Pixelcut API alternative
Pixelcut API alternative:
background removal at $0.002, not $0.05
Pixelcut charges 5 credits at $0.01 each for every background removal, so $0.05 per image with no free tier. Poof removes backgrounds from $0.002 per image, gives every account 100 free credits a month, and takes a plain multipart upload or an image URL.
- 25× cheaper per image. $0.002 on the Ultra plan vs Pixelcut's $0.05.
- 100 free credits every month. Pixelcut lists no free tier for its API.
- Image URL or file upload. Same inputs; the response is the PNG itself.
Why developers pick Poof over Pixelcut
25× less per image
Pixelcut's API is $0.01 per credit and background removal costs 5 credits, so $0.05 per image; AI shadows add 3 credits. Poof's Ultra plan is $0.002 per image ($99 for 50,000) and Mega is $0.0029 ($29 for 10,000).
A free tier, not a credit pack
Pixelcut's smallest pack is 1,000 credits for $10, which is 200 background removals. Poof gives 100 credits every month for free, at full resolution, with no card.
Same inputs, simpler output
Both APIs accept an image URL or a file upload with an API-key header. Poof returns the cut-out PNG directly in the response body, with processing time and matte confidence in headers, so there is no result URL to fetch afterwards.
EU company, GDPR compliant
Poof is an EU company and GDPR compliant. Your images are never used to train models, commercial use is allowed on every plan and no attribution is required.
Pixelcut API vs Poof
| Feature | Pixelcut | Poof |
|---|---|---|
| Background removal API | ||
| Price per image | $0.05 (5 credits × $0.01) | from $0.002 |
| Free tier | packs from $10 | 100 credits / month |
| Volume pricing | packs up to 1M credits ($10,000) | plans up to 200,000 images ($299) |
| Auth header | X-API-KEY | x-api-key |
| Upload a file | multipart image | image_file |
| Send an image URL | image_url | image_url |
| Send base64 | — | image_file_b64 |
| Image returned directly in the response | Accept: image/* | |
| AI shadows | +3 credits | |
| Crop to subject, margins / padding | ||
| Other APIs (upscale, generate background, try-on, video) | ||
| Python & TypeScript SDKs | — | |
| n8n, Zapier, Make, MCP integrations | — | |
| Max input size | 25 MB | 20 MB / up to 36 MP |
— no comparable figure or feature listed. Pixelcut figures from Pixelcut API page and Pixelcut remove-background reference, last checked 2026-09-18. Poof figures from our own pricing and docs.
Migrating from the Pixelcut API
Pixelcut takes an image URL (JSON) or a multipart upload and can return the image directly when you ask for Accept: image/*. Poof always returns the image; send the same URL or file to api.poof.bg with your Poof key.
curl -X POST https://api.developer.pixelcut.ai/v1/remove-background \
-H 'X-API-KEY: PIXELCUT_KEY' \
-H 'Accept: image/*' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"image_url": "https://example.com/product.jpg"}' \
-o cutout.pngcurl -X POST https://api.poof.bg/v1/remove \
-H 'x-api-key: POOF_KEY' \
-F 'image_url=https://example.com/product.jpg' \
-o cutout.png- Poof takes image_url, image_file or image_file_b64 as multipart form fields; there is no JSON body variant.
- Add format (png, jpg, webp), bg_color, size, crop and padding when you need them; Pixelcut's crop and margin options map to crop and padding.
- Processing time, dimensions and matte confidence come back in headers (X-Processing-Time-Ms, X-Image-Width, X-Matte-Confidence).
- Pixelcut's AI shadow option and its HEIC/AVIF input have no Poof equivalent; convert those formats to PNG, JPEG or WebP first.
Full parameter reference in the API docs, or see the background removal API overview.
Price comparison
Pixelcut at its published 5 credits × $0.01 = $0.05 per image against the Poof plan that covers the volume. All figures are per month.
| Images / month | Pixelcut | Poof |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 | $100 | $9 (Pro) |
| 10,000 | $500 | $29 (Mega) |
| 50,000 | $2,500 | $99 (Ultra) |
| 200,000 | $10,000 | $299 (Giga) |
Every Poof plan includes full-resolution output and commercial use; from $0.002 per image on the Ultra plan. View full pricing
When Pixelcut is the better choice
Poof does one thing. If you need these, Pixelcut may fit better.
You need AI shadows or generated backgrounds
Pixelcut can add an AI shadow to the cut-out (+3 credits) and offers a Generate Background endpoint. Poof returns the cut-out only.
You use the rest of the Pixelcut API
Image upscaling, virtual try-on, outpainting and video background removal share the same credit pool. Poof only removes backgrounds from still images.
You prefer pay-as-you-go credit packs to subscriptions
Pixelcut sells credit packs from $10. Poof plans are monthly or yearly subscriptions with top-ups; the free plan has no subscription at all.
You send HEIC or AVIF straight from devices
Pixelcut accepts HEIC and AVIF input. Poof accepts PNG, JPEG and WebP.
Pixelcut alternative FAQ
How much does the Pixelcut background removal API cost?
Pixelcut's API page lists $0.01 per credit with packs from 1,000 credits ($10) to 1,000,000 credits ($10,000), and background removal at 5 credits per operation, which is $0.05 per image. Adding AI shadows consumes 3 more credits. No free tier is listed for the API. Figures checked 18 September 2026 on pixelcut.ai/api.
How does Poof's pricing compare to Pixelcut's?
Poof's Ultra plan is $99 for 50,000 images, which is $0.002 per image, 25 times less than Pixelcut's $0.05. At 10,000 images a month Pixelcut costs $500 in credits and Poof's Mega plan is $29. Every Poof account also gets 100 free credits a month with no card.
Can I send Pixelcut-style image URLs to Poof?
Yes. Poof accepts image_url as a multipart form field, alongside image_file uploads and image_file_b64. The response is the processed image itself, so there is no separate result URL to download.
See the Poof API referenceDoes Poof have a free tier?
Yes. Every account gets 100 production credits a month at full resolution with no credit card. You can also test in the playground without an account.
Open the playgroundDoes Poof support AI shadows or background generation?
No. Poof removes the background and returns a transparent PNG (or JPG/WebP with a solid colour). If you need generated shadows or backgrounds, Pixelcut or Photoroom cover that.
Does Poof use my images for anything else?
No. Images are only processed to fulfil your request and are never used to train models. Poof is an EU company and GDPR compliant; the privacy policy describes how images are handled. Commercial use is allowed on every plan, with no attribution required.
Try Poof next to Pixelcut
100 free credits every month, no credit card required. Run your own images through both and compare.