Alternatives · Last reviewed October 20, 2026
remove.bg alternatives for background removal after the shutdown
remove.bg, the Canva-owned background removal service, is closing: its FAQ says the standalone website will no longer be available from December 1, 2026, with background removal moving to Canva and API access to Leonardo.ai. Until then it removes backgrounds automatically and returns a transparent PNG. Canva's Background Remover uses the same technology, so it is the closest swap. Photoroom and Pixelcut fit sellers who need batch work, apps and an API, PicWish fits product photos on desktop and phone, and Clipdrop and Adobe Express fit occasional use at no cost. ImageQuarry is not a background removal tool; it fits people who want to put a subject into a new scene by describing it.
We make ImageQuarry, one of the alternatives below. remove.bg and each alternative were compared on automatic cut-outs, bulk and developer access, platforms, how you start and price, using each vendor's public pages, checked October 20, 2026.
Last updated October 20, 2026
remove.bg alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Price from | How it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | Anyone who wants the replacement remove.bg itself names, inside a design suite | Free plan; Pro US$18 month to month, or US$12 a month billed yearly (indexed pricing page) (as of 2026-10) | remove.bg's named successor, using the same background-removal technology |
| Photoroom | Online sellers who cut out products in volume and want apps and an API | Pro US$12.99 billed monthly, or US$89.99 billed yearly (as of 2026-10) | Background Remover at no credit cost on paid plans, plus batch editing and an API |
| Pixelcut | Small sellers who want unlimited cut-outs at a low monthly price | Free plan; Pro $10 a month billed monthly, or $8 a month billed yearly (as of 2026-10) | Unlimited background removal on Pro, batch exports, apps and an API |
| PicWish | People who used remove.bg's desktop app and want product photo tools on every device | Free plan with no credits; Monthly Subscription $9.99 in the iOS app (as of 2026-10) | Background removal first, on web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, with an API |
| Clipdrop | Occasional cut-outs at no cost, plus quick cleanup and relighting | Free plan of 20 removals per 24 hours; Pro price not displayed (as of 2026-10) | 20 background removals every 24 hours on the free plan |
| Adobe Express | Social and marketing designers who cut out a subject now and then inside templates | Free plan; Adobe Express Monthly $9.99 in the iOS app (as of 2026-10) | Free daily background removals inside a template-based design app |
| ImageQuarry | Putting a photographed subject into a new scene by describing it, over several rounds | Two paid plans: Starter at $9 and Pro at $29 monthly (as of 2026-10) | Describe the new background in words; each request becomes a version |
What is remove.bg?
remove.bg is an automatic background removal service owned by Canva; its footer reads "remove.bg, a Canva Austria GmbH brand". You upload a photo and it returns the subject on "a transparent background (PNG)", or on white for e-commerce, car listings or headshots. It runs on the web, as a Windows, Mac and Linux desktop app, on Android, as a Photoshop extension and through an API. Its FAQ says the standalone website will no longer be available from December 1, 2026 at 9:00am CET.
remove.bg removes backgrounds only: it does not generate images from text or edit them from a written prompt.
remove.bg pricing
These are remove.bg's plans until shutdown. Annual plans end on December 1, 2026 with a pro-rata refund for unused time, any final monthly renewal on or after November 1 is free, and unused pay as you go credits expire on December 1. A new account gets 1 free credit, and free downloads are capped at 0.25 megapixels. Prices as of October 2026, from remove.bg. Check the vendor for current pricing.
| Product | Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| remove.bg | Personal | $9 per month, billed monthly | 40 credits a month; $8.10 a month billed yearly ($97.20 a year) |
| remove.bg | Professional | From $39 per month, billed monthly | 200 credits a month, up to 5,000 credits for $589; from $35.10 a month billed yearly |
| remove.bg | Business | From $789 per month, billed monthly | 7,500 credits a month, up to 75,000 credits for $5,450; from $710.10 a month billed yearly |
| remove.bg | Pay as you go | From $3 one-time | 3 credits for $3, up to 8,000 credits for $1,699 |
Prices as of 2026-10
What remove.bg does well
One automatic step
remove.bg says it removes an image background "100% Automatically", returning a transparent PNG or a white background for e-commerce, car listings and headshots.
Large HD downloads
Paid HD downloads go up to 50 megapixels, and the pricing page accepts files up to 22 MB.
Many ways to run it
Before the shutdown it runs on the web, as a desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux, on Android, as a Photoshop extension and through an API, with Figma integration mentioned.
Subscriptions or one-off credits
You can subscribe from $9 a month for 40 credits or buy pay as you go packs from 3 credits for $3.
The same technology carries on in Canva
The FAQ says Canva's Background Remover "uses the same background-removal technology as remove.bg", so results should feel familiar there.
Where remove.bg falls short
The standalone service is closing
The standalone site, accounts, self-service API, desktop app and plugins end on December 1, 2026; only Enterprise API contracts continue.
Unused credits expire
Unused pay as you go credits expire on December 1, 2026, and annual plans end that day with a pro-rata refund.
Free downloads are small
A new account gets 1 free credit, and free downloads are capped at 0.25 megapixels.
Background removal only
remove.bg offers no text to image and no prompt-based editing, so any other change needs a second tool.
No iOS app listed
The Tools and API menu lists web, desktop, Android and plugins, and iOS is not listed.
Why people look for a remove.bg alternative
- remove.bg's standalone website closes on December 1, 2026 at 9:00am CET, so regular users need a new home for background removal.
- You call the self-service API from your own code, and it stops accepting requests on December 1, 2026.
- You rely on the Photoshop plugin or another integration, which are discontinued on the same date.
- You process photos in volume through the desktop app or a plugin, and both end on December 1, 2026 along with the accounts.
- You want to do more than cut out the subject, such as changing the scene, and remove.bg has no prompt-based editing.
The 7 remove.bg alternatives
Ordered by how directly each one replaces remove.bg's job: automatic background removal first, then bulk work and developer access, then a no-cost way to start. ImageQuarry is last because it is not a background removal tool at all.
1. Canva
Best for: Anyone who wants the replacement remove.bg itself names, inside a design suite
How it differs from remove.bg: remove.bg's own FAQ names Canva's Background Remover as the replacement and says it uses the same technology. Canva's help pages, read from search indexed text, also describe Magic Edit, where you brush an area and describe what to add, plus Magic Eraser and Magic Grab, on the web and in Android and iOS apps.
Price: Free plan; Pro US$18 month to month, or US$12 a month billed yearly (indexed pricing page) (as of 2026-10)
Limitation: Canva's indexed pricing page caps the free plan at 20 uses of Standard or Premium AI tools a month, and remove.bg sends API users to Leonardo.ai rather than to Canva.
2. Photoroom
Best for: Online sellers who cut out products in volume and want apps and an API
How it differs from remove.bg: Photoroom lists its Background Remover among core tools that cost no credits on every paid plan, next to batch editing, a REST API and an MCP server. Its Edit with AI takes typed instructions such as "add a white studio background", which goes beyond remove.bg's fixed white background.
Price: Pro US$12.99 billed monthly, or US$89.99 billed yearly (as of 2026-10)
Limitation: Exports are limited to assets up to 2K resolution below the Ultra plan, and a free plan is not listed on its pricing page as of October 2026.
3. Pixelcut
Best for: Small sellers who want unlimited cut-outs at a low monthly price
How it differs from remove.bg: Pixelcut is built for sellers: it removes backgrounds from images and video, edits batches across hundreds of files, and has a creative agent that edits by prompt. Its free plan includes limited background removal with exports free of a watermark, and Pro makes background removal unlimited.
Price: Free plan; Pro $10 a month billed monthly, or $8 a month billed yearly (as of 2026-10)
Limitation: Free background removal is limited, and the pricing page lists a commercial license only on Pro and Business while its generator page promises one for every image.
4. PicWish
Best for: People who used remove.bg's desktop app and want product photo tools on every device
How it differs from remove.bg: PicWish is centered on background removal and product photos, and adds an AI Designer that edits images through natural conversation. It runs on the web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, and sells an image editing API with separate pricing, so desktop and API users can move to one place.
Price: Free plan with no credits; Monthly Subscription $9.99 in the iOS app (as of 2026-10)
Limitation: The free plan includes no credits and no batch processing, and web plan prices were not visible on its pricing page.
5. Clipdrop
Best for: Occasional cut-outs at no cost, plus quick cleanup and relighting
How it differs from remove.bg: Clipdrop is a set of single purpose tools, with Remove background next to Cleanup, Uncrop, Relight and a prompt driven Replace background that returns four alternatives. Its free plan allows 20 background removals every 24 hours, and Pro raises each tool to 1,000 a day.
Price: Free plan of 20 removals per 24 hours; Pro price not displayed (as of 2026-10)
Limitation: Clipdrop has belonged to Jasper since February 2024, its API page now points to the Jasper API, and the Pro price shows as a blank on its pricing page.
6. Adobe Express
Best for: Social and marketing designers who cut out a subject now and then inside templates
How it differs from remove.bg: Adobe Express removes backgrounds from images and videos and downloads the image "as a PNG with a transparent background", inside a design app built on templates. Free users get free daily generations for background removal, so light users can start without paying.
Price: Free plan; Adobe Express Monthly $9.99 in the iOS app (as of 2026-10)
Limitation: Its remove background page says unlimited use needs a paid Adobe Firefly plan, and bulk background removal is not listed on its pages as of October 2026.
7. ImageQuarry
Best for: Putting a photographed subject into a new scene by describing it, over several rounds
How it differs from remove.bg: remove.bg takes the background away in one automatic step and hands back a cut-out. ImageQuarry does a different job: you upload a photo and describe the change, such as a new background or warmer light, and each request produces a new version while earlier ones stay.
Price: Two paid plans: Starter at $9 and Pro at $29 monthly (as of 2026-10)
Limitation: ImageQuarry is not a background removal tool, it publishes no output specifications, and every plan is paid, so keep a dedicated cut-out tool for transparent product shots.
Who should stay with remove.bg
- You have an Enterprise API contract, which remove.bg says is not affected by the shutdown and continues as normal.
- You have a few weeks of work left before December 1, 2026 and want to finish it on the tool you know, while you test a replacement.
- You pay monthly and your final renewal falls on or after November 1, which the FAQ says is free, so you can use it until the site closes.
How to move from remove.bg before December 1, 2026
- Export your credit usage report and invoices from your remove.bg Account page now; the FAQ says you cannot download them after December 1.
- Spend or plan around unused pay as you go credits, since they expire on December 1, 2026; annual plans end that day with a pro-rata refund.
- Download any HD results you still need, because the standalone site and accounts close at 9:00am CET on December 1.
- Move one-off cut-outs to Canva's Background Remover, which uses the same technology, and run a few of your usual product photos through it to compare.
- If your code calls the self-service API, switch it before December 1, either to the Leonardo.Ai APIs remove.bg names or to another provider's API.
Does not carry over: Unused pay as you go credits, the Photoshop plugin and other integrations end on December 1, 2026 and do not move to Canva or any other tool.
remove.bg alternatives: questions
When does remove.bg shut down?
remove.bg's FAQ says the standalone website will no longer be available from December 1, 2026 at 9:00am CET, and the self-service API stops accepting requests the same day. Enterprise API contracts are not affected.
What can I use instead of remove.bg for free?
Canva's indexed pricing page lists a free plan with up to 20 uses of AI tools a month, Clipdrop gives 20 background removals every 24 hours, Pixelcut includes limited background removal on its free plan, and Adobe Express has free daily generations for background removal, as of October 2026. PicWish's free plan includes no credits. Every ImageQuarry plan is paid.
Which remove.bg alternative has an API?
remove.bg points automated users to Leonardo.Ai's suite of APIs, also owned by Canva. Photoroom has a REST API, Pixelcut and PicWish sell API access, and Clipdrop's API now runs through the Jasper API at usage-based cost.
Which alternative is best for removing backgrounds in bulk?
Photoroom includes batch editing and its Background Remover costs no credits on paid plans, and Pixelcut Pro includes 1,000 batch exports a month with unlimited background removal. PicWish's free plan does not support batch processing; its premium options do.
Can ImageQuarry replace remove.bg?
Not for transparent cut-outs. ImageQuarry is not a background-removal-only tool: you upload a photo, ask in words for a change such as a new background, and each request becomes a new version you can compare and download. remove.bg's FAQ points pure background removal to Canva.
Sources
Checked October 20, 2026. Recheck public pages before making a buying decision.
Checked October 20, 2026
- remove.bg: remove.bg
- remove.bg: remove.bg/faq
- remove.bg: remove.bg/pricing
- Adobe Express: adobe.com/express
- Adobe Express: adobe.com/express/feature/image/remove-background
- Adobe Express: adobe.com/express/pricing
- Adobe Express: apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-express-ai-photo-video/id1051937863
- Canva: canva.com/en_gb/help/using-magic-edit
- Canva: canva.com/features/ai-photo-editing
- Canva: canva.com/pricing
- Clipdrop: clipdrop.co
- Clipdrop: clipdrop.co/apis
- Clipdrop: clipdrop.co/pricing
- Clipdrop: clipdrop.co/replace-background
- Photoroom: photoroom.com/pricing
- Photoroom: photoroom.com/tools/edit-with-ai
- PicWish: apps.apple.com/us/app/picwish-ai-photo-editor/id1609584814
- PicWish: picwish.com
- PicWish: picwish.com/online-photo-editor
- PicWish: picwish.com/pricing
- Pixelcut: pixelcut.ai
- Pixelcut: pixelcut.ai/ai-image-generator
- Pixelcut: pixelcut.ai/claude
- Pixelcut: pixelcut.ai/pricing
Related pages
Create an image. Edit it with words. Keep refining.
Change the scene around your subject in words
Upload a photo, describe the background or light you want, and keep each version as you refine it.
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