Background Removal API

The affordable, accurate background removal API for developers. Remove image backgrounds programmatically from $0.001/image — 200× cheaper than remove.bg.

Start for Free View API Docs

99.8% accuracy Under 2 seconds per image $0.001/image

How It Works

Send a single HTTP request with your image, get back a transparent PNG. No setup, no SDK required — works with any language or framework.

Get an API Key

POST Your Image

Send a multipart/form-data POST request with your image file.

Receive Transparent PNG

Get back a high-quality transparent PNG, in under 2 seconds.

Code Examples

Integrate the background removal API in minutes.

cURL

curl -fX POST https://api.poof.bg/v1/remove \
  -H 'x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -F 'image_file=@image.jpg' \
  -o no-bg.png

Python

# pip install poofbg
from poof import Poof

client = Poof(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

result = client.remove_background("image.jpg")
result.save("no-bg.png")
print(f"Background removed in {result.processing_time_ms} ms")

Node.js

// npm install @poof-bg/js
import { Poof } from "@poof-bg/js";
import { writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";

const poof = new Poof({ apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY" });

const result = await poof.removeBackground("image.jpg");
await writeFile("no-bg.png", Buffer.from(result.data));
console.log("Background removed in " + result.metadata.processingTimeMs + " ms");

API Reference

POSThttps://api.poof.bg/v1/remove

Request Parameters

image_filerequired

Image file to process (PNG, JPG, WEBP, max 20 MB)

formatoptional

Output format: 'png' (default), 'jpg', 'webp'

channelsoptional

'rgba' (default), 'rgb', or 'alpha' (mask only)

bg_coloroptional

Solid background colour: hex, rgb() or CSS name. Omit for transparent.

sizeoptional

'preview', 'medium', 'hd', or 'full' (default, up to 36 MP)

cropoptional

Crop to the subject: true/false or an aspect ratio like '1:1'

paddingoptional

Padding around the crop, e.g. '10%' (default) or '10%,7.5%'. Only with crop.

widthoptional

Output width in pixels (1–6000)

heightoptional

Output height in pixels (1–6000)

fitoptional

How to fit width/height: 'contain' or 'cover'

Headers

x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY

Pricing

Start free. Scale as you grow. No hidden fees.

Free

100 credits/month

Try the API, no credit card required.

Pro

$9/mo

2,000 credits/month

Perfect for indie hackers and small apps.

Mega

$29/mo

10,000 credits/month

Most popular — for production workloads.

Need more? View full pricing

Poof vs remove.bg

Same quality, 200× cheaper. Built for developers, not end-users.

Feature	Poof	remove.bg
Price per image	$0.001	$0.20
Accuracy	99.8%	99.5%
Free plan	✓	Limited
High-volume processing	✓	✓
No attribution required	✓	✓

remove.bg shuts down on 1 December 2026. Migrate before your workflows stop working. Read the remove.bg migration guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Poof background removal API.

Is Poof a free background removal API?

Yes. Poof offers 100 free credits per month — no credit card required. Sign up and start processing images immediately.

How does Poof compare to the remove.bg API?

Poof is 200× cheaper than remove.bg ($0.001 vs $0.20 per image), with 99.8% accuracy and processing under 2 seconds per image. Both support high-volume processing and require no attribution.

What image formats does the background removal API support?

The API accepts PNG, JPG, and WEBP image files as input. Output as transparent PNG, JPG or WebP, or with a solid background color of your choice.

Can I use the API for bulk or batch processing?

Yes. Poof supports high-volume background removal. Higher plans have higher per-minute limits (up to 200 requests/minute), making it suitable for e-commerce pipelines, SaaS integrations, and automated workflows.

What is the maximum image resolution supported?

Poof supports images up to 36MP (approximately 6K resolution), suitable for high-resolution product photography and professional image editing workflows.

How fast is the background removal API?

Poof processes an image in under 2 seconds. That makes it suitable for product pipelines, interactive editing tools, and e-commerce workflows.

Do I need to credit Poof when using the API?

No. Attribution is not required when using Poof's background removal API. You can integrate the output directly into your products and services.

Is there an SDK available for the background removal API?

Poof provides a standard REST API that works with any language, plus Python & TypeScript SDKs and n8n, Zapier, Make and MCP integrations. Code examples are available for cURL, Python, and Node.js. The API uses multipart/form-data with a single POST request to https://api.poof.bg/v1/remove.

Start Removing Backgrounds Today

100 free credits, no credit card required. Production-ready in minutes.

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