# Cutout Labs > Remove image backgrounds online for free. Download full-resolution PNG, JPG, or WebP cutouts up to 16 MP with no watermark, no account, and 10-image batches. Cutout Labs offers a free web background remover, an HTTP API, and a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. The web editor sends an image or a resized proxy to the server for background removal; brush edits, background compositing, and exports happen in your browser. The web editor supports working images up to 16 megapixels, no account, no watermark, and batches of up to 10 images. The API requires a key and has separate input and quota limits. ## Docs - [Full documentation](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/llms-full.txt): API reference, MCP setup, and every guide in one plain-text file ## Standalone Web Studio & API - [Cutout Labs Web Studio](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/): Free online background removal up to 16 MP with drag-and-drop, Ctrl+V paste, URL import, and 10-image ZIP batches - [Free remove.bg alternative (standalone web & API)](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-bg-alternative): Standalone remove.bg shuts down on 1 Dec 2026 as it moves to Canva. Use Cutout Labs for free, no-account 16 MP cutouts, 10-image ZIP batches, and API migration. - [Background removal HTTP API (/v1.0/removebg compatible)](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/background-removal-api): Automate background removal over HTTPS with a POST /v1.0/removebg endpoint and X-Api-Key header. Built for catalog pipelines and remove.bg script migration. - [remove.bg API alternative: one-line switch](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-bg-api-alternative): The remove.bg API changes on 1 Dec 2026. Keep your /v1.0/removebg requests, swap the base URL and API key, and use Cutout Labs' compatible API free at launch. - [remove.bg shutting down on 1 December 2026: what to do](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-bg-shutting-down): The standalone remove.bg website closes on 1 Dec 2026 and its API moves to Leonardo.Ai. A dated checklist for web, API, and plugin users, with official sources. - [remove.bg API vs. Leonardo.Ai API: what changes when you migrate](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-bg-vs-leonardo-api): From 1 Dec 2026, remove.bg API background removal moves to Leonardo.Ai. Endpoint, request, response, pricing, and feature differences, from Leonardo's docs. - [Background removal API comparison: Leonardo.Ai, Photoroom, Clipdrop, Cutout Labs](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/background-removal-api-comparison): A dated, source-linked comparison of background removal APIs for remove.bg users: endpoints, remove.bg compatibility, free usage, and published pricing. - [All Background Removal Guides](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/guides): Technical workflows for product photos, transparent PNGs, hair edges, and AI segmentation ## HTTP API Quick Summary (`POST /v1.0/removebg`) - **Endpoint**: `POST https://api.cutoutlabs.com/v1.0/removebg` - **Authentication**: `X-Api-Key: ` header - **Account & Quota Check**: `GET https://api.cutoutlabs.com/v1.0/account` - **OpenAPI 3.1 spec**: https://api.cutoutlabs.com/openapi.json - **MCP server (Streamable HTTP)**: `https://api.cutoutlabs.com/mcp` with tools `remove_background` and `get_quota`; send the API key as `X-Api-Key` or `Authorization: Bearer` - **Input Fields**: `image_file` (multipart), `image_file_b64`, or `image_url` (up to 12 MB / 12 MP) - **Output Parameters**: `size` (`preview`, `medium`, `hd`, `full`, `auto`), `format` (`auto`, `png`, `jpg`, `webp`, `zip`), `channels` (`rgba`, `alpha`), `crop`, `crop_margin`, `scale`, `position`, `roi`, `bg_color`, `bg_image_url`, `bg_image_file` - **Migration from remove.bg**: Compatible request fields and endpoint path, with differences including a 12 MB / 12 MP input limit, no automatic foreground-type detection, and no car or 3D shadows. Review the [API reference](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/background-removal-api) and test your existing parameters before switching. ## Practical Guides & Technical Deep Dives - [Create and use a transparent PNG](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/transparent-png): Learn how PNG transparency works, export a cutout without a background, and avoid white rectangles when placing it in another design. - [Change image background color online (white, custom hex & PNG)](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/change-background-color): Change any image background color online for free. Replace photo backgrounds with pure white (#FFFFFF), custom hex colors, or gradients and download full-res PNGs. - [How to remove an image background online](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-background-online): Remove image backgrounds online up to 16 MP: see how phone photos are scaled, fix missing detail vs. leftover backdrop, and verify transparent PNGs. - [Remove the background around hair online](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-background-from-hair): Remove portrait backgrounds without losing fine hair: inspect soft transparency and troubleshoot missing strands, halos, and background color spill. - [How to fix rough edges after background removal](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/fix-background-removal-edges): Troubleshoot white halos, leftover background, missing details, and jagged cutout edges using source-image checks and erase or restore controls. - [PNG vs JPEG vs WebP for background removal](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/png-vs-jpeg-vs-webp): Compare PNG, JPEG, and WebP for transparent cutouts, product photos, and website images. Choose an upload format and avoid losing transparency on export. - [Put product photos on a pure white background](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/white-background-product-photos): Create a pure white product image with consistent framing for marketplaces and catalogs, and check the edges that white backgrounds expose. - [Make a transparent signature from a scan or photo](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/transparent-signature-logo): Prepare a signature scan, preserve faint pen strokes, test the PNG on a document, and understand why an image is not a verified electronic signature. - [Passport and ID photo backgrounds: check the rules](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/passport-photo-background): Check whether background editing is permitted for your passport or ID photo, what the 600-pixel preset actually changes, and when to retake the photo instead. - [Product images for Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/marketplace-product-images): Prepare one product cutout for three storefronts: a pure white Amazon main image, consistent square Shopify photos, and Etsy listings that fit thumbnails. - [How to remove the background from a logo](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-background-from-logo): Assess whether a raster logo can be cleaned up, distinguish white artwork from white background, and preserve lettering without promising a vector-quality result. - [Change your profile picture background](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/profile-picture-background): Create a clean profile photo for LinkedIn, Slack, Discord, or team pages: remove busy backgrounds, add a color or gradient, and frame for circular crops. - [How to blur a photo background](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/blur-photo-background): Create a portrait-mode look by blurring the original background behind a sharp subject, see where the effect works best, and avoid visible halo outlines. - [Put a new background behind a photo](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/add-new-background-to-photo): Place a cutout on your own background photo so it looks natural: match light direction and color, keep perspective believable, and avoid the pasted-on look. - [Remove backgrounds from several images at once](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/batch-background-removal): Process up to 10 images in one go, review each cutout, and download the finished set as a ZIP, with a routine that keeps product sets and team photos consistent. - [How AI background removal models evaluate edges](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/how-background-removal-models-work): Understand dichotomous image segmentation, soft alpha masks, how U²-Net, IS-Net, BiRefNet, and SAM differ, and why IoU and Dice scores explain cutout quality. - [Client-side mask upscaling for 16 MP cutouts](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/high-resolution-background-removal): Learn how a smaller upload proxy and local compositing support cutouts up to 16 MP, and why full-size exports still need edge inspection. - [Remove the background from car photos for vehicle listings](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-background-from-car-photos): Cut a car out of a street or driveway photo, decide what to do with windows and the ground shadow, and export a clean listing image on white, a color, or a new scene. - [Remove the background from clothing photos](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-background-from-clothing-photos): Cut jackets, shirts, and dresses out of hanger, mannequin, or flat-lay photos, remove hands and hangers, and catch the wall that hides between a sleeve and the body. - [Remove the background from pet photos](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-background-from-pet-photos): Cut a dog, cat, or other pet out of a photo while keeping fur, ears, and whiskers, then place it on a color or new scene for portraits, cards, and prints. - [Background removal MCP server for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/background-removal-mcp-server): Connect the Cutout Labs MCP server so an AI assistant can remove image backgrounds from URLs or local files. Setup for Claude Desktop, Cursor, and VS Code, with tool options and limits. - [Remove backgrounds from glass and transparent products](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/remove-background-glass-transparent-products): A practical guide to cutting out glass, bottles, and translucent packaging: what automatic removal can preserve, what it cannot reconstruct, and when to reshoot. - [Remove backgrounds from white products on white backgrounds](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/white-products-on-white-backgrounds): Prepare white shoes, clothing, packaging, and other light products for clean background removal without losing their edge detail, texture, or shape. - [Background remover vs. AI image generators: which to use for product cutouts](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/background-remover-vs-ai-image-generators): A segmentation tool hides background pixels and keeps the product's own; a generative image editor redraws the picture and can change logos, labels, and small text. How to tell which you need and how to check. ## Blog - [Can Gemini or GPT image models replace a background remover? We tested 50 photos](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/blog/ai-image-generator-vs-background-removal-benchmark): We ran 50 product and lifestyle photos through Cutout Labs, two Gemini image models, and two GPT image models. The AI image models were 2–7× slower, cost $39–68 per 1,000 images, and the ones that returned real transparency did it by redrawing the product. - [Where automatic background removal fails, and how to fix it: 33 tested requests](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/blog/background-removal-limitations-tested): We ran 23 photos through the Cutout Labs API to find where automatic cutouts go wrong: hands, competing subjects, plated food, cropped furniture, glass, mesh, motion blur, and low resolution. Each case shows the real result and a fix. - [The Ghost Hand Problem: Why AI Background Removers Strip Hands from Product Photos](https://www.cutoutlabs.com/blog/why-ai-background-removers-strip-hands): Why background removal can omit the hand holding a product, how foreground ambiguity contributes, and what developers can try. ## Frequently Asked Questions - **Is Cutout Labs free?** Yes. Removing backgrounds and downloading the full-resolution result is free, with no account and no watermark. - **What images can I upload?** Non-animated JPG, PNG, or WebP images up to 25 MB and 40 megapixels. Images larger than 16 megapixels are scaled to 16 megapixels in your browser, and the download uses that size. - **Do you store my images?** No image library is kept. Your image is sent to the removal service, processed in memory, and the result is returned to your browser. Backgrounds, resizing, and downloads happen on your device. - **Can I remove backgrounds from several images at once?** Yes. Add up to 10 images at once by selecting or dropping them together, switch between them, and download all finished cutouts as a ZIP. - **Which formats can I download?** PNG keeps transparency. JPG and WebP are smaller; JPG always uses a solid background. PDF suits print and documents and keeps transparency. You can also copy the cutout straight to your clipboard. - **Is Cutout Labs a standalone alternative now that remove.bg is moving to Canva?** Yes. With the standalone remove.bg website closing on 1 December 2026, Cutout Labs offers a dedicated, single-purpose browser remover where you can drop, paste (Ctrl+V), or batch-process up to 10 images and download full-resolution cutouts without a design suite account. - **Is there an API?** Yes. Cutout Labs provides an HTTP API with a /v1.0/removebg endpoint and X-Api-Key authentication. Visit the API page to request a free key.