A free remove.bg alternative
remove.bg's own site closes on 1 December 2026, and its background removal moves into Canva's paid plans. Orcanva's background remover is free, needs no account, and runs in your browser.
What's changing at remove.bg
The site closes
From 1 December 2026 remove.bg's website stops removing backgrounds and sends people to Canva, where the Background Remover is part of the paid plans.Credits expire
Unused remove.bg credits can't be spent after that date, and they don't carry over to Canva.The API ends
The self-service API stops as well. For developers, remove.bg points to Leonardo.AI's API instead.
Orcanva and Canva's Background Remover
| Feature | Orcanva | Canva |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no limit | Paid plans |
| Account | Not needed | Needed |
| Where your photo goes | Nowhere: it's processed on your device | Uploaded to Canva |
| Result | Transparent PNG at full size | Transparent PNG, on paid plans |
Good to know
It needs a recent browser
It runs on WebGPU, which recent Chrome, Edge and Safari have. Older browsers and some phones can't run it, and the page tells you so.The first run takes longer
The first image downloads the AI model, about 220 MB. Your browser keeps it, so later images take a few seconds.There's no API
Orcanva has no API, so it can't stand in for remove.bg inside your scripts or apps. It's for people removing backgrounds by hand.
Questions
- When does remove.bg shut down?
- remove.bg says its standalone website and self-service API end on 1 December 2026, and that background removal moves into Canva, its owner since 2021.
- What happens to my remove.bg credits?
- remove.bg says unused credits expire on 1 December 2026. They aren't refunded and don't move to Canva.
- How good are the cutouts?
- Orcanva uses BEN2, a recent open model built for fine edges like hair and fur. Try it on your own photos: it's free, and nothing is uploaded.
- Can I remove backgrounds in bulk?
- One image at a time. Once the model is loaded, each takes a few seconds.
- Do I need an account?
- No. The background remover works without one. You only sign up, free, to keep designs in Orcanva's editor.
Need more than cutouts? See how Orcanva compares as a free Canva alternative. remove.bg and Canva are trademarks of their owners; Orcanva isn't affiliated with either.