Algo AI 360remove.bg Is Moving to Canva on December 1, 2026
Canva or Cutout?
The short answer
remove.bg's standalone website closes on 1 December 2026 at 9:00am CET. Background removal moves into Canva, the API moves to Leonardo.ai, and unused pay-as-you-go credits expire that day. The desktop app and the Photoshop plugin go too. Before the deadline: spend your credits, download what you need, export your invoices, and pick a replacement that fits how you actually work.
If you sell products online, there's a good chance remove.bg has been part of your listing routine for years. Upload, cut, download, repeat. remove.bg has now confirmed that the standalone service is ending. In their own words:
"The standalone website will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 at 9:00am CET."
remove.bg FAQ
This isn't a price change you can shrug off. Your workflow, any credits you've bought, and the tools you've wired into it all have a deadline. Here's what's changing, what to do before it happens, and how to pick a replacement without paying for something you don't need.
What exactly is changing
Everything below comes from remove.bg's FAQ as of October 12, 2026. Check it again before you act, because these details can change.
| What you use | What happens |
|---|---|
| remove.bg website | Unavailable from 1 Dec 2026, 9:00am CET. Background removal moves to Canva. |
| Pay-as-you-go credits | Any unused credits expire on 1 Dec 2026. |
| Subscriptions | Keep working until 1 Dec 2026, then end automatically. Any final renewal on or after 1 November is free; unused annual time is refunded pro-rata. |
| Desktop app | Retired. remove.bg points users to Canva's bulk background removal. |
| Photoshop plugin | Not available after 1 Dec 2026. remove.bg suggests Affinity (also part of Canva). |
| Self-service API | Moves to Leonardo.ai. Enterprise API contracts aren't affected. |
| Your account data | Accessible until 1 Dec 2026, 9:00am CET. |
Your checklist before December 1
- Spend your credits. remove.bg says unused pay-as-you-go credits expire on 1 December, so put them to work on your next batch of listings now.
- Download what you'll need again. Keep your finished transparent PNGs and, more importantly, your original photos. With the originals you can redo any image in any tool later.
- Export invoices and usage records from your account page, for your bookkeeping. They won't be reachable after the cutoff.
- Check any integrations. If a script, plugin or app calls remove.bg for you, find out what replaces it before it stops working mid-listing.
- Choose your replacement now, not on November 30 with a stack of photos waiting.
Your realistic options
There's no single "right" replacement. It depends on how you work. Here's an honest map:
Canva: if you already design there
This is remove.bg's official path, and it uses the same technology. If you already build your graphics in Canva, removing backgrounds inside your design saves a step, and remove.bg says Canva offers bulk background removal for batches. Two things to know: Canva's help center says its background remover "is included with paid plans," so check Canva's pricing; and it's a web and cloud workflow, so your photos are uploaded. If you rely on batches, test how Canva handles a full folder of your own photos before December 1.
Affinity: if you edited in Photoshop
For professional, hands-on editing, remove.bg suggests Affinity, which it says is free and includes remove.bg's background-removal technology. Good for retouchers working image by image.
Leonardo.ai: if you're a developer using the API
Self-service API users are being moved to Leonardo.ai. If your shop or app calls an API, follow remove.bg's migration guide.
Free web tools: if you only do a few images
For the occasional photo, a free tier from Photoroom, Pixelcut or Adobe Express is plenty. No need to buy anything.
A desktop app: if you list products in volume
If you used the remove.bg desktop app, or bought credit packs because you process lots of photos, the question is whether you want another monthly plan at all. A one-time desktop app runs on your own PC, works offline, and has no per-image meter. That's the gap Cutout fills: point it at a folder and it cleans every photo, sizes each one for Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Shopify and more, and checks your main image against Amazon's white-background rules before you upload.
How to choose in one question
How many photos do you process in a typical month? A handful: use a free web tool. You design everything in Canva anyway: follow remove.bg to Canva. You're a developer: Leonardo.ai. You list products regularly and you're tired of credits and subscriptions: a one-time desktop tool pays for itself, and your photos never leave your computer.
Also useful: remove.bg desktop app alternative for Windows · remove.bg vs Canva vs Cutout for product photos · Cutout user manual
FAQ
When does remove.bg shut down?
According to remove.bg's FAQ, the standalone website will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 at 9:00am CET. Background removal moves to Canva and API access to Leonardo.ai. Enterprise API contracts aren't affected.
What happens to my unused remove.bg credits?
remove.bg's FAQ says any unused pay-as-you-go credits expire on 1 December 2026, and recommends using them before then.
Is there a replacement for the remove.bg desktop app?
remove.bg points desktop users to Canva's bulk background removal. If you'd rather keep a tool on your own Windows PC that works offline with no account or credits, a desktop app such as Cutout ($49 one-time) does that.
What happens to the remove.bg Photoshop plugin?
It won't be available after 1 December 2026. remove.bg suggests Affinity, which is also part of Canva.
Is Cutout a full replacement for remove.bg?
For sellers cleaning up product photos in batches on Windows, yes. It isn't for everyone: it has no API, it doesn't run on Mac or phones, and very fine hair or glass can need a quick touch-up. We'd rather you know that before you buy.