I often talked about cut outs on my blog. I wrote about cutting out hair with Photoshop on a complex background, and I also showed you a great technique to cut out difficult images with Photoshop. In this article, however, I want to focus on the best web services to remove background of image online easily and quickly. Don’t worry if you’re not used to image editing, because no specific knowledge is required on your side. So let’s discover together six amazing sites to remove background of image online in no time!
Last update: 16/08/22
Personally I’m used to doing every image editing work with my trusty Photoshop, but I understand it’s not the case for everyone. You may not have the program installed on your PC, you may not be familiar with how professional graphics softwares work, or why not, you have no time to waste in clipping operations.
Besides, everyone has different needs. You may need to cut out a subject for personal use, maybe with the intent to create a meme or realize a fascinating photomontage. Conversely, the reader of this article could be an e-commerce owner who needs to cut out large amounts of images to create the products catalogs.
Whatever your purpose, I’m sure you can’t wait to test the sites I mentioned earlier. Some of them are paid services, suitable for professional use, while others are completely free. Are you ready to discover them?
Paid services to remove background of image online
I usually guide my research towards free resources, because let’s face it, everyone would choose “everything at once” without paying a dime if given the chance. Yet, in front of certain services, I can’t help but be amazed.
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Two sites in particular caught my attention and I wanted you to meet them.
Clipping Magic
Clipping Magic is phenomenal. As soon as you start testing its functions, you’ll understand such a service can’t be free.
Fortunately, unlike many other online services which offer the user a free trial not before filling out a form, it allows you to test it immediately. You’ll then be able to upload as many pictures as you want and test most of the features, but you’ll need a subscription to download the image in high resolution and remove the watermark.
Monthly subscriptions work with credits. 1 credit = 1 download.
You can choose between three plans:
- Light = 15 credits per month at 3.74 $
- Standard = 100 credits per month + bulk clipping at 7.49 $
- Pro = 500 credits per month + bulk clipping at 17.99 $
Once the file is uploaded Clipping Magic will automatically cut out the subject, giving us the possibility to edit or refine the result.
Do you need to restore or delete a point of the image? Use the green and red brushes respectively, special tools which don’t work like a normal brush. In fact, a few strokes are enough to see the desired area reappear or disappear.
No need to be precise or to overdo with the brushstrokes, rather, the tool works best when there are few. Sometimes just a click is enough!
There are lots of possibilities, but one of the most tempting tools is the hair tool. Thanks to it we’ll be able to get practically perfect cut outs.
Look at the example below. All I had to do was painting on the desired parts to bring out the hair which were lost in the initial clipping. Exceptional!
I am happy to update the article with a recent discovery of mine related to the Hair Tool. Since the tool handles partially transparent areas, they don’t necessarily have to be hair.
Here comes a very interesting alternative use, that is to preserve the shadows in case they were already present.
This is an extremely simple operation. In fact, you just need to brush on the shadows, nothing more. Really amazing for a service to remove background of image online!
The nice thing is that we can use the Scalpel tool for the points that require more precision. So if there’s a zone we can’t cut out well using the classic green brush (restore) and red brush (erase), the tool helps us allowing us to create paths.
The tool resembles Photoshop pen and of course we’ll be able to eliminate the generated points at anytime. We can also switch between smooth points and angular points.
The control over the clipping is really wide. Infact, you can adjust edges smoothness, but also feathering and selection extent.
If I have to be honest, I would have preferred a bar with a cursor to change values. Repeatedly clicking on plus or minus symbol may result unnerving in the long run, such a shame!
Transparent background isn’t the only option available. If we wish so, we can choose a background color for our image.
It’s possible to do a lot of final adjustments, such as crop, resize and rotate the photograph, but also apply shadows and reflections.
Let’s not forget the possibility to operate on light and colors, playing with values such as temperature, saturation and brightness. You can even adjust the white balance and remove a color cast. Fantastic!
Very useful the possibility to set up personal preferences, especially if we have to work with a lot of images. In order to do it the registration on the website is required. Once done, we’ll be able to change default settings customising things like brush size, background color, quality of the output JPG file and much more. This way we’ll speed up our job greatly, without continuously changing the various parameters. A very nice convenience!
Last but not least the Bulk Clipping, that is multiple uploads at once.
In this case a very useful option is copying the marks applied to a photograph and paste them on the next ones, not to redraw the selection and then cut out the subject. Of course this is possible when photo shoots share the same camera settings and they’re very similar to each other.
Let’s not forget about the possibility to integrate Clipping Magic directly into your website through API.
With all its features and the impressive fluidity of zooming and panning, Clipping Magic is really a lot on the plate and is undoubtedly one of the best premium services to remove background of image online.
Pro
- Complete and professional
- Phenomenal zooming and panning
- Possibility of adding adjustments, shadows and much more
Contro
- None
removebg
Compared to Clipping Magic, removebg is much more straightforward.
All you have to do is upload your photograph and wait for the AI to do the rest.
Forget tools to work on hair or get more precise clippings. You’ll have to trust the site, period.
Actually there’s a small possibility of editing, but it’s really reduced to the bone. It’s simply a brush to erase or restore, of which we can only change the size.
For the rest, if the result of the cut out is to your liking, you can choose between transparent or colored background, or apply a background image by uploading it from your PC or choosing one of those made available by the site.
There’s also the possibility to blur the background by choosing from some presets.
At this point, considering its limitations, you may be wondering why I included removebg in the article counting it among the best sites to remove background of image online.
The reason is simple. removebg is instantaneous and requires no action on your part, and in a fast-paced world hungry for speed like ours it could seriously be the winning choice. No complicated setups, no learning curves, no wasted time experimenting with tools and features.
Anyway, given its extreme simplicity of use, it’s always advisable to upload only photographs with defined subjects and not too complex backgrounds which may confuse the algorithm.
As in the case of Clipping Magic, to take advantage of the site’s service you will need to purchase a paid plan with the classic credit system, where 1 credit = 1 image.
You can subscribe to various monthly or annual plans up to a maximum of 75.000 credits per month, after which the business plan will be activated and you’ll be prompted to contact the site.
If you prefer, you can also buy the credits you need on the spot without taking out any subscription.
By registering a free account you will be assigned a credit, in order to take advantage of the registration to test the service and see if it’s right for you.
If you decide not to pay anything, you will still be able to upload as many images as you want and download the results of the cut outs for free in the form of a preview, a small-sized PNG file.
Finally I want to remind you of the possibility to integrate removebg on your website or app via API. Here you will find the documentation about it.
There are also a desktop application and a Photoshop extension. The download is free, but you’ll need to purchase credits to process the images. Everything works via API, therefore to work on the photos you’ll need an API key and an internet connection.
The community of removebg has also created some interesting plugins to integrate into famous graphics programs and e-commerce platforms. Among them I want to mention the one for Sketch and WooCommerce, go check them out!
Pro
- Complete automatic cut out
- No learning curves
Contro
- Poor control in the finishing phase
- More complicated cut outs may confuse the algorithm
- Definitely stiff prices compared to Clipping Magic
FocoClipping
I’ve heard a lot about it and so I decided to give it a try. Well, FocoClipping is certainly one of the most interesting services to remove background of image online.
I was pleasantly impressed with the site’s algorithm, which offers three clipping options: Portrait, Product and Graphics.
Once the image has been loaded, just wait a few seconds and enjoy the result of the fully automated cut out, and if necessary you can use the classic brushes to restore or delete the affected parts.
No advanced tools then? Actually yes, but only in manual mode. Here will be at your disposal tools to better define the edges, retouch the hair and make the clipping more or less faded.
All you have to do is paint on the areas you want to remove and those you want to keep with the appropriate tools. A few brushstrokes are enough and the editor will process the result.
Honestly, I found the manual mode too cumbersome and not very functional for the purpose. I usually spend too much time to get something good, not to mention that each operation requires its own seconds of waiting. Every time I find myself drumming my fingers as I look at the “generating” written… rather unnerving in the long run. In short, nothing to do with Clipping Magic, where I can practically observe the changes I make live.
I also didn’t like the hair tool, too elaborate and not very intuitive. In practice, you must first brush on the edge of the hair, then sample the color of the hair and then that of the background around them, and six samples can be made for both options. The result, at least from the tests I’ve done, is not the best.
The worst thing, however, is not being able to retouch an image with these tools after performing the automatic cut out. You’re forced to make a choice: either you rely on the artificial intelligence, or you do it yourself starting from scratch. Really a pity, considering that often the best results are generated in the first case.
Once the subject is cut out you’ll be able to set a background, crop and rotate the image, and again add a shadow or a colored border.
Even here the bulk clipping is not missing, the Bulk Background Remover, with an upload limit of 30 files at a time. Once the automatic clipping is finished, you’re free to download your images with one click or edit them, but in this case you’ll be limited to the erasing and restoring brushes. For the rest you have the possibility to set a colored or transparent background and choose to crop the image, for example by setting an aspect ratio or adapting it to the subject.
FocoClipping also provides custom API solutions.
As with removebg you’re free to download an unlimited number of cut outs, but in low resolution. For full resolution downloads there’s the classic credit system, and you can choose whether to subscribe to a monthly plan or buy the credits you need on the spot.
Pro
- Fully automated cut out
- No learning curves
- Manual mode for more controlled cut outs
Contro
- Manual mode slow and cumbersome
Free websites to remove background of image online
I know you couldn’t wait to get to this paragraph, right? Well, I can’t blame you. So, no more talk, and let’s find out together the best free websites to remove background of image online.
Pixomatic
Pixomatic isn’t just a tool to remove the background from a photo, but a real image editor. In this article, however, I’m focusing on the online cut out, and therefore we’re gonna focus on this.
Compared to the premium sites you’ve seen before, cutting out subjects won’t be an immediate operation. Take it easy, nothing transcendental, you just need a little more patience. Let’s see how to do it.
Once you open the editor you can upload your image or search for one directly through the site, which relies on the totally free resources of Pixabay e Unsplash.
Once done, you just have to start cutting out! Click then on the scissors icon and start drawing your outline by brushing on the edge of the subject.
Watch out for common mistakes. Avoid brushing internally as if drawing an inner stroke and always close your outline.
At the end of the operation, the AI will automatically fill the subject to be cut out, but if there’s something to correct we can always use the brush to delete or restore the desired areas.
The level of the cut out subject will then be automatically created, and to unlock it you’ll have to click on the appropriate icon.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing else in the way of cutting out tools. It would have been nice to have tools to select more precisely, such as the lasso or the pen, in order to work better on the most difficult points.
However, there is a delightful feature that for a free editor is a real godsend. I’m talking about the Hair Tool!
If your subject is a person with difficult-to-cut hair then you can take advantage of this wonderful feature. Just click on the appropriate tool and brush on the area in question. Done, easy right?
At this point you can save your cut out with transparent background in PNG format (after registration), or choose to apply a background image to create a nice photomontage.
Here’s my result after playing a bit with the site adjustments.
That said, I must unfortunately underline the inconvenience of the zoom. The ability to zoom in or out using the mouse wheel doesn’t seem to exist, while the buttons zoom in and zoom out too little at a time, slowing down the work a lot. I honestly found it extremely annoying. Such a pity.
Pixomatic also offers a paid version for $ 7.99 per month (or $ 29.99 per year).
By registering a free account you’ll have access to the basic tools and you’ll be able to save your sessions in cloud, but the usage of other tools and the access to the various libraries will be limited.
All in all, however, given the opportunities it offers, as a start it doesn’t look bad at all! Consider whether to upgrade or not by reading here all the benefits of Pixomatic Pro.
Pro
- Hair Tool for cutting out hair
Contro
- Zooming leaves a lot to be desired
- Cloud savings of cut outs and work sessions are slow.
Edit Photos For Free
Edit Photos For Free it’s the simplest and most immediate free tool I’ve found around the web.
The site has changed dramatically compared to a while ago. Previously it looked a lot like Fotor’s Magic Clipper (the editor I told you about in the article on the best sites to edit photos online), now it’s practically a fully automated clipping service. Just upload the photograph and let the algorithm work for you.
A progress then? Well, yes and not. Although previously it was necessary to draw the selection by hand, now we’ll have much less control over the final result, limited to a simple brush to erase or restore the points of the image. Like remove.bg then? That’s right, but don’t expect the same brilliant results…
And if we want to be picky, there’s one more thing to discuss. In fact, I noticed that after the clipping the edges of the subject result slightly blurred. Fortunately, checking the Smooth Edge option solves the problem, but at the expense of difficult elements such as hair…
Once the subject has been cut out, you can decide to change the background with a color, a gradient or a photo, but also apply filters and some corrections such as saturation, contrast and brightness.
You can download the file in PNG format.
Edit Photos For Free is a practical, easy and fast online tool, perfect for not too complex cut outs.
Pro
- Fully automated cut out.
- No learning curves.
Contro
- Poor control in finishing phase.
- Not suitable for complex clippings.
Adobe Creative Cloud Express
Once upon a time there was Photoshop Express Online, a basic editor that among other things was also able to remove the background from an image. The results were nothing short of terrific and when I tried it I was amazed. Ironically, just as I was preparing to update this article to add it to the list, I realized it was no longer online… Adobe thought it best to remove it from the web, leaving unhappy who knows how many people, including myself.
Fortunately, the background removal feature is still available in another guise, that of Adobe Creative Cloud Express (formerly Adobe Spark). It’s an editor for creating online graphics similar to the ones I showed you in the article on the best Canva alternatives, which also includes the background removal among its features.
When I tried it I was happy to find the same quality as Photoshop Express, but there’s a but. The site says “Free for a limited time only”, so I fear that soon I’ll be forced to move the service to the paid sites category to remove background of image online… Take advantage while you are in time!
All you have to do is open the page of the background removal tool, upload your photo and wait for the algorithm to work for you.
The results are generally excellent, but we’re talking about Adobe so… why am I telling you?
The only problem is the inability to edit the clipping. At most you can import it into the Creative Cloud Express editor, but to take advantage of the brushes for the classic delete/restore you will need to subscribe.
The file will be downloaded in PNG format, but you must be registered in order to download. Alternatively, you can always log in via a Google, Facebook or Apple account.
Pro
- Terrific AI by Adobe
- Fully automated cut out
- No learning curves
Contro
- Inability to edit the clipping
Conclusions
In this article I wanted to show you the most valid services to remove background of image online in the simplest and most immediate way possible.
There are lots of methods to cut out a subject with a professional software, but if we can save time and effort by making use of these fantastic web portals, why not to take the opportunity?
And you? Do you know any other site to remove the background in the blink of an eye? Share it with us by leaving a comment!
Hoping you’ve found the services useful, I send greetings to you and as always I invite you to like and share the article. Good clipping and see you next time, bye!
