remove.bg is shutting down: what to do now
By the IsraModel AI team · Published
remove.bg, the background remover many online shops relied on, closes on 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET. Here is what its own FAQ says, what to export before the date, and where to keep removing backgrounds for free.
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What happens on December 1, 2026
remove.bg is owned by Canva. According to remove.bg's own FAQ, the standalone site and its self-service API close together:
- The standalone website will no longer be available. Background removal moves into Canva, and API access moves to Leonardo.ai, both owned by Canva.
- Annual subscriptions keep working until the shutdown and then end. Unused time after that date is refunded pro rata.
- Monthly subscriptions end at the shutdown. Any final renewal on or after November 1 is free.
- Unused pay-as-you-go credits expire on 1 December 2026.
- The self-service API stops accepting requests on 1 December 2026. Enterprise API contracts continue.
- The Photoshop plugin and the other integrations are discontinued.
- Accounts are not accessible after the shutdown, so export invoices and credit-usage reports before then.
Source: remove.bg FAQ, checked October 8, 2026.
Three things to do before the shutdown
- Spend or write off your credits. Unused pay-as-you-go credits expire on 1 December 2026. Run the images you still need now.
- Download invoices and usage reports. The account itself will not be reachable afterwards, and your accountant will still want the invoices.
- Replace the API in your scripts and plugins. Self-service API calls stop working on the same day, and the Photoshop plugin and other integrations are discontinued.
Where to remove backgrounds for free now
Background removal is moving into Canva, where it is part of the paid Pro plan rather than the free one. Photoroom has a free tier, but for personal use, not for a shop. Both according to each tool’s own pricing page, checked September 29, 2026.
Our free background remover does the job remove.bg did, with three differences that matter after a shutdown:
- No account and no credits. There is nothing to expire and nothing to lose if a service closes again.
- It runs in your browser. Your photo is not uploaded to a server.
- Commercial use is allowed. Use the results in your store, on marketplaces and in ads, up to 20 photos at a time.
It also exports straight to the formats shops need: a transparent PNG, a pure white JPG, or a square Amazon main image with the product filling the frame.
Where automatic background removal breaks, whatever the tool
Accuracy depends on the product more than on the tool. Every automatic cut-out struggles with the same materials, because they have no clean edge between the product and the background:
- Hair, fur and feathers come out with soft or chewed edges.
- Lace, mesh and open knits lose their holes, so the fabric looks solid.
- Glass and clear packaging lose their transparency.
- A white product on a white background loses part of itself.
- Shiny products (rings, watches, screens) keep the reflection of the old room.
For these, it is better to generate the photo with the background you want from the start than to cut it out afterwards. Check any transparent PNG against a black background, not a white one: halos and leftover pixels that are invisible on white jump out on black.
When you need more than a transparent PNG
A cut-out is raw material. It still has to sit on something: a white marketplace background, a studio set, a lifestyle scene, or a person wearing the product. That is what IsraModel AI does. Upload a phone photo of the product and get it back on a studio background, in a scene, or worn by a realistic AI model, with light and shadows that match.
In the full app, background removal costs one credit and is more precise on fine edges. The free plan includes 5 standard images a month, with no credit card.
Questions
When does remove.bg shut down?
According to remove.bg's FAQ, the standalone site will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET. Its background removal moves into Canva, and the self-service API moves to Leonardo.ai, also owned by Canva.
What happens to my remove.bg credits and subscription?
According to remove.bg, unused pay-as-you-go credits expire on 1 December 2026. Annual plans keep working until then and are refunded pro rata for the unused time. Monthly plans end at the shutdown, and a final renewal on or after November 1 is free.
Is there a free remove.bg alternative for commercial use?
Yes. The IsraModel AI background remover is free with no sign-up and no credits, allows commercial use, and processes up to 20 photos at a time in your browser, so the photos are not uploaded.
Can I still remove backgrounds in bulk?
Yes. Drop up to 20 photos into the free tool at once and download them together as one ZIP file, as transparent PNGs, on white, or framed as Amazon main images. Run as many rounds as you need.
What replaces the remove.bg API?
According to remove.bg, its self-service API moves to Leonardo.ai, and enterprise API contracts continue. Our free tool runs in the browser and has no public API, so it replaces remove.bg's website, not its API.
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