Background removal for ecommerce product photos#
Marketplaces and PDP grids punish soft edges, leftover halos, and inconsistent whites. Product photography needs predictable mattes more than a one-click consumer toy.
When this applies#
- You publish Shopify, Amazon, or custom catalog images
- Hair, fur, mesh, glass, or reflective packaging shows up often
- You care about alpha mattes for compositing, not only flat white backgrounds
- You want a REST API your pipeline can call from CI or a DAM
Which path to use#
| If you… | Use |
|---|---|
| Catalog quality, hair/fur/complex edges | Pro Model API |
| Simple solid-backdrop SKUs, private processing | Open Weights (Docker/Python/Mac) |
| Compare Open vs Pro on real photos | Open Model vs Pro compare page |
| Pay-as-you-go cost planning | Pro pricing (50 free credits on signup) |
How withoutBG fits#
- Pro Model: managed REST API in Frankfurt, DE. Stronger on fine edges than Open Weights. p95 ≈ 1.95 s server-side.
- Binary multipart and base64 JSON endpoints return transparent PNG cutouts or grayscale alpha mattes for non-destructive compositing.
- Open Weights remain available when privacy or unit economics favor local inference for easier shots.
- A Shopify app is planned; until it ships, integrate via the Pro API from your theme backend, middleware, or DAM. Do not treat the Coming Soon stub as live.
FAQ#
Should every SKU go through Pro?#
Not always. Use Pro where edges fail local models. Route simple packshots to Open Weights if you self-host. Side-by-side samples live on the Open vs Pro compare page.
Do you support alpha mattes for retouching?#
Yes on Pro: alpha-matte binary and base64 endpoints return a grayscale mask so you can keep a full-resolution original under the cutout.
What does it cost?#
50 free credits on signup, then pay-as-you-go packs. From €0.05/image at volume on published pricing. No subscription lock-in required.
Is there a Shopify app?#
Not live yet. Use the Pro REST API from your stack today. Watch the Pro Model hub for the Shopify app when it ships.
Next steps#
Pick an entrypoint. All product paths are linked from the use cases hub.