Start with one original image. Compare the edges, recreate the finishing touches, then move the rest of your workflow.
What is changing at remove.bg?
The remove.bg announcement gives a specific date: its standalone website will stop being available on 1 December 2026 at 09:00 CET. Background removal is moving into Canva, while the API documentation points to Leonardo.Ai.
If your usual task is to upload a photo, remove its background and download a usable image, Clearcut offers another place to do that. It is an independent service with its own account, engine and credit balance.
1. Bring the originals you want to keep
Start from the original photograph when you can. A small preview downloaded from another tool has already lost detail. Uploading it elsewhere cannot restore the pixels that are missing.
Keep your original files, approved cutouts and any brand backgrounds together before you switch. Clearcut does not import your remove.bg account, remaining credits, editing history or saved templates. Save what you need from the old workflow and follow remove.bg’s own account and billing guidance.
2. Try one image you actually use
Open Clearcut and upload a JPG, PNG or WebP, paste an image, or provide a direct image URL. Files can be up to 22 MB. Choose a photograph that represents your work: a product with handles, a portrait with loose hair, or a car with reflections.
Fast mode includes five free removals a day, up to 12 MP, without an account. The allowance is shared by browser/account and IP, and depends on available free capacity. This is a higher free resolution than the 0.25 MP described in remove.bg’s free plan, but it is a limited daily allowance.
After processing, use Compare to inspect the outline against the original. Check thin parts, holes inside objects and any material that should remain partly transparent. A similar interface does not mean the two engines will make the same choices.
3. Recreate your finishing touches
The main controls follow the task: Cutout refines the selection; Background adds a color, gradient or photo; Effects adds finishing effects; Adjust changes the image; Design adds text and layouts. Undo and redo let you compare edits without starting over.
Background replacement, brush refinement and shadows overlap with remove.bg’s core tools. One useful difference is where you finish: remove.bg describes opening Canva for some Effects, Adjust and Design work. Clearcut keeps its supported text, layout and color adjustments inside the editor.
Manual edits and repeat exports from the same image use no extra credits. Optional Smart Brush selections cost one credit; a generated scene costs 3. Fine detail background removal costs two credits. Choose those extras for a reason rather than applying them to every image.
4. Download, then build up to a batch
Choose PNG or WebP when you need transparency. Choose JPG for an image with a solid or photographic background. Save your result before leaving it: Clearcut image files expire after one hour.
When the first result meets your needs, try a small batch. Check a few different subjects before applying one background or layout to all of them. Export the finished set as a ZIP, keeping each batch within the current size and count limits.
You can make this move in stages. Keep your existing process for difficult images while you learn which Clearcut settings work for your photos. If you depend on a desktop app, Photoshop plugin or other native integration, read the comparison before switching; Clearcut currently focuses on its browser editor and API.
Start with your next image.
Create an account and verify your email to get 30 free credits every month: enough for 30 Fast images or 15 Fine images. Use them on the website or through the API.