsoft Designer – free, quick cut-outs on Windows
- rembg (open source) – developers who want to self-host
- ToolLaunchpad Background Remover – 25 free full-resolution images a day
Comparison table
| Product | Price (from) | Free use | Max. resolution | Batch | API | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| remove.bg | €9/mo for 40 credits (EU price) | Preview only (0.25 MP), 1 credit on sign-up | 50 MP (paid) | Yes (desktop, API) | Yes, 50 free calls/month | official site |
| Photoroom | $12.99/mo or $89.99/yr (Pro) | Trial; API sandbox with watermark | 4K in Ultra; API up to 6000 px | Yes | Yes, $0.02 per image | official site |
| Canva | Canva Pro (check on site) | Pro feature (via Pro trial) | about 10 MP (third-party info) | Limited | No | official site |
| Adobe Express | Free; Premium $9.99/mo | Yes, image background removal | 40 MB upload; output not stated | not clear | No (Firefly Services for enterprises) | official site |
| Clipdrop | check on site (Pro) | 20 removals per 24 hours | up to 5000 × 5000 px | Up to 10 files | Yes (usage-based) | official site |
| Pixelcut | $8/mo yearly ($10 monthly) | Limited, no watermark | not stated | Business plan | Yes, about $0.05 per removal | official site |
| Windows Paint / Microsoft Designer | Free | Yes | your image | No | No | official site |
| rembg (open source) | Free (MIT) | Unlimited | limited by your hardware | Yes | Yes, self-hosted | official site |
| ToolLaunchpad Background Remover | Free | 25 images per day | Full resolution | Several images | No | open |
remove.bg
Best for: existing users until the shutdownremove.bg, owned by Canva, has been the best-known background remover for years. Its pricing page now carries an official notice: the standalone website will no longer be available from December 1, 2026, and background removal moves to Canva. The official pages did not say what happens to the API, credits and desktop app, so check before buying credits.
Until then, free use gives unlimited previews at only 0.25 MP (about 625 × 400 pixels); full resolution up to 50 MP costs credits, from €9 for 40 credits per month or €3 for 3 credits without a subscription.
Pros
- Very precise edges
- Mature API and plugins
Cons
- Standalone website closes on December 1, 2026
- Free results only at preview size
- Expensive per image
Photoroom
Best for: product photos and a cheap APIPhotoroom specialises in product photos: besides removing backgrounds it creates AI backgrounds and shadows. Pro costs $12.99 per month or $89.99 per year with 1,000 exports a month; Max and Ultra add more credits, and 4K exports are only in Ultra. The official pricing page did not describe a free plan, only a trial.
Its API is the cheapest here for background removal at $0.02 per image up to 6000 px, with a free sandbox of 1,000 watermarked calls per month for testing.
Pros
- Built for e-commerce product photos
- Very cheap API ($0.02 per image)
- Strong mobile apps
Cons
- Subscription needed
- 4K only in the top plan
Canva
Best for: people already designing in CanvaCanva's Background Remover is the official successor of remove.bg, but it is part of Canva Pro, not the free plan. Canva's site could not be read on our check date; a price tracker reported Pro at $144 per year in September 2026, so check the current price on Canva. Third-party sources state that results are limited to about 10 MP.
Its strength is the workflow: cut out an image and use it directly in a design, social post or presentation.
Pros
- Integrated into Canva's design tools
- Official successor of remove.bg
Cons
- Requires Canva Pro
- No standalone API
- Lower maximum resolution
Adobe Express
Best for: free occasional use from a known brandAdobe Express lists the “Remove background” quick action for images in its free plan (the FAQ on the same page calls it premium, so the wording is inconsistent). Uploads up to 40 MB in JPG, PNG or WebP are accepted. Premium costs $9.99 per month and adds generative credits; removing backgrounds from videos needs Premium.
Pros
- Free for images
- Part of a complete design app
Cons
- Contradictory information on what is free
- Adobe account required
- Little fine control
Clipdrop
Best for: a generous daily free limitClipdrop, owned by Jasper, allows 20 free background removals every 24 hours, and its Pro plan raises that to 1,000 high-resolution removals per day. Results go up to 5000 × 5000 pixels, and up to 10 files can be processed at once. The Pro price is loaded dynamically on the official page, so check it there.
Pros
- 20 free removals per day
- Extra tools such as cleanup and relight
Cons
- Pro price not shown clearly
- Free results in standard resolution
Pixelcut
Best for: unlimited removals at a low pricePixelcut's Pro plan costs $10 per month ($8 billed yearly) and includes unlimited background removal and upscaling plus 600 AI credits. The free plan allows limited removals and exports without watermark. Business ($30 per month) adds batch exports and a commercial license. The API charges about $0.05 per removal.
Pros
- Low price with unlimited removals
- Free exports without watermark
- Background removal and upscaling in one
Cons
- Free limit not stated clearly
- API more expensive than Photoroom
Windows Paint / Microsoft Designer
Best for: free, quick cut-outs on WindowsWindows 11's Paint has a built-in “Remove background” button that works without an account, and Microsoft Designer offers background removal in its free plan with monthly credits. The edges are simpler than in specialised tools, and there is no batch processing or API.
Pros
- Free and already installed on Windows 11
- No account needed in Paint
Cons
- Simpler edges
- No batch processing or API
rembg (open source)
Best for: developers who want to self-hostrembg is a free Python library and command-line tool (MIT license) with many AI models, from the default BRIA RMBG model to BiRefNet and an anime model. It processes whole folders, can run as an HTTP server and works on CPU or GPU, so images never leave your machine. Note that the individual models have their own licenses.
It needs some technical setup and has no point-and-click interface for beginners.
Pros
- Free and unlimited
- Runs locally or on your own server
- Many models, batch and API
Cons
- Technical setup required
- No graphical interface for beginners
ToolLaunchpad Background Remover
Best for: 25 free full-resolution images a dayOur free background remover cuts out people, products and animals in full resolution, without account or watermark, for up to 25 images a day. Only a reduced copy is sent to our server to compute the mask; it is processed in memory and never stored. You can download a transparent PNG or choose a background colour, and the passport photo maker uses the same technology.
Pros
- Free, full resolution, no watermark
- No account, copies never stored
- 25 images per day
Cons
- No API
- Daily limit
What to do if you used remove.bg
If you only used the website for occasional cut-outs, any free option here replaces it. If you bought credits or use the API in a shop or app, check remove.bg's notices for what happens to them and test an alternative early; Photoroom, Pixelcut and Clipdrop offer APIs, and rembg can be self-hosted.
How to choose
- Occasional use: Adobe Express, Windows Paint, Clipdrop or our free tool.
- Online shop: Photoroom or Pixelcut, because of batch processing and product features.
- Developers: compare API prices per image (Photoroom $0.02, Pixelcut about $0.05) or self-host rembg.
- Print and large images: check the maximum resolution; many free plans reduce the size.
Tips for clean cut-outs
Use a sharp photo with good contrast between subject and background. Fine hair and transparent objects such as glass are the hardest cases for every tool. Save results as PNG to keep transparency, and use our image compressor or resizer afterwards for web use.
How we compared
We did not run our own lab benchmarks and we do not publish made-up test scores. This comparison is based on the vendors' official pricing and feature pages, their documentation and published independent audits, all read on the date above. Prices change often and can differ by country, tax and promotion: always check the final price on the vendor's site.
Frequently asked questions
Is remove.bg shutting down?
remove.bg's official pricing page says the standalone website will no longer be available from December 1, 2026, and that background removal moves to Canva. The pages did not say what happens to the API and credits.
What is the best free remove.bg alternative?
For occasional use: Adobe Express (free for images), Clipdrop (20 free removals per day), Windows Paint or our free background remover with 25 full-resolution images per day.
Which background remover has the cheapest API?
On the check date Photoroom charged $0.02 per image for background removal. rembg is free if you host it yourself.
Is Canva's background remover free?
No. It is a Canva Pro feature, available to free users only through the Pro trial.
Can I remove backgrounds from many images at once?
Yes, with Photoroom, Pixelcut Business, Clipdrop (up to 10 files), remove.bg until the shutdown, or rembg for whole folders.
How current is this information?
We read the official pages on the date shown at the top. Where pages showed only euro prices or hid prices behind scripts, we say so.