Background Remover — Remove Image Background Free, In Your Browser
Remove the background from a photo with an on-device AI model. The image never leaves your computer. Download a transparent PNG or fill a colour.
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This free background remover cuts the subject out of a photo using an open-source AI model that runs in your browser. The image is never uploaded, which is the difference between this and every service that asks you to send your photo to a server, and it means no account, no credits, no watermark and no expiry on what you download. The result is a transparent PNG, or the subject on any solid colour you choose.
The trade-off is honest and worth knowing: the first use downloads about 40 MB of model files, which the browser then caches, and a large photo takes a few seconds on a laptop and longer on a phone. Quality is good on people, products and animals against reasonably distinct backgrounds, and weaker on hair against a busy background or glass and smoke, where professional services with larger models still do better. For product shots, headshots and marketplace listings it is more than enough.
How to use
- Choose a JPG, PNG or WebP photo up to 15 MB. Photos with a clear subject and a distinct background work best.
- Press Remove background. On first use the model downloads (about 40 MB); the progress line shows it.
- Compare the original and the result on the checkerboard. Tick Fill background and pick a colour if you want a solid backdrop instead of transparency.
- Download the PNG. For a smaller file, run it through the image compressor afterwards (WebP keeps transparency).
Frequently asked questions
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The model runs on your device using WebAssembly; the only network activity is downloading the model files from IMG.LY's CDN on first use. After that you can disconnect and it still works. This is the reason to use this tool for photos you would not hand to a website.
Why does it take a while the first time?
The AI model is about 40 MB and is fetched once, then cached by your browser. Processing itself takes a few seconds for a typical photo on a laptop, more on a phone or for very large images. Later runs skip the download.
How good is the cut-out?
Very good on people, products, vehicles and animals against contrasting backgrounds; edges are clean and fine detail such as hair is handled reasonably. It struggles with hair against busy backgrounds, transparent objects, smoke and subjects that blend into the background. For those, a paid service or manual masking in an editor will do better.
Can I remove backgrounds in bulk?
One image at a time here. If you have hundreds of product photos to cut out consistently, that is a batch pipeline job with the same kind of model, which we build for e-commerce clients.
What output do I get?
A PNG at the original resolution with a transparent background, or, with Fill background on, the subject composited onto the colour you chose. Transparent PNGs can be large; convert to WebP with the image compressor if size matters.
Which browsers work?
Current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on desktop and mobile. The tool needs WebAssembly and OffscreenCanvas; some in-app browsers (inside social apps) lack them and show a message instead of failing silently.
Where on-device removal is the right choice
Anything confidential or personal: unreleased products, ID-adjacent headshots, family photos. Anything at volume where per-image credits would add up. Anywhere the internet is slow, since after the first download nothing is transferred. And any workflow where you want no account and no terms of service attached to your images.
Getting a cleaner result
Shoot or choose photos with the subject in focus and the background out of focus or plain. Avoid clothing that matches the background. Crop close to the subject first (the image cropper works) so the model spends its resolution on what matters. For product photography, a white or grey sweep behind the item gives a near-perfect cut-out every time.
Related free tools
- Image Compressor — Shrink images by quality or to a target size, optionally cap the dimensions, and download smaller JPG or WebP files. Batch, in your browser.
- Image Cropper — Crop images to any size or aspect ratio in your browser — square, 16:9, 4:3, or freeform.
- Image Converter — Convert between AVIF, HEIC, TIFF, PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, BMP and SVG. Most conversions never leave your browser.