New
AI video background remover API
Upload a clip, get it back with the background gone. Choose a video with a transparent background, a green-screen video or a black-and-white mask, with the sound untouched. Works on people, products, animals and objects, no green screen needed.
See it on real footage
Drag the handle on any clip. Every one went through Poof exactly as shot: no green screen, no masks drawn by hand, no clean-up afterwards.
Shown at reduced size. The API returns up to 1080p with the original frame rate and sound.
How to remove the background from a video
Three steps from your code, with the API key you already have. No green screen, no masks to draw, no editor in the loop.
Upload a video
Send the file (up to 100 MB) or a link to it (up to 500 MB) and pick the output you want: transparent, green screen or mask. You see the length and the price straight away.
Poof removes the background
Every frame is cut out by the same AI that powers the image API, then smoothed across time so edges stay steady instead of flickering. Check progress as often as you like; it is free.
Download the result
A direct download link to the finished video, no API key needed. Links stay live for 24 hours.
Three calls: upload, wait, download
With the Python or TypeScript SDK, or plain HTTP from any language.
# pip install poofbg
from poof import Poof
client = Poof(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
# 1. Upload (transparent WebM is the default)
job = client.remove_background("clip.mp4", format="webm")
print(f"{job.duration_seconds} s of video, {job.credits} credits")
# 2. Wait, with free progress checks
job = client.wait_for_job(job, on_progress=lambda j: print(f"{j.progress:.0%}"))
# 3. Save
client.download(job, "no-bg.webm")No code needed
Not writing code today? The same video background remover is one click away in your Poof dashboard and one sentence away in your AI assistant.
Studio in your dashboard
Drop a video into Studio, pick transparent, green screen or mask, and watch it process. Preview the result right there, download it, and find it again in your history for 30 days.
- MP4, MOV or WebM up to 100 MB, straight from your browser
- Progress bar while it runs, preview when it is done
- Same credits as the API, so your free seconds work here too
In Claude, ChatGPT and other AI agents
Poof is in the Claude connector directory and the ChatGPT apps directory. Connect it once and ask your assistant to remove the background from a video you link to; it hands you the download.
Claude on the web, in the desktop app or on your phone.
- Open claude.ai/directory/poof, or go to Settings, then Connectors, and search for Poof.
- Click Connect and sign in to your Poof account when asked.
- Ask: “Remove the background from this video: <link>”.
Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code and any other MCP client connect to https://api.poof.bg/mcp. Setup guide for every client
For developers
Everything you need to wire video into your product. Authentication, errors and request IDs work as they do for images; the full reference lives in the docs.
https://api.poof.bg/v1/removemultipart/form-dataPoof detects whether you sent an image or a video from the bytes. An image comes back in the response; a video comes back as a job with a progress link. The image-only fields crop, padding, width, height and fit are rejected with a 400 validation_error on video.
Request Parameters
fileone requiredImage or video file. Video: MP4, MOV, WebM, M4V or MKV, up to 100 MB and 5 minutes. Poof detects the media type from the bytes.
urlone requiredHTTPS URL of the video, fetched server-side. Up to 500 MB.
formatoptional'webm' (default), 'mov' or 'mp4'. MP4 has no alpha channel, so the subject is composited onto bg_color. See the output formats table.
channelsoptional'rgba' (default, transparent background), 'rgb' (subject composited onto bg_color) or 'alpha' (grayscale matte video, no audio).
bg_coloroptionalBackground colour whenever the output has no alpha (format=mp4 or channels=rgb): hex, rgb() or CSS name. Default white. Pass #00FF00 for a green screen.
sizeoptionalOutput size preset, same values as the image API: 'preview', 'medium', 'hd' or 'full' (default). 'full' is the source resolution capped at 1080p.
Response
{
"id": "job_8f3a1c2e9b7d4a10",
"status": "queued",
"progress": 0,
"created_at": "2026-10-12T10:12:00Z",
"started_at": null,
"completed_at": null,
"duration_seconds": 12.4,
"fps": 29.97,
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080,
"frames": 372,
"credits": 65,
"format": "webm",
"channels": "rgba",
"status_url": "https://api.poof.bg/v1/jobs/job_8f3a1c2e9b7d4a10",
"result_url": null,
"expires_at": null,
"error": null,
"stats": null
}Errors: missing_image (400), video_too_long (400), validation_error (400), payment_required (402), video_too_large (413), invalid_video (422), rate_limit_exceeded (429).
/v1/jobs/{id}The same job object. status is queued, processing, completed or failed; progress runs from 0 to 1, and error explains a failure.
Poll every few seconds. Free, exempt from the rate limit. Unknown ids return 404 job_not_found.
result_urlOnce the job is completed, result_url is a direct https://cdn.poof.bg/... link to the finished file, served with the matching Content-Type and a Content-Disposition: attachment header. No API key needed.
Valid for 24 hours after completion; expires_at gives the exact time. Free.
Works with your existing key and credits
If you already remove image backgrounds with Poof, video needs no new account, key or billing setup. The options you know (format, channels, bg_color, size) mean the same thing; only the format values change to webm, mov and mp4. bg_color fills in whenever the output has no transparency, white by default.
Transparent video, green screen or mask
Get a video with a transparent background for the web (WebM) or for your editor (ProRes MOV), a green-screen MP4 that works in any tool, or a black-and-white mask (an alpha channel video) if you do your own compositing. Frame rate, length and aspect ratio always stay the same; resolution is the source, up to 1920×1080.
| Format | Transparent (default) | On a colour | Mask only | Audio | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
webmvideo/webm | VP9 with transparency | VP9 on your colour | VP9 black-and-white mask | Opus none for alpha | Web, HTML5 video, Chrome and Firefox |
movvideo/quicktime | ProRes 4444 with transparency | ProRes 422 on your colour | ProRes black-and-white mask | AAC none for alpha | Premiere, Final Cut, After Effects, DaVinci |
mp4video/mp4 | H.264 on your colour (MP4 has no transparency) | H.264 on your colour | H.264 black-and-white mask | AAC none for alpha | Green screen for any editor, social video |
MP4 cannot hold transparency, so MP4 output always sits on a background colour of your choice. Pick green and you have a green screen.
Max duration
5 min
Max input size
100 MB upload · 500 MB by URL
Max output
1080p (1920 longest side)
Works best with
The model separates the main subject from everything behind it. Here is what that means for your footage, based on our tests on real clips.
Best results
- A clearly separated main subject: a person, product, animal or object in front of the background.
- Steady lighting without strong flicker or fast exposure changes.
- Source footage up to 1080p. Larger inputs are downscaled to 1080p.
- Talking heads, product spins, demos, pets and hands, with or without camera motion.
Good to know
- Burned-in captions, logos and overlays are treated as foreground and kept in the output.
- Crowds, or people only partly visible at the edge of the frame, may be dropped in favour of the main subject.
- Edges are smoothed over time so they do not flicker; very fast motion can still wobble a little from frame to frame.
- You cannot drop in a new background yet: place the transparent file over one in your editor, or use the green-screen MP4.
Pricing
5 credits per second of video, from the same credit pool as images. 1 credit is 1 image or 0.2 s of video. Charged when the upload is accepted, refunded if processing fails.
A minute of video is 300 credits. Above 30 fps it is 600, because the GPU processes twice as many frames.
| Plan | Price | Credits / month | Minutes of video / month | Per minute of video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100 | 20 s free trial | free |
| Pro | $9/mo | 2,000 | 6.7 | $1.35 |
| Megapopular | $29/mo | 10,000 | 33 | $0.87 |
| Ultra | $99/mo | 50,000 | 167 | $0.59 |
| Giga | $299/mo | 200,000 | 667 | $0.45 |
Top-ups apply to video too. Image pricing stays at $0.002/image on volume plans. View full pricing
Poof vs other video background removers
Looking for an Unscreen alternative? Unscreen, remove.bg's video product, shut down in December 2025. The services that remain charge several times more per minute and are built around a web upload rather than an API.
| Feature | Poof | videobgremover.com | removebgvideo.com | VEED (via fal.ai) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per minute of video | $0.45–$1.35 | $2.50–$4.80 | $2.50–$4.80 | $0.48–$1.35 |
| Free trial | 20 s a month | — | — | — |
| Developer API with SDKs | — | |||
| Images and video, one account | — | — | — | |
| Transparent WebM for the web | — | — | — | |
| Transparent ProRes MOV for editors | — | — | — | |
| Green-screen MP4 with any colour | — | — | — | |
| Mask-only output | — | — | — | |
| Audio preserved | — | — | — | |
| Any subject, not only people | — | — | — | |
| Shared credits with the image API | — | — | — |
— no comparable figure or feature listed. Competitor prices are public list prices, September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Poof video background removal API.
How much does the video background removal API cost?
5 credits per second of source video, rounded up, so a minute costs 300 credits. Credits are the same ones the image API uses: 1 credit is 1 image or 0.2 s of video. That works out to $0.45–$1.35 per minute depending on the plan ($0.87 on Mega), against $2.50–$4.80 at videobgremover.com and removebgvideo.com, $0.48–$1.35 for VEED via fal.ai and $8.40 for Bria via fal.ai. Videos above 30 fps cost 10 credits per second because there are twice as many frames to process. Credits are charged when the upload is accepted and refunded automatically if processing fails; progress checks and downloads are free.
Is there a free trial for video?
Yes. The Free plan's 100 monthly credits cover 20 seconds of video, enough to run a real clip through every output format before you pay anything. No credit card required.
Do I need a separate account or API key for video?
No. Your existing Poof account, API key and credits work for video as they do for images: send the file or a link and pick a format. Nothing new to sign up for or learn. The developer docs cover the details.
Do I need a green screen?
No. Poof separates the subject from whatever is behind it, so footage shot against a wall, outdoors or at a desk works as well as a studio shot. It is a green screen alternative that also does the keying for you: ask for a green-screen MP4 if your editor expects one, or skip the green screen entirely with a transparent WebM or MOV.
Which output formats does the video API return?
Three file types: WebM (transparent, plays in Chrome, Firefox and Edge), MOV (ProRes 4444 with transparency, for Premiere, Final Cut, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve) and MP4 (H.264). For each you can keep the transparency, put the subject on a colour of your choice, or get a black-and-white mask for your own compositing. MP4 cannot hold transparency, so MP4 output always sits on a colour; choose green and you have a green-screen export.
Is the audio kept?
Yes. The original sound is carried over to WebM, MOV and MP4 outputs. Only the mask-only output is silent, because it is meant to be laid over your source clip.
What about frame rate, duration and resolution?
Frame rate, duration and aspect ratio are preserved exactly, so the output lines up frame for frame with your source. Output resolution is the source resolution capped at 1920×1080; larger inputs are downscaled with the aspect ratio kept. Limits are 5 minutes per video, 100 MB for uploads and 500 MB when you pass a URL. 4K output is not available yet.
Does it work on products, animals and objects, or only people?
Any subject. Video uses the same AI as the Poof image API, which handles people, products, cars, animals, hair and fur. It is not limited to portraits or talking heads, unlike tools built only for people.
Can I use the output commercially?
Yes. Everything Poof returns is yours: use it in products, ads, client work and anything you sell, on every plan including Free, with no attribution and no watermark. Your videos are only processed to fulfil your request and are never used to train models.
How do I know when my video is ready?
Videos take a little while, so the upload returns straight away with a job you can check on. Your code asks for the progress every few seconds (free, and it does not count against your rate limit) and gets a download link as soon as the clip is finished. The upload reply already tells you the duration, frame count and credit charge, so you can show that to your users at once. Most clips are ready in about their own running time.
How long are my videos and results stored?
Download links stay live for 24 hours after the clip is finished, then the file is deleted; the exact expiry time comes with the result. Your videos are only processed to fulfil the request and are never used to train models. Poof is an EU company and GDPR compliant.
Do the Python and TypeScript SDKs and the MCP server support video?
Yes. Give the SDK a video instead of an image (poofbg 0.3 and @poof-bg/js 1.2 or later), wait for it to finish and you get the download link, with progress reported along the way. Claude, ChatGPT and other AI assistants can remove the background from a video link through the Poof connector. Plain HTTP from any other language works too; the cURL example above is the whole flow.
Is there a free video background remover?
Every Poof account gets 100 free credits a month with no credit card, which is 20 seconds of video at full quality, every month. Use them from your own code, from an AI assistant, or in Studio in your dashboard, and pay per minute only above the free allowance.
Remove the background from your first video today
100 free credits a month, no credit card required. Your first 20 seconds of video are on us.
Get Your Free API KeyRemoving backgrounds from images too? See the image API.