Remove.bg Review, Pricing & Features

How much remove.bg costs, how its API pricing works, and what its acquisition by Canva means for the background-removal tool in 2026.

Category
AI Image Generation
Pricing
Freemium, credit-based subscription plus pay-per-image API, from $9/month for 40 credits (free preview-resolution use also available)
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2013
Headquarters
Vienna, Austria (Kaleido AI, now operating as Canva Austria GmbH)
Free PlanWeb AppAPIAIFreemium

Overview

Remove.bg is an AI background removal tool originally built by Kaleido AI, a Vienna, Austria company founded in 2013 that launched the remove.bg product in 2018. Canva acquired Kaleido in February 2021 for an undisclosed sum, after which Kaleido's legal entity was renamed Canva Austria GmbH, though remove.bg continues to operate as its own separately branded product.

Key Features

Remove.bg offers one-click AI background removal, batch processing, a public REST API billed per image, a Photoshop plugin, and a browser extension. Free usage is available but restricted to preview/low resolution.

Pricing

Pricing is credit-based, starting around $9/month for 40 credits (about $0.20/image) and scaling down to roughly $0.16/image on higher-volume plans like 200 credits for about $39/month. The API is billed at $0.20 per image, with a limited number of free preview-resolution calls per month.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Fast, high-quality automatic background removal with minimal manual effort
  • Credit-based pricing that scales down per image at higher volumes
  • Robust API well-suited for developer and e-commerce integrations
  • Backed by Canva's infrastructure and broader product ecosystem

Cons

  • Free tier is limited to low/preview resolution rather than full downloads
  • Per-image cost can add up at high volume compared to flat-rate alternatives
  • Complex edge cases like fine hair or transparent objects can still require manual touch-up
  • Operates as a narrow, single-purpose tool outside Canva's main design suite

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns remove.bg?

Remove.bg is owned by Canva, which acquired its original creator, Vienna-based Kaleido AI, in February 2021.

Is remove.bg free?

Remove.bg offers free processing at a small preview resolution; full-resolution downloads require a paid credit plan.

How much does the remove.bg API cost?

The remove.bg API is billed at $0.20 per image at standard rates, with a limited number of free preview-resolution calls per month.

What company originally built remove.bg?

Remove.bg was built by Kaleido AI, a Vienna, Austria company founded in 2013 that launched the product in 2018.

Does remove.bg work with Photoshop?

Yes, remove.bg offers a plugin for Adobe Photoshop as well as a browser extension.

What is the difference between remove.bg and Unscreen?

Remove.bg removes backgrounds from still images, while Unscreen, a sister product also from Kaleido AI, removes backgrounds from video.

Is remove.bg part of Canva now?

Yes, since the February 2021 acquisition, remove.bg's parent company Kaleido AI has operated as Canva Austria GmbH.

How much does a starting remove.bg subscription cost?

A starting plan costs around $9 per month for 40 credits, roughly $0.20 per processed image.

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