How to erase photo backgrounds using the best online tools

There are times when you’d like to remove the background in a photo, whether you want to replace it with something different or you just need the objects for another image.

You can utilize web apps within your browser for great results, or download amazing software that will turn you into a professional.

A background removal tool is either a feature embedded in more complex software or an app that is dedicated to detach an object and separate it from its background.

The tools recommended below are all great if you want to get rid of photo backgrounds so pick the right solution for your needs.

How do background removal tools work?

They are either manual tools, like the one from Photoshop, or special features that automatically detect objects in an image and create the cutout in an instant.

As you will see in our guide, there are modern tools (available online) that use artificial intelligence to detect the limits of objects with pinpoint accuracy.

However, when it comes to more difficult background removal tasks, you can always try a tool from our list including the best photo editing software that will provide more accurate tools.

And if you happen to work with photos but you need fast results, an automatic tool will do the job for you with satisfactory results.

How do I erase the background of a picture?

2. Use Adobe Spark online app

1. Go to the Adobe Spark online background remover website.
2. Click on the Upload your photo button.
3. You can now either drag and drop your image in the designated area, click the Browse your device or pick a sample photo.
4. As soon as you indicate the file, it will be uploaded, processed and you will see the final result.
5. You now need to click the Download button but you will need to sign-in in your account.
6. In the next window, you can either choose to Sign up or Sign in if you already have an account.
7. If you choose the first option, you need to fill some data in a dedicated form and click on the Create account button at the bottom.
8. Once you create the account or sign-in, you will automatically be prompted to select the desired location of the file and rename it as you wish.
9. After you download the file, you will see a dialogue inviting you to use the resulting image in a dedicated editor.
10. If you choose to go with the editor, you will find countless options to insert the background from your collection or select one from the library, to resize the object, to replace the brand and colors with your own and much more.

Separating your subject from the background is incredibly easy when using the Adobe Spark background remover online tool.

Moreover, it lets you remove even the most complicated backgrounds of an image with maximum precision. The above steps will show you how simple the procedure really is.

After you download the image in a transparent PNG format, you can place it in any other image you would like by using a photo editor.

And while we’re at the editor subject, as you have seen from our brief guide, you can also use the dedicated Adobe Spark online editor that features countless personalization tools.

You will be able to rebrand the image, upload your own background, modify the dimensions of the object, add effects and other objects, design assets and text for a complete overhaul.

Once you’re done, you can share the image on your social network, download it on your Google Drive or simply download it on your drive as a solid or transparent PNG, a JPG, or even a PDF.

Unfortunately, the background removal app is free for a limited time only so you should take advantage of it as soon as possible.

Let’s take a look at its most important features:

• Extremely easy to use
• Fast background removal in just 2 steps: upload and download
• Complex AI tool that quickly discerns different outlines
• Completely frere for a limited time
• Transparent PNG download

⇒ Get Adobe Spart online background remover

3. Use Remove BG online tool

1. Go to the Remove BG website and click on the Login / Sign up button from the top-right.
2. Now you can either log in with a Kaleido account or create a new one or go with the easier way of logging in with your Facebook or Google account.
3. Click on the Upload image button.
4. Once you pick the photo from your hard drive, the image will be analized and the background will disappear like magic.
5. Now you only need to download the result in a preview resolution or the original resolution, up to 25 megapixels.
6. You can also toggle to see the original image and see the transformation.
7. There is also the option to edit the image by clicking the Edit button and selecting Preview.
8. In the next window you will be able to apply a blur effect or change the background with a color or an image from the ones available in the library.
9. If you click on the Erase / Restore tab, you will be able to erase the object or restore the background in a certain region by using a brush.

Remove BG is a reliable online tool so it’s ideal for those quick tasks when you need a fast background removal.

However, if you go with a subscription, you can also do bulk action and process up to 500 images per minute, which is a pretty impressive number.

The processing of a file will cost you 1 credit, including the download and even if you got a free subscription, you will only have one credit to spend.

According to your needs, you can go for a monthly subscription on a set number of credits or you choose a pay-as-you-go method and buy a pack of credits.

As you could see from the steps above, the app is very easy to use but it only offers some basic editing tools to work with.

Some key features include:

• Clever AI
• Removes backgrounds 100% automatically
• Paste image or URL option
• Blur effect
• Fast results

⇒ Get Remove BG

4. Use Clipping Magic in your browser

1. Go to the Clipping Magic website in your browser and click on Create account.
2. You will be asked to provide an e-mail address and a password. Click on Create account after you complete.
3. Press the Pick Image to Upload button to select a picture to edit or just drag-and-drop it into the designated area on the left.
4. After processing the image, you will get the original photo on the left and the one with the background removed on the right. You only need to click the Dowload button to get your file.
5. Before downloading the result, you can also use a couple of editing tools in the top left corner of the screen. The plus and minus icons are for keeping and removing portions of the image by using a brush. There is also an eraser that can clear the markings and a cutting tool that is also dividing the markings like a knife.
6. To their right, you also have the Undo or Redo buttons and the zoom buttons that will help you handle the image properly.
7. After you click the Download button, you will be taken to the download page but you will also learn that you can only get a preview version and you need a subscription to download the high resolution version.

Clipping Magic is another web app for removing image backgrounds. However, you can’t save edited images to your hard drive without a monthly subscription.

Nevertheless, you can still utilize the tool without subscribing. Its interface is a little bit more rudimentary than the one from Remove BG but it does have a side-by-side viewing option.

That will help you see first-hand what are the consequences of your editing on the original photograph.

However, Clipping Magic doesn’t have the option of adding another background right from the web app, a thing that we consider to be a downside.

Some key features include:

• Auto-Clip AI
• Hair tools
• Keep and Remove features
• Paste image or URL option
• Intuitive interface

⇒ Get Clipping Magic

5. Use Canva

1. Go to Canva’s website and click on the Try Canva Pro Free for 30 days button.
2. You will be taken to the payment form where you need to complete your data and click on the Get your free trial button at the bottom. No money will be withdrawn from your account.
3. Click on the Create a design button from the top-right.
4. From the drop-down menu, select Edit photo.
5. Select the photo from your drive and click the Open button.
6. Select the Edit photo button.
7. Now you only need to click on the Effects tab on the top left and select the Background Remover tool from the left pane.
8. As you can see from our screenshot, the backgroung magically disappeared. You now have the options to erase and restore tools from the top left and once you make the final adjustments, you can click the Apply button from bottom-left.
9. Click the Download button from the top right corner of the screen, select the output format (PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG) and check below if you want to keep the transparent background, if you want to compress the file or save this download settings to use in the future.
10. Finally, hit the Download button below and select a target folder on your drive.

Canva is an online graphic design platform that is very popular among social media and online marketing professionals. With its drag and drop feature, it is easy and intuitive to use.

You can create designs from scratch or use a big variety of templates for different types of designs such as Infographics, Calendars, Book Covers, Banners, and social media posts.

While Canva doesn’t support .indd files yet, you can still find a way around it. If you convert your .indd files into pdf files you’ll be able to upload and edit them with Canva’s drag and drop tools.

Canva has both a premium and free option. The free version has a decent amount of features and you can use it to get familiarized with the designing experience. The pro version can be paid either yearly or monthly.

However, the Background Remover tool is only available with a subscription plan. However, as you have seen from our guide, you can select the 30-day period trial option for testing.

Canva is a powerful and inspiring image manipulation tool suited both for advanced and novice users.

Key features of Canva include:

• Text animations
• Can create a team to work together on a design
• Wide range of photo effects and filters
• Thousands of icons and other elements to enhance your design
• Pre-made templates 
• Photo straightener

⇒ Get Canva

How can I remove the background of a picture in bulk?

1. Go to the Clipping Magic dedicated bulk removal website and click on sign up for a Bulk Clipping plan. You will need a paid subscription in order to perform a bulk action in removing backgrounds from photos.
2. Once you’ve signed up for a paid plan that allows you to perform bulk actions, return to the app and you can either click on the Upload images button to select them from your drive or just drag and drop them in the designated area.
3. Once they are uploaded, you will be brought to the editor app which we already described how to use in step number 4 from our guide.

Not many online tools offer this bulk action function for removing the background from photos and this is usually a premium feature even for desktop applications.

As you’ve seen from this brief guide, you can do it with Clipping Magic, but you will need to sign up for a paid plan in that regard.

How can I remove the background from a video?

1. Go to the Unscreen dedicated website (it’s a dedicated video tool from Remove BG).
2. Click on the Upload Clip button.
3. Select the clip from your drive and wait for the app to process it. The bigger the video, the longer the processing time.
4. The result will be a preview with a transparent background, just like you’ve seen for the image processing.
5. However, you can add all sorts of backgrounds like images, plain colors, and even your own video by using the menu at the bottom of the preview screen.
6. Now you can select the download output option (GIF, animated PNG or single frames) and you can hit the Download button to get the file on your drive.

Unscreen is a great online tool to remove the background from a video but you should note that with the free version you will only get a few seconds of your video.

If you want to get the full-length video, HD resolution, and no watermark, you will need to process the video with the Unscreen Pro version.

Also, you can read our article including the best green-screen software. They also have background removing features that you might use.

Quick tips for background removal

➡ Pay attention to photo quality

If you’re going to use an automatic tool like the ones from our list above, make sure you use high-quality images.

Artificial Intelligence is a great feature but if the photo is blurry or unclear, even the best software will not be able to get the outlines of the objects you want to isolate.

➡ Enhance brightness and contrast

If you still need to work with a less inspired photo, try to adjust its brightness and contrast before attempting to remove the background.

Even if you’re using a manual tool, you will have a hard time doing a cutout in these conditions. You can also use specialized software to zoom images without losing quality to enhance the part you need.

As you can see in the screenshot above, even the Photo app from Windows 10 has an editing feature that comes with a clarity adjusting tool.

➡ Always check twice

After removing the background in an image, always check the original to see if the objects that you want to keep are complete.

Sometimes, the background removal tools can mistake some of the elements of your object with the background and remove them.

Before getting anything started, you need to know exactly what the volume of work and quality standards are.

If you work, for example, for a fashion catalog and you need to remove the background from 500 images per day, you will probably prefer an automatic tool and get a subscription for that volume of work.

Instead, if you have more complicated tasks but a lower volume, manual background removal will be the best choice for you.

We’ve had a pretty good experience with the automatic tools listed above. They are quick but the results are not always perfect for more complicated images so you should test them before engaging.

You can also utilize more general image-editing web apps to remove backdrops but their capabilities will be very limited.

Have you tried one of these online photo background changers? Let us know in the comments section below.