Removal cuts subjects out of JPG and PNG photos in the browser, with free low-resolution previews, credit-based HD downloads, a bulk uploader, desktop apps and a REST API for product and design workflows.
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Removal (branded Removal.AI on its official site) is a web-based AI background remover: you upload a photo, the service detects the subject and returns a cutout on a transparent, white or custom background. The vendor describes it as removing backgrounds instantly, fully automated and free.
The company calls itself an emerging online image background remover and photo editor software company, and its terms define the platform as a web-based photo editing application. Around the core uploader sit a free browser editor, an online bulk uploader, desktop apps for Mac and Windows, a Figma plugin and a REST API, all tied to one account and one credit balance.
The free tier is the first thing to understand. Anyone can process images without an account and download low-resolution results; full-resolution downloads cost credits, sold as packs valid for three years or as monthly subscriptions. Several official pages disagree on pack sizes, plugin support and commercial use, and those conflicts appear below in the sections they affect.
The batch routes are not interchangeable. The standard web uploader handles one image at a time and only takes JPG and PNG; the bulk uploader adds WebP and larger files but caps the number of images per upload and charges a different credit rate; the desktop app takes the largest folders but still sends every image to Removal's servers for processing.
Images that automation handles poorly, such as fine hair, transparency, reflections or unusual lighting, can be sent to a paid manual service where a person handles the clipping path, masking and retouching by hand. The homepage advertises a 24-hour turnaround for images handled by these professional editors.
A queued image can still be cancelled, but once processing has started it can no longer be stopped.
The pricing page adds "Removal.AI for Adobe Photoshop" and "API and Apps for Windows/Mac/Linux" to its feature list. Those two items conflict with the help centre, which routes Photoshop users to the API and lists only macOS and Windows installers.
Removal is free for low-resolution images of 0.25 megapixels and for personal uses. Without an account you get a preview and can download low-resolution results for any number of images. Signing up adds one free credit for a single high-resolution download. After that, each high-resolution download costs one credit.
| Option | Price range | Credits | Per-image rate | Billing and validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | No charge | None | Free | Low-resolution downloads only |
| Lifetime packs | $1.89–$1,499 | 3–13,000 | $0.63–$0.11 | One-time payment, credits usable within 3 years |
| Monthly plans | $5.99–$1,650 per month | 100–90,000 | $0.05–$0.01 | Renews monthly, cancel any time |
| High-Volume | Custom quote | 10,000+ images a month | Custom | Flexible credit and API rate limits |
Monthly credits roll over up to 5x the monthly budget and remain valid only while the subscription is active. Credits work the same way across the web tool, the desktop app and the API, so there is no separate API balance. The bulk uploader charges a flat 0.5 credit per image and deducts credits as soon as images are queued, while API accounts get 10 free preview credits per month by default. API preview calls return lower-resolution results and do not use paid credits. Subscribers on 7,500 or more credits a month pay only for images that meet their required quality level.
The help-centre FAQ gives different figures from the pricing table: it lists $1.89 for a single credit, $1,499 for 8,000 credits and $5.99 for 40 monthly credits, whereas the pricing page lists 3, 13,000 and 100 credits for those prices.
Beyond the listed tiers, the pricing page offers an unlimited plan by quote, described as unlimited credits with HD downloads without limits; no public price is shown for it.
The main reasons to look elsewhere are a native phone app, which the help centre says does not exist yet, and a Photoshop integration, for which the help centre points users to the API instead. The main reasons to stay are the free low-resolution preview, lifetime credits and one balance shared by web, desktop and API.
Yes for low-resolution results: previews and 0.25-megapixel downloads are free with no image limit. Full-resolution downloads need credits, and one free credit is given at sign-up.
No. There is no mobile app yet, but the website works in mobile browsers. Desktop apps exist for macOS and Windows.
No. The API uses the same credit balance as the web and desktop tools. Each account also gets 10 free preview credits per month for lower-resolution test calls.
Single uploads and their results are deleted within one hour. Images in the bulk uploader are kept for 7 days and then permanently deleted.
First-time purchases qualify for a 14-day money-back guarantee if fewer than 50 images were processed and the policy has not been used before. Coupon, customized and manual-service purchases are excluded.
