remove.bg
remove.bg is a one-click AI background removal service from Canva, operated by Canva Austria. It cuts subjects out of photos automatically on the web, in desktop apps and through an API. Canva is closing the standalone site on 1 December 2026, moving background removal into Canva and self-service API access to Leonardo.ai.
Quick facts
Best for
- Current remove.bg subscribers
- Online sellers cutting out products
- Developers on the remove.bg API
- Photoshop and Figma plugin users
Key features
Upload a photo and the background disappears automatically, with erase and restore tools to fix the edges.
Preview-resolution cutouts are free on the website, while full-resolution downloads use 1 credit per image.
Windows, Mac and Linux apps remove backgrounds from many images in one click and can save PSD files.
A self-service API plus Photoshop, Figma and command-line tools, charging a quarter credit per preview and 1 credit per full image.
Adds AI-generated backgrounds or solid colors behind the cut-out subject in the built-in photo editor.
Use cases
- Cut out product photos for an online store while remove.bg still runs, before December 2026.
- Export your credit usage report and invoices before 1 December 2026, when accounts become inaccessible.
- Move an automated background-removal pipeline from the self-service remove.bg API to Leonardo.ai's API.
- Switch bulk background removal to Canva's web or desktop app, which uses the same technology.
Pricing
Current deals
What is remove.bg?
remove.bg is an automatic background remover that became part of Canva in 2021. It works on the website, in desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, through an API and via plugins such as Photoshop and Figma.
The December 2026 shutdown
Canva is folding remove.bg into its own products rather than running two separate tools. From 1 December 2026 at 9:00am CET, the website, accounts, self-service API, desktop apps and plugins stop working.
- Single images and bulk batches: Canva’s Background Remover, on the web or in the Canva desktop app.
- High-volume automation: Leonardo.ai’s API, with a migration guide for self-service users.
- Enterprise API customers: contracts continue unchanged.
Limitations
- Usage reports and invoices can’t be downloaded once accounts close, so export them first.
- Subscription credits never roll over to the next month.
- A new subscription now buys only a few months of service before the closure.
- Canva lists Background Remover as a paid Pro feature, so the replacement isn’t a like-for-like credit pack.
remove.bg FAQ
Alternatives to remove.bg
Online design platform with AI image generation, Magic Design and brand kits.
AI image and video generation for creative work and game assets.
AI product photos: remove backgrounds and generate studio scenes.
AI photo editor for background removal, upscaling and product shots.
Adobe's generative AI app for images, video and audio.
Sources
Reviewed on Oct 12, 2026
Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never changes which deals we list. Affiliate disclosure