Remove an image background in your browser
This tool removes the background from an image and gives you back a transparent PNG — the subject is cut out and the background is erased, all on your own device. Pick Person mode for photos of people or Object mode for products, objects, and animals. Your image is never uploaded; only the AI model is downloaded (once) from a CDN, then everything runs locally.
How it works
The tool runs an open-source AI segmentation model directly in your browser through Transformers.js. It looks at your image, predicts which pixels belong to the subject, and uses that as a transparency mask so the background becomes fully see-through. You choose the model that matches your subject:
| Mode | Model | Best for | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person | MODNet (Apache-2.0) | People — portraits, headshots, team photos | ~26 MB |
| Object | U-2-Netp (Apache-2.0) | General subjects — products, objects, animals | ~5 MB |
Person mode gives crisper edges on people; Object mode handles non-human subjects that a person-only model would miss.
Because the model executes locally:
- Your photo never leaves your computer — nothing is sent to a server.
- After the first download, the model is cached and works offline.
- The result is a PNG with a real alpha channel, ready to place on any new background.
Steps
- Drop an image onto the upload area (or click to choose a PNG, JPG, or WebP file).
- Choose Person or Object to match your subject.
- Click Remove background. On the first run of each mode, the browser downloads that model — you'll see a progress percentage.
- Wait a few seconds while the subject is cut out.
- Preview the result on the checkerboard (which shows where the background is transparent).
- Click Download PNG to save the transparent cut-out.
Example: in Object mode, upload a product photo on a cluttered desk → download product-no-bg.png, the product on a transparent background, ready for a store listing.
Output format
The output is always a transparent PNG. Here is why, compared to the alternatives:
| Format | Transparency | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNG | Yes | Cut-outs, logos, overlays | Used here — keeps the removed background transparent |
| JPG | No | Photos with a solid background | Cannot store transparency; background would turn black/white |
| WebP | Yes | Web delivery | Smaller, but PNG is the most universally supported for cut-outs |
When to use this vs. a server tool
| Situation | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Sensitive or private images | This tool — the image never leaves your browser |
| No account / no upload wanted | This tool — fully client-side, free |
| People | Person mode (MODNet) — crisper edges on human subjects |
| Products, objects, animals | Object mode (U-2-Netp) — general salient-object cut-out |
| Thousands of images, automated pipeline | A server/API tool — batch throughput beyond one browser |
Tips for the best cut-out
- Match the mode to the subject — Person for people, Object for everything else.
- A single, well-lit subject, clearly separated from the background, cuts out most cleanly.
- If the first run feels slow, that's the one-time model download; the next image is much faster.
Everything here runs in your browser. Your image is never uploaded — that's the whole point.