remove.bg is closing. What should sellers use instead?
remove.bg says its standalone website will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 and that its background removal is moving to Canva. For product photos, free alternatives include Stilllight’s free white background tool (no sign-up, no watermark), Adobe Firefly’s background remover (free with an Adobe account) and the cut-out tools built into iPhone and Mac. Canva’s one-click remover has been a Canva Pro feature.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Cost | Account | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stilllight free white background tool | Free, unlimited | Not needed | Product on pure white, exported as 2000×2000 square, 2400×1800 (4:3) or transparent PNG. Photo stays on your device. | Small, fast model: fine chains, hair, glass and cluttered backgrounds can come out rough. |
| Canva Background Remover (where remove.bg is moving) | Has been part of Canva Pro | Canva account | Sellers who already design listings and social posts in Canva. | Check Canva’s current plans; free accounts may not include it. |
| Adobe Firefly background remover | Free with daily allowance; paid plans for more | Adobe account | Transparent PNG cut-outs, uploads up to 50 MB. | Uses your daily free generations. |
| iPhone / iPad “lift subject”, Mac Preview | Free, built in | Not needed | Quick cut-outs offline (iOS 16+, macOS 13+). | Transparent cut-out only; you still need to place it on white and size it. |
| Photoroom | Paid plans from $7.50/month billed yearly (Pro) | Account | Batch editing, templates and AI backgrounds for larger catalogues. | Subscription cost if you only need a few images. |
| Stilllight AI editor | 3 free credits, then packs from $4.90 | Account | Re-rendering the shot with studio light, soft shadow and clean edges, or lifestyle and holiday scenes. | AI can change fine print and logos: compare with the real product before listing. |
Prices and plans checked on each provider’s website on 21 October 2026. They change often, so check before you buy.
Which one should you pick?
You just need a white main image
Use the free white background tool. It removes the background in your browser and gives you a centred product on pure white (#FFFFFF), ready for Amazon, Shopify or Etsy. Nothing to install, nothing uploaded.
You already pay for Canva
Stay in Canva. remove.bg’s technology is moving there, and you can design the rest of your listing images in the same place.
You need a transparent PNG on your phone
On iPhone, open the photo, touch and hold the product, then copy or share the lifted subject. On Mac, open the photo in Preview and choose Tools → Remove Background.
Your photo is messy or the product is fiddly
Jewellery chains, glassware and busy kitchen counters defeat most quick removers. Reshoot on a plain surface, or try the Stilllight AI editor, which redraws the whole shot instead of cutting it out.
How to get a clean cut-out with any tool
- Shoot on a plain surface with nothing else in the frame.
- Use soft daylight from a window, no flash.
- Fill the frame with the product, keeping a little space around it.
- Check the edges at 100% zoom before uploading, especially around handles, straps and chains.
- Follow your marketplace’s current image rules; Amazon, for example, asks for a pure white background on the main image.
Questions
When does remove.bg close?
The remove.bg website says the standalone site will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 at 9:00am CET, and that its background removal is moving to Canva. Check remove.bg’s own FAQ for what happens to credits, subscriptions and the API.
What is the best free remove.bg alternative for product photos?
For a simple product on a plain background, a free in-browser tool such as Stilllight’s free white background tool or Adobe Firefly’s background remover is usually enough. Stilllight’s tool needs no account, adds no watermark and also places the product on a pure white canvas sized for Amazon, Shopify or Etsy.
Is Canva’s background remover free?
Canva’s one-click Background Remover has been a Canva Pro feature. Check Canva’s current plans before relying on it.
Can I remove a background on my phone without an app?
On an iPhone or iPad with iOS 16 or later you can touch and hold the subject of a photo to lift it off the background, and on a Mac with macOS 13 or later Preview has a Remove Background command. Both give a transparent cut-out, not a sized white listing image.
What if the cut-out edges look rough?
Thin chains, hair, glass and busy backgrounds are hard for every quick remover. Reshoot on a plain surface, or use an AI editor that redraws the whole shot with clean edges and a soft shadow, then compare it with the real product.
Try the free white background tool
No sign-up, no watermark. Want lifestyle or holiday shots too? The AI editor gives you 3 free credits.