If you need a remove.bg alternative for single images, Background Remover PNG gives you a transparent PNG as a free Preview up to 0.25 megapixels without signup or a watermark; Max above that size uses one credit. Free automatic cutouts are made online, with brush and background editing in your browser. The main editor handles one image at a time. The separate bulk background remover handles up to 50 images at 4 megapixels, with free previews and optional one-credit Max exports. There is no desktop app or plugin.
If your code calls remove.bg's API, our remove.bg-compatible API accepts the same requests: change the host and the key before December 1.
Before December 1: a checklist for remove.bg users
remove.bg's FAQ, checked September 29, 2026, lists what ends at 9:00 a.m. CET on December 1:
- Export your records. Accounts become inaccessible, so download your credit usage report and invoices from your remove.bg Account page first.
- Use your pay-as-you-go credits. Unused ones expire on December 1. Our credit packs don't expire.
- Check your plan. Monthly subscriptions end automatically, and a final renewal on or after November 1 is free. Annual plans get a pro-rata refund with no action needed.
- Move API code. The self-service API stops accepting requests. Leonardo.Ai's replacement needs a new account and JSON-only requests. Our remove.bg-compatible API takes the same requests: change the host to
api.backgroundremoverpng.comand use a key from your account. - Plan bulk jobs. remove.bg points desktop-app users to Canva's bulk background removal. Our bulk background remover takes up to 50 images at 4 megapixels, and the API handles automated jobs. On a Mac, Preview and the Finder remove single backgrounds without an app (Mac guide).
- Replace the Photoshop plugin. It ends too. Photoshop's own Remove Background does the job without a plugin (Photoshop guide); remove.bg suggests Affinity, whose background removal needs a Canva Pro subscription (Affinity guide). We have no Photoshop plugin.
- Check other plugins. remove.bg says its other integrations and plugins end the same day, and third-party plugins built on its API lose it. Figma has its own Remove background button on paid plans (Figma guide).
Why people are looking for a remove.bg alternative
There are two practical reasons to look at other options right now. The first is size. remove.bg's free downloads are previews of up to 0.25 megapixels, and a full-resolution file costs a credit.
The second is timing. As of September 2026, remove.bg's FAQ says its standalone website will no longer be available from December 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. CET. Background removal is moving into Canva, which remove.bg became part of in 2021, and self-service API access is moving to Leonardo.Ai.
What remove.bg does
remove.bg removes backgrounds on its website, in its desktop app and through its API. As of September 2026:
- Free previews go up to 0.25 megapixels; remove.bg says its free tier is for low-resolution images and personal use.
- Full resolution, up to 50 megapixels, costs 1 credit per image. A new free account gets one bonus credit to try it.
- US prices, checked September 29, start at US$3 for 3 pay-as-you-go credits and US$9 a month for 40 credits on a subscription (US$8.10 a month when billed yearly). The pricing page localizes currency; check the currency and billing period shown for you.
- Editing includes AI-assisted erase and restore, replacement backgrounds, AI-generated scenes and shadows. Generated backgrounds cost a credit to generate and another credit for an HD download.
- Volume tools include a Windows, Mac and Linux desktop app that processes many images with one click, an API, and plugins for Photoshop and Figma.
- Uploads are processed on remove.bg's servers. Its security page says uploaded images are typically deleted within 60 minutes.
What Background Remover PNG does
Background Remover PNG combines free online cutouts with an optional full-size Max re-cut:
- Open a JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP or HEIC photo by dropping, pasting or choosing it.
- Free cutouts are made online with an open-source BiRefNet model, from a reduced copy that we don't store. Max re-cuts eligible images at full size with the high-resolution BiRefNet_HR model, for one credit.
- Download a free Preview PNG up to 0.25 megapixels, or use one credit for Max above that size with the available source dimensions. Very large photos, above about 36 megapixels on computers or 16 on phones, are scaled down, and the page says so.
- Keep the background transparent or switch to white, black, any color, a blurred copy of the photo or your own image. With a background in place, you can also save a JPG or WebP.
- Fix edges with an erase and restore brush, click a color to remove it, then trim, pad, crop to a preset ratio or resize.
Prices side by side
Both sites charge one credit per full-resolution image, and both list US prices before tax.
| Credits | remove.bg (US prices, checked September 29, 2026) | Background Remover PNG |
|---|---|---|
| 3, one time | US$3 | US$3 |
| 10, one time | US$9 | US$9 |
| 75, one time | US$49 | US$49 |
| 40 a month | US$9 a month, or US$8.10 a month billed yearly | US$9 a month |
| 200 a month | US$39 a month, or US$35.10 a month billed yearly | US$39 a month |
| 500 a month | US$89 a month, or US$80.10 a month billed yearly | US$89 a month |
Our pack credits don't expire; remove.bg says its pay-as-you-go credits expire on December 1, 2026. Our one-time packs go up to 1,200 credits for US$399, and monthly subscriptions go up to 10,000 credits for US$989 a month. We have no yearly billing; remove.bg's pricing page lists packs of up to 8,000 credits and plans of up to 75,000 a month. See all our plans.
remove.bg vs Background Remover PNG
| remove.bg (as of September 2026) | Background Remover PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for a full-resolution transparent PNG | 1 credit per image; US prices checked September 29 start at US$3 for 3 one-time credits or US$9/month for 40 credits | 1 credit above 0.25 MP; US$3 for 3 credits or US$9/month for 40 (all plans) |
| Free download size | Preview, up to 0.25 megapixels | Preview, up to 0.25 megapixels |
| Largest hosted photo | 50 MP, up to 22 MB | 16 MP, up to 25 MiB for Max; larger photos use the free cutout for Max, within browser limits |
| Signup required | Account needed for credits and full-resolution downloads | No signup before Preview or credit checkout |
| Watermark on free downloads | Check their current plans | No |
| Where the image is processed | Uploaded to remove.bg's servers | Free cutout online, not stored; optional full-size Max re-cut (1 credit) |
| Batch processing | Desktop app and API (self-service API ends December 1, 2026) | Free or paid batch studio: up to 50 images at 4 MP; separate format, resize and compression batches; a remove.bg-compatible API |
| Edge corrections | AI-assisted Magic Brush | Manual erase/restore with an optional color-matching Smart brush, remove-a-color, optional edge shrink and color-cleanup strength |
| Backgrounds and framing | Replacement backgrounds, AI-generated scenes and adjustable blur | Solid color, six editable gradient presets, own photo with zoom/position controls and adjustable blur, blurred original or a generated scene; crop, padding and resize |
| Shadows and generated scenes | AI shadows and generated backgrounds | Generated scenes from eight presets or a description, drawn around the unchanged cutout with matching shadows, free up to 20 a day; adjustable drop or floor shadow made from the cutout's outline; no relighting |
| Other features | Photoshop plugin and other integrations, discontinued December 1, 2026 | Logo and signature presets, before/after slider |
For a different backdrop, use the photo background changer; to keep the scene and soften it, use background blur. Both keep the cutout separate from the background. Our erase/restore brush edits the pixels you paint; with Smart brush on, a stroke changes only colors close to the one where it starts. Neither interprets a rough stroke to select an object, as remove.bg's Magic Brush does. For a thin fringe, Cutout → Edge finish offers a small edge shrink and adjustable color cleanup. Shrinking can remove fine hair; the background eraser guide shows how to check and correct it. These controls do not select objects or generate missing detail.
Some tools in remove.bg's editor open Canva: its editor guide identifies that handoff for filters and Erase Distractions. We do not provide those Canva editing tools.
Check the edges as well as the dimensions
A full-size file tells you its pixel dimensions. It does not prove that fine hair, fur or transparent objects were cut out accurately. Our model works at a smaller size and the editor applies its mask to the source-size photo. Inspect the result against both light and dark backgrounds before using it.
You can try the Dog and Shoe photos in the main editor. Fine whiskers and difficult edges can need manual correction. We have not established that our results match remove.bg across different subjects; the feature comparison above is not a head-to-head quality benchmark.
When remove.bg is the better choice
Until December 1, 2026, remove.bg makes more sense if you work in volume without writing code. Its desktop app handles many files in one go, and its plugins work inside Photoshop and Figma. Background Remover PNG offers neither; its API covers software that already calls remove.bg's API.
After that date, remove.bg itself recommends Canva's Background Remover for single images and bulk batches, and Leonardo.Ai's APIs for larger or automated jobs. If Canva is on your shortlist, see how Canva's background remover compares.
When Background Remover PNG is the better choice
Use Background Remover PNG when you need one clean cutout at a time and want to edit locally and choose your export size:
- Choose the size. Preview is free up to 0.25 megapixels. One credit unlocks a larger Max file, such as a 12-megapixel PNG from a 12-megapixel source within device limits.
- Try before signing in. Preview downloads need no account. Hosted capacity limits apply. You can buy and use credits in this browser without signing up first.
- No photo library to manage. Free online copies aren't stored; Max inputs are temporary and their result masks expire after 24 hours. Save the finished file; your account does not restore photos.
- Hands-on edge fixes. The brush has adjustable size and softness with undo and redo, and the remove-a-color tool clears flat backgrounds. For logos, the logo preset removes the color first and trims the result.
Frequently asked questions
Is remove.bg shutting down?
As of September 2026, remove.bg's FAQ says its standalone website will no longer be available from December 1, 2026. Background removal is moving into Canva, self-service API access is moving to Leonardo.Ai, and enterprise API contracts continue as normal.
What happens to my remove.bg credits?
remove.bg says unused pay-as-you-go credits expire on December 1, 2026, and that subscriptions end automatically on that date, with a pro-rata refund for unused time on annual plans.
Which Background Remover PNG downloads are free?
Preview PNGs up to 0.25 megapixels are free without signup or watermarks. Max exports above that size use one credit per image. Max's high-resolution re-cut accepts up to 16 megapixels and 25 MiB; for larger photos, Max applies the free cutout at full size, subject to browser limits. Batch images are capped at 4 megapixels.
Does Background Remover PNG upload my photo?
Free cutouts send a reduced copy, without its file name or location data, for online processing, and we don't store it. Max, the one-credit full-size re-cut by our high-resolution model, uses a temporary copy deleted after processing; its masks expire after 24 hours. Background images, brush edits and final composition stay in your browser. See the privacy policy for details.
How do I move remove.bg API code before December 1?
remove.bg's self-service API stops accepting requests on December 1, 2026. Our remove.bg-compatible API accepts the same requests: change the host to api.backgroundremoverpng.com and send a key from your account in the X-Api-Key header. Options we don't support return remove.bg-style errors, and the API page lists them.
Why is a free remove.bg download smaller than my photo?
remove.bg's free downloads are previews of up to 0.25 megapixels, for example 625 × 400 pixels. As of September 2026, the full-resolution version, up to 50 megapixels, costs one credit per image.
Can Background Remover PNG process a whole folder like the remove.bg desktop app?
The separate bulk background remover accepts up to 50 selected images, with a 4-megapixel limit, saved export recipes and individual corrections. Preview downloads are free up to 0.25 megapixels; Max exports above that size use one credit per image. It has no desktop app. Code that calls remove.bg's API can switch to our remove.bg-compatible API by changing the host and key.