How to remove the background from a photo for free

28 October 2026 · 2 min read

A cut-out photo is behind half the product posts and profile pictures you see: the subject on a clean colour, a soft shadow, nothing distracting. Here's how to make one for free, and a few things that make the result look professional.

Remove the background

Open Remove a background and press the button. A page opens with your uploads beside it.
Drop your photo onto the page, or press Upload pictures.
Pick the photo and press Remove background in the bar.

The first time, your browser downloads the model that does the cutting, about 115 MB, and keeps it for next time. After that, each photo takes a second or two. The work happens on your computer, so the photo is never sent to a server, and there's no limit on how many you do.

Changed your mind? Restore in the same bar brings the original back.

Start with the right photo

The cutting is good, but it can't invent detail. You'll get the cleanest edges when:

The subject stands apart from the background: a dark bag on a light table, not a white mug on a white wall.
The edges are sharp. Motion blur and soft focus leave a fuzzy outline.
There's light all around. Strong shadows touching the subject can be read as part of it.

Hair and fur are the hardest part for any tool. Photos taken against a plain, contrasting wall come out best.

Give it a new background

A cut-out floating on white often looks unfinished. A few ideas that work:

A flat brand colour, with the subject large and slightly off-centre.
A soft gradient from a light tint of your colour to white.
A shadow under the subject: in the photo's Effects, turn on the shadow and lower it until it sits on the "floor".
A frame shape: drop the cut-out over a circle or an arch in your brand colour.

Or skip the design and download it as is: PNG, no background keeps the transparency, ready for a website, a marketplace listing or another app.