How it works

We want you to know exactly what happens when you use BadBG. No black boxes. No mystery "AI magic." Just a good open-source model running where it makes sense.

Three processing tiers

Fast

Free

Model: BiRefNet Lite (about 50MB download)

A smaller version of BiRefNet that runs in your browser. Good for most photos, especially on weaker devices or slower connections. The model downloads once and gets cached, so it's instant on repeat visits.

Quality

Free

Model: BiRefNet Full (about 180MB download)

The full BiRefNet model, also running in your browser. Better edge detection and finer detail, but needs a decent GPU (most modern laptops and phones work fine). We auto-detect your hardware and recommend this tier if your device can handle it.

Pro

Credits

Model: BiRefNet on Cloudflare GPU servers

Same model, but running on our servers instead of your device. Useful when your device doesn't support the browser model, when you need consistent speed, or when you're using the API. You can also close the tab and come back, since the processing happens server-side. This costs 1 credit per image because we pay for GPU time.

Why free is actually free

When you use Fast or Quality mode, the AI model runs entirely in your browser using WebGPU (or WebAssembly as a fallback). Your images stay on your device. They never get uploaded to our servers. We don't even know you're using the tool.

Since we pay nothing for the processing, there's no reason to charge you for it. No hidden limits. No "upgrade to unlock full resolution." No watermarks.

Why credits cost money

When you use Pro mode or the API, your image gets uploaded to our servers and processed on Cloudflare's GPU infrastructure. We pay per image for this compute. Credits cover that cost plus a margin that keeps the service running.

We price credits at a fraction of what competitors charge because our costs are genuinely lower. BiRefNet is open source, so we don't pay model licensing fees. And we pass those savings directly to you.

Our actual costs

Full transparency: processing one image on our servers costs us roughly $0.0005 (less than a tenth of a cent). We charge between $0.02 and $0.10 per image depending on the credit pack. That margin covers server infrastructure, bandwidth, storage, and keeps the free tier running.

For comparison, most other tools charge $0.18 to $1.00 per image.

What are you paying for then?

Background removal in your browser is free and always will be. Credits unlock features that require server infrastructure:

  • 1Server-side processing for devices that can't run the model locally, or when you need guaranteed speed and consistency.
  • 2API access to integrate background removal into your own apps, workflows, AI agents, or MCP servers.
  • 3Cloud storage to save and organize your processed images. Access your history from any device.
  • 4Platform integrations to publish directly to Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and more. Coming soon.

Privacy

In Free mode (Fast and Quality tiers): your images never leave your device. Period.

In Pro mode: your image is uploaded to our servers for processing, then immediately deleted. We don't store, log, or analyze your images. Ever.

Try it out