Leonardo.ai
The official successor to remove.bg's self-service API. Leonardo.ai offers synchronous and asynchronous background removal through its Remove bg model.
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What Leonardo.ai does
Leonardo.ai is the official route for self-service remove.bg API users after 1 December 2026. Its Remove bg model supports a synchronous request for a single image and an asynchronous flow for larger pipelines. You need a new Leonardo account and API key; remove.bg credentials do not transfer. API credit is purchased separately from Leonardo's web subscriptions. Leonardo offers a free web plan, but its pricing information does not state a free allowance for the background-removal API. See the migration guide before changing production workflows. Sources: https://leonardo.ai/news/removebg-api-leonardo and https://docs.leonardo.ai/docs/remove-bg (checked 2026-09-23).
Leonardo.ai features
- Official successor for remove.bg self-service API users
- Synchronous and asynchronous background removal requests
- PNG, JPG, and WebP output options
- Separate API credits and API key from Leonardo web plans
Who Leonardo.ai is for
- Developers migrating automated remove.bg background removal
- Teams that need sync requests or async pipeline processing
Leonardo.ai FAQs
Does Leonardo.ai's free web plan include the background removal API?
No free API allowance is stated. Leonardo says API credit is purchased separately from web subscriptions and background removal is not included in unlimited web plans.
Can I keep my remove.bg API key?
No. Leonardo says you need a new account and API key, and its migration guide explains the endpoint and request changes.
Leonardo.ai vs remove.bg
How Leonardo.ai compares with remove.bg on the parameters that matter for choosing a background removal tool.
| Parameter | Leonardo.ai | remove.bg (until 1 Dec 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | API credit purchased separately | $0.22/image |
| Free tier | Not stated | Free previews until 1 Dec 2026 |
| Free output resolution | Not stated | 0.25 MP (~626 x 417 px) |
| Processing | Uploaded to servers | Uploaded to servers |
| Watermark on free output | Not stated | No (lower resolution) |
| Batch processing | Not stated | Yes |
| API | Yes (sync and async) | Yes |
| Signup required | Yes (new Leonardo account and API key) | Yes |
Verdict: Choose Leonardo.ai to continue automated background removal after remove.bg's self-service API closes on 1 December 2026.
remove.bg's standalone website and self-service API close on 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET. Web users can move to Canva; API users can move to Leonardo.ai; Photoshop plugin users can move to Affinity, whose background remover needs Canva Pro. Shutdown FAQ. remove.bg values checked 2026-09-23 · Leonardo.ai values checked 2026-09-23 · Source
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