snipmat
Log inSign up free

remove.bg alternative

remove.bg is closing. Here is the drop-in replacement.

snipmat removes backgrounds with the same request shape as the remove.bg API, gives everyone full resolution for free, and sells credits that never expire. Switching an integration is a base URL and a key. Switching as a person is opening the editor.

Get an API key — 50 free credits/monthTry the editor, no account

What remove.bg announced

  • The standalone remove.bg website will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET.
  • Pay-as-you-go credits expire at the same moment.
  • Background removal moves to Canva; API customers are pointed to Leonardo.Ai.

Source: the banner on remove.bg/pricing and remove.bg/api, read on 3 September 2026.

Migrate the API in two changes

Create a free account, generate a key under Settings → API keys, then change the host and the key. Everything else stays.

Before

curl -X POST https://api.remove.bg/v1.0/removebg \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_REMOVEBG_KEY" \
  -F "image_file=@product.jpg" \
  -F "size=auto" \
  -o no-bg.png

After

curl -X POST https://snipmat.com/api/v1.0/removebg \
  -H "X-Api-Key: sm_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -F "image_file=@product.jpg" \
  -F "size=auto" \
  -o no-bg.png

GET /api/v1.0/account returns the same credit structure as remove.bg's account endpoint. The full reference is on the API docs page, and the OpenAPI spec is machine-readable.

Parameter compatibility

remove.bg fieldOn snipmat
image_file / image_url / image_file_b64Same names, same precedence
sizeauto and every paid size name (medium, hd, 4k, full) return full resolution — free. preview, small and regular return a 0.25 MP preview
formatauto, png, jpg, webp, zip — zip is color.jpg + alpha.png, like remove.bg
channelsrgba or alpha (mask only)
bg_color, bg_image_urlSame
crop, scale ("80%"), positionSame; position is original or center
type, type_level, roi, crop_margin, add_shadow, shadow_type, semitransparencyAccepted and ignored without an error, the way remove.bg treats unknown fields. snipmat has no foreground-type hints or shadow synthesis.
Auth headerX-Api-Key, exactly as before (Authorization: Bearer also works)
ErrorsSame {"errors":[{"title","code"}]} shape and the same codes (auth_failed, insufficient_credits, rate_limit_exceeded, ...)
Response headersX-Credits-Charged, X-Width, X-Height, plus X-Credits-Monthly-Remaining and X-Credits-Balance

Side by side

remove.bg figures are from its pricing and API pages on 3 September 2026. Where snipmat is missing something, the table says so.

snipmatremove.bg
Full-resolution download on the free tier20 images/day1 trial credit; full-size exports need credits
Subscription$9/month: unlimited web images + 500 API credits$9/month for 40 credits
Credit packs100 for $9 up to 10,000 for $399, never expireFrom $3 for 3 credits; credits expire 1 Dec 2026
Free API allowance50 credits/month at full resolution50 calls/month at preview resolution
Price per image, cheapest tier4¢ (10,000-credit pack), 1.8¢ on ProCredit-based; larger outputs cost more credits
Maximum input32 MP / 25 MB50 MP (JPG, ZIP), 10 MP (PNG)
Interior holes opened automaticallyNot documented
BatchUp to 100 images, one ZIP; async via MCPVia desktop app
MCP server for AI assistants
Desktop and mobile apps, Photoshop plugin
Standalone service after 1 Dec 2026

What you gain, and what you give up

Gain

  • Full resolution free on the web and on every API plan
  • One credit per image at any size; packs never expire
  • Interior holes opened, backdrop color bleed removed from edges
  • Batch of 100 with one ZIP; erase/restore brush; before/after compare
  • MCP server so Claude, Cursor or VS Code can do the work
  • A service that is not shutting down in December

Give up

  • Foreground-type hints (type=person/product/car) and shadow synthesis
  • Inputs above 32 megapixels or 25 MB
  • Desktop and mobile apps and the Photoshop plugin: snipmat is web, API and MCP
  • Design templates and the wider Canva suite

Questions

Do I have to change my code to switch from remove.bg?
Two changes: the base URL (https://snipmat.com/api/v1.0/removebg instead of https://api.remove.bg/v1.0/removebg) and the key in the X-Api-Key header. Field names, size and format values, the error envelope and the credit headers are the same, so SDKs and integrations built for remove.bg keep working. Fields snipmat does not implement, such as type or add_shadow, are ignored rather than rejected.
What happens to credits I bought from remove.bg?
That is between you and remove.bg. Their pricing page says pay-as-you-go credits expire on 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET when the standalone site closes. snipmat credit packs never expire.
Is snipmat affiliated with remove.bg or Canva?
No. snipmat is an independent service. remove.bg is a trademark of Canva; it is named here only to describe compatibility and to compare plans as published on remove.bg’s own site on 3 September 2026.
Does the "size" parameter still cost more for bigger images?
No. Every image is one credit at any resolution. Passing size=full, hd, 4k or auto returns the original resolution; preview, small and regular return a 0.25 MP preview if you still want a small file.
How does the cutout quality compare?
snipmat runs BiRefNet with a post-processing pass tuned for products: fully enclosed holes (chainrings, lattices, vents) are opened instead of left solid, and edge pixels have the old backdrop’s color bleed removed. Try your own images in the editor with no account; the result you see is the file you get.
Where are images processed and how long are they kept?
On snipmat’s own servers, never used to train models, and deleted automatically: 7 days for anonymous jobs, 30 days for free accounts, 90 days for Pro. There are no ad or analytics trackers on the site.
Sign up freeSee pricing

remove.bg and Canva are trademarks of their respective owners. snipmat is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by either. Facts about remove.bg were read from its public site on 3 September 2026 and may change; the links above go to the source.