AI Background Remover – Transparent PNG & White Background

AI Background Remover removes the background from images in bulk: paste image URLs and get a transparent PNG or WebP, or a JPG on a white background for Amazon and Shopify (or any color you choose), with a direct download link for every image.

$6 per 1,000 images ($0.006 each). You only pay for results: images that fail to download or process are listed in the output but not charged.

Why this background remover

• ✅ Bulk background removal: hundreds or thousands of images per run, via the Apify Console, API, schedules or AI agents
• ✅ A low-cost remove.bg alternative: $6 per 1,000 images, no subscription, no credits that expire
• ✅ Transparent PNG / WebP or solid background color (pure white #ffffff for marketplace product photos)
• ✅ Crop to object with adjustable padding, ready for product listings and catalogs
• ✅ Open-source AI models (IS-Net and U2-Net, Apache-2.0) – no third-party API, your images are processed on Apify
• ✅ Pay only for success: broken links and unreadable files are free

What you get

Field	Description
sourceUrl	The image URL you provided
status	ok or failed
outputUrl	Direct download link to the image without background
width, height	Size of the output image in pixels
model	AI model used (isnet-general-use or u2net)
processingSeconds	Processing time for the image
error	Reason, if the image failed

All result files are also stored in the run's key-value store, so you can download them in bulk.

Inputs

• Image URLs (required): direct links to JPG, PNG or WebP images, max 30 MB each.
• Output format: png (transparent), webp (transparent, smaller files) or jpg (solid background, white by default).
• Background color: empty = transparent. A hex color such as #ffffff puts the subject on a solid color.
• Crop to object + Padding (px): trim the empty space around the subject and add an even margin.
• AI model: isnet-general-use (default, best edges on hair, fur and product contours) or u2net (2–3x faster, softer edges). Same price.
• Max image size (megapixels): larger images are scaled down first (default 4 MP ≈ 2000 × 2000 px).
• JPG/WebP quality: 1–100, default 90.

Example input for white-background product photos:

{
  "imageUrls": ["https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1542291026-7eec264c27ff?w=800"],
  "outputFormat": "jpg",
  "backgroundColor": "#ffffff",
  "cropToObject": true,
  "padding": 40
}

Example output

{
  "sourceUrl": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1542291026-7eec264c27ff?w=800",
  "status": "ok",
  "outputUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/WeFBtMyT78L32euUm/records/nobg-00001.png?signature=...",
  "width": 800,
  "height": 533,
  "model": "isnet-general-use",
  "processingSeconds": 3.51
}

Use cases

• Product photo background removal for e-commerce: Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce listings
• White background for Amazon/Shopify main images, with crop-to-object for consistent framing
• Transparent PNG cut-outs for ads, banners, thumbnails and social media posts
• Profile pictures, team photos and ID-style portraits on a plain color
• Pet, car and real-estate photos for marketplaces and catalogs
• Automated pipelines with Make, Zapier, n8n, the Apify API or AI agents

Tip: first remove the background, then upscale the cut-out with our AI Image Upscaler to get sharp, high-resolution product images.

How much does it cost?

Images	Price
100	$0.60
1,000	$6.00
10,000	$60.00

Failed images are free. Processing takes about 3–5 seconds per image with the default model (1–3 s with U2-Net). With the Apify free plan's monthly credit you can try it at no cost.

Compared with remove.bg: remove.bg's API plans cost roughly $70–230 per 1,000 images depending on plan and volume (based on their public pricing at the time of writing; check their site for current prices). remove.bg uses its own proprietary model and often gives finer results on difficult hair and transparent objects. This Actor uses open-source models, which work very well for product photos, people, animals and cars at a fraction of the price.

FAQ

How do I remove the background from many images at once? Paste all image URLs into the input (or send them via API). Each image becomes one result row with a download link; all files are also in the key-value store.

Can I get a white background instead of a transparent one? Yes. Set backgroundColor to #ffffff (or any hex color). Choose jpg output for the smallest files – JPG always gets a solid background.

Is this a free remove.bg alternative? It is not free, but at $6 per 1,000 images it costs a small fraction of typical background-removal APIs, with no subscription. The Apify free plan's monthly credit covers several hundred images.

What image sizes are supported? Inputs up to 30 MB. Images are processed at up to 4 megapixels by default (configurable up to 16 MP); the output has the size of the processed image.

Which model should I choose? isnet-general-use (default) gives the cleanest edges. u2net is faster and fine for simple product shots on plain backgrounds.

How long are result files available? As long as the run's storage is retained on your Apify plan. Download them or copy them to your own storage for long-term use.

Use it with Claude, ChatGPT and other AI agents (MCP)

1. Add the Apify MCP server to your assistant (e.g. in Claude: Settings → Connectors → add https://mcp.apify.com, then sign in with Apify).
2. Ask in plain language. The assistant finds this Actor, runs it and works with the results.

Example prompts:

• "Remove the background from these 20 product photos and give me white-background JPGs cropped to the product."
• "Make a transparent PNG of this image: https://..."

You can also run it via the Apify API, on a schedule, or connect it to Make, Zapier, n8n and Google Sheets.

Pay per call with x402 – no account needed

AI agents can run this Actor and pay per call with x402 (USDC stablecoin payments over HTTP) through Apify's agentic payments – no Apify account or API key required. You pay the same pay-per-event prices listed above. Details: Apify x402 integration.

Notes

• Only process images you have the rights to use. Images are downloaded from the URLs you provide; no login or cookies are used.
• No face recognition or personal data extraction – the Actor only separates the foreground from the background.
• Models: IS-Net general use (DIS, Apache-2.0) and U2-Net (Apache-2.0) by Xuebin Qin et al., ONNX weights from the open-source rembg project (MIT). All allow commercial use.
• remove.bg is a trademark of its owner; this Actor is not affiliated with it.

More Actors from us: fast_data_asap on Apify – e.g. the AI Image Upscaler.