remove.bg is moving into Canva. Is it still free?
Not on Canva's free plan. When remove.bg's website closes on December 1, 2026, its background removal lives on as Canva's Background Remover, which Canva includes with its paid plans. If you used remove.bg for a quick free cut-out, here's what changes, when Canva is worth it, and where to go if it isn't.
Canva's Background Remover at a glance
- Plan
- Paid plans only, not Canva Free
- Account
- Needed: it works inside Canva's editor
- Photo size
- Under 9 MB; no vector images
- Resolution
- Photos over 10 megapixels are scaled down to 10 megapixels
- Price
- Varies by country and plan; see Canva's pricing page
What's changing
Canva bought remove.bg in 2021 and is now closing its standalone website. In remove.bg's words, it's "migrating remove.bg's background removal functionality into the Canva platform." remove.bg itself names Canva as the best replacement for single images and batches, and sends API users to Leonardo.Ai.
For most people that means three changes:
- A paid plan. remove.bg let anyone remove a background for free and paid only for full-size downloads. Canva's help center says its Background Remover "is included with paid plans."
- An account and an editor. Instead of a single upload page, you sign in, open a design, add your photo and edit it there.
- A size limit. Canva says the tool "only works for photos under 9MB", and photos over 10 megapixels "will also be downscaled to 10MP after removing its background." A 24-megapixel camera photo comes back at less than half its pixels.
When Canva is the right choice
To be fair to Canva: if you already pay for it, its Background Remover is a good deal, because the cut-out lands straight in your design. It suits you if you:
- already have a paid Canva plan, or your team does;
- make social posts, thumbnails, flyers or listings in Canva anyway;
- want to drop the cut-out onto a template, add text or remove backgrounds from videos too.
When it isn't
- You only want a transparent PNG and don't need a design tool.
- You don't want another subscription for a few cut-outs a month.
- Your photos are over 9 MB, or you need more than 10 megapixels back.
- You'd rather not create an account at all.
That's what iLoveRemoveBG is for. It works the way remove.bg's website did: add a photo, download the result. It's free for up to 50 pictures a day, with no account and no watermark.
remove.bg vs Canva vs iLoveRemoveBG
| remove.bg (until Dec 1, 2026) | Canva Background Remover | iLoveRemoveBG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free previews, credits for full size | Paid plans | Free, 50 pictures a day |
| Account | Needed for full size | Needed | Not needed |
| Where you work | Upload page | Design editor | Upload page |
| Largest photo | Results up to 50 MP (per its API page) | Under 9 MB, result up to 10 MP | Up to 30 MB, result up to 4096 px on the long side |
| Designs, text, video | Background colours and photos | Yes, all of Canva | Background colours only |
| After Dec 1, 2026 | Closed | Available | Available |
How to remove a background in Canva
- Sign in to Canva on a paid plan, or start a free trial if your account still has one.
- Create or open a design, then upload your photo and add it to the page.
- Select the photo, click Edit, and choose BG Remover.
- To keep the background see-through, download the design as a PNG and tick Transparent background.
The free way, with Canva or without it
You can also cut the photo out first and bring the result into Canva Free, which handles transparent PNGs fine:
- Go to iloveremovebg.com and add your photo (upload, drag and drop, or paste).
- Wait a few seconds, then click Download PNG.
- Upload the PNG to Canva and place it in your design, or use it anywhere else as it is.
Frequently asked questions
Is remove.bg free in Canva?
No. Canva's Background Remover, where remove.bg's technology is going, is included with Canva's paid plans, not with Canva Free.
Do I need a Canva account to use remove.bg after December 1, 2026?
Yes. remove.bg's own website closes on December 1, 2026, and its background removal lives on inside Canva's editor, which needs a Canva account and a paid plan.
What are the limits of Canva's Background Remover?
Canva says it works on photos under 9 MB, not on vector images, and that photos over 10 megapixels are scaled down to 10 megapixels after the background is removed.
Is there a free alternative to remove.bg that doesn't need Canva?
Yes. iLoveRemoveBG (iloveremovebg.com) is free for up to 50 pictures a day, with no account and no watermark. You upload a photo and download a full-resolution transparent PNG. It isn't affiliated with remove.bg or Canva.
Still holding remove.bg credits? See what happens to your remove.bg credits.
Sources
- Canva Help Center: Remove photo and video backgrounds: paid plans, the 9 MB and 10 MP limits
- Canva pricing: current plans and prices for your country
- remove.bg FAQ: the move into Canva and the shutdown date
Details are as published by Canva and remove.bg on October 5, 2026. Canva changes its plans from time to time; check its help center for the latest.