How to remove a background
- Choose a photo. Drop it on the box above or click to browse. The first time, your browser downloads the AI model (about 5 MB); after that it is cached.
- Wait a few seconds. The model finds the main subject and the edges are refined against the photo. In our tests this took 3–8 seconds per photo on a laptop.
- Pick a background. Keep it transparent (the checkerboard), or click white, black, light grey or the colour picker.
- Touch up if needed. Choose Erase to remove leftovers, or Restore to bring back parts of the subject. Adjust the brush size, use Undo freely, and hold “See original” to compare.
- Download. Download PNG keeps transparency; Download JPG appears when you pick a solid colour.
A practical example
You are listing a handbag on a marketplace that wants a plain white background, and your photo was taken on the kitchen table. Open the photo, click the white swatch and choose the Sharp edge setting, which suits hard-edged products. The strap’s shadow on the table has been kept as part of the bag, so choose Erase, set a medium brush and paint over it. Download the JPG and upload it. The whole job takes about a minute.
How the background remover works
The tool uses U²-Netp, a compact open-source neural network trained to find the most prominent object in a photo. It produces a mask: a map that says, for every pixel, how likely it is to belong to the subject. The model runs in your browser through ONNX Runtime Web, so the photo itself is never sent anywhere.
The raw mask is small, 320 × 320 pixels, which would give soft, blurry edges on a full-size photo. So the mask is refined with a guided filter, a well-known technique that uses the original photo as a guide and pulls the mask edge onto the real edges in the picture. The Edge setting then decides how soft or crisp the final outline is:
| Edge | Result | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Soft | Wide, feathered transition; semi-transparent fringes kept | Hair, fur, soft fabric |
| Balanced | Clean edge with slight smoothing | People, pets, most photos |
| Sharp | Tight, crisp outline with little halo | Products, packaging, gadgets |
Photos that work best
The clearer the subject, the better the cut-out. A single person, pet or product that stands out from its surroundings gives the best result. The model has a harder time with glass and other see-through objects, white items on white backgrounds, heavy shadows, several subjects spread across the frame, and busy scenes where it is unclear what the subject is. The brush exists for exactly those cases.
Try it on your own photo. It takes a few seconds.
Remove a backgroundCommon uses
Product photos
Marketplaces and online shops look tidier with consistent white or light-grey backgrounds. Use Sharp edges and a white background, then resize for your store with the Image Resizer.
Profile pictures
Remove a messy room behind you and replace it with a plain colour for LinkedIn, a team page or a conference badge.
Designs and thumbnails
A transparent PNG of a person or product can go straight into a social post, YouTube thumbnail or presentation slide.
Stickers and logos from photos
Cut out an object you photographed and use the PNG as a sticker or overlay. Check the edges on both light and dark backgrounds before you publish.
Privacy and output
Your photo stays on your device. The model file is downloaded from CachePlex and the ONNX Runtime engine from the jsDelivr content network, then both run inside the page. Our server only counts how many images you process for the daily free limit, and your original file is never changed.
To keep editing smooth, photos larger than 3000 pixels on the long side are worked on, and downloaded, at 3000 pixels. That is still enough for a full-width web image or a print about 25 cm wide at 300 DPI. Downloads carry no watermark.
Limitations
- 15 free images per day, one image at a time, up to 20 MB, output up to 3000 pixels on the long side.
- The in-browser model is small so that it downloads quickly and runs on ordinary laptops and phones. Very fine hair, lace and transparent objects will not be as precise as with large server-side models used by paid services.
- It picks the most prominent subject. For group photos or scenes, erase whatever you do not want to keep.
- Older phones can take noticeably longer, and the first run is slower while the model downloads.
- HEIC photos need converting with the HEIC to JPG tool first.
Troubleshooting
“The AI engine could not be downloaded”
A slow connection, firewall or content blocker stopped the download from jsDelivr. Allow it or try another network, then open the photo again.
A grey or coloured halo around the subject
Switch the Edge setting to Sharp, or run a small Erase brush along the edge.
The shadow was kept
Dark shadows touching the subject are often treated as part of it. Erase them, or keep them if you want the product to look grounded.
The wrong object was kept
Crop the photo so the subject fills more of the frame, then try again. A tighter crop gives the model a clearer idea of what matters.
Background remover questions
Related guides and tools
Remove a background in seconds
Transparent PNG or a clean colour, a brush for the fiddly bits, and your photo never leaves your device.
Choose a photo