Background Removal API for Developers

One REST endpoint to remove the background from any image or video. Everything you need to integrate it is on this page: parameters, response format, error handling, SDKs and code examples. From $0.002/image, with 100 free credits a month.

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Python & TypeScript SDKs Under 2 seconds per image From $0.002/image

No code? Try the free image background remover, no sign-up.

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 '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

filerequired

Image file to process (PNG, JPG, WEBP or a still GIF, max 20 MB). Send a video or an animated GIF here instead to use the video background remover.

urloptional

HTTPS URL of the image, fetched server-side, as an alternative to file. Base64 is accepted in file too.

formatoptional

Output format: 'png' (default), 'jpg', 'webp'. For video: 'webm', 'mov', 'mp4' or 'gif', see the video API.

channelsoptional

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

bg_coloroptional

Background colour: hex, rgb() or CSS name. Setting it fills the background, so the result is opaque; with channels=rgb or format=jpg and no bg_color the background is white. 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

100 images or 20 s of video

Try the API, no credit card required.

Pro

$9/mo

2,000 credits/month

2,000 images or 6.7 min of video

Perfect for indie hackers and small apps.

Mega

$29/mo

10,000 credits/month

10,000 images or 33 min of video

Most popular — for production workloads.

Need more? View full pricing

Poof vs remove.bg

Up to 100× cheaper, with the same inputs. Migrating? Read the remove.bg alternative guide.

Feature	Poof	remove.bg
Price per image	from $0.002	$0.20
Inputs	file, URL, base64	file, URL, base64
Output	PNG, JPG, WebP	PNG, JPG, ZIP
Video	WebM, MOV, MP4, GIF from $0.45/min	—
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 up to 100× cheaper than remove.bg (from $0.002 vs $0.20 per image at standard rates) and processes an image in under 2 seconds. It accepts the same file, URL and base64 inputs, so existing remove.bg integrations usually only need the endpoint and API key changed. remove.bg shuts down on 1 December 2026.

What image formats does the background removal API support?

The API accepts PNG, JPG, WebP and still GIF image files as input. Output as transparent PNG, JPG or WebP, or with a solid background color of your choice. Videos (MP4, MOV, WebM, M4V, MKV or an animated GIF) go to the same endpoint and come back as transparent WebM or MOV, a looping transparent GIF, or an MP4 on a colour.

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.

What does the background removal API return, and what are the error codes?

A successful request returns the processed image bytes (PNG by default) with a request ID header for debugging. Errors come back as JSON with a stable error code — for example authentication_error, invalid_image or rate_limit_exceeded — documented at docs.poof.bg/errors.

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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Need to remove the background from video too? See the video background remover API.