Open-source background removers
Free, open-source background removers for whole folders, and one with nothing to set up
Yes. You can remove the background from many photos at once, free and offline, with open-source tools. rembg is a Python command line that cuts a whole folder. On Windows, BG Remove, DeBG and bgbatch do it in a window, and Unbagrnd also runs on Mac and Linux. AwaCut, which we make, is one installer with the open BiRefNet model inside: drop a folder, as many photos as you want, all year, for $29.
2 computers per licence. Full refund within 14 days, no reason needed.
- Works offline
- No account, no uploads
- As many photos as you want, all year
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At home in a terminal: rembg
Install Python, run pip install "rembg[cpu,cli]", then rembg p in out cuts a whole folder. Free, MIT-licensed, and easy to put inside your own scripts.
Want a window for rembg: a free app
DeBG and bgbatch are Windows apps built on rembg. BG Remove (Windows) and Unbagrnd (Windows, Mac, Linux) run their own models. Most download the model the first time; BG Remove includes it.
Want it done for you: AwaCut
One installer for Mac, Windows or Linux, with the model inside. Drop a folder and each cutout is saved as it finishes. On our test laptop, about 4 seconds a photo using only the processor: 300 photos in about 20 minutes. 10 photos free, then $29 a year for as many as you want.
Free offline tools and AwaCut, side by side
rembg (free, MIT)
- What you install
- Python 3.11 to 3.13 and pip. On Windows its releases also carry a command-line installer.
- Good to know
- Whole folders with rembg p, and it can watch a folder. Models download on first use. Since August 2026 the default is BRIA RMBG-2.0, which rembg's README says needs a paid agreement for commercial use.
BiRefNet (free, MIT)
- What you install
- A model, not an app: you run it from code or inside another tool
- Good to know
- Built for high-resolution cutouts with fine detail. rembg and Unbagrnd can run it, and AwaCut ships its general-lite version.
Unbagrnd (free, MIT)
- What you install
- A desktop app for Windows, Mac (Apple silicon) and Linux, also Android
- Good to know
- Single photos or whole folders. The model downloads on first use: a small one by default, BiRefNet lite as an option.
DeBG (free, MIT)
- What you install
- A Windows app. On first run it installs rembg, and Python if it is missing, about 5 to 10 minutes by its own guide.
- Good to know
- Drag and drop many photos, 9 models to choose from, processor or NVIDIA graphics card.
BG Remove (free, MIT)
- What you install
- A Windows installer of about 340 MB, with both of its models inside
- Good to know
- Works with no internet from the first launch. A Fast mode and a Best mode (BiRefNet lite), folders and subfolders.
bgbatch (free, MIT)
- What you install
- A Windows zip that opens a page in your browser, or pip install with Python
- Good to know
- Folder and watch modes, built on rembg. The Windows zip includes a small model; BiRefNet downloads on first use.
BatchBG (free website, not open source)
- What you install
- Nothing: it runs in a browser tab
- Good to know
- The site says photos are processed on your device with the small u2netp model, and that the only limit on batch size is your device's memory.
AwaCut ($29 a year)
- What you install
- One installer for Mac, Windows or Linux, signed on Mac and Windows, with the model inside
- Good to know
- Works with no internet from the first launch. BiRefNet general-lite, an MIT-licensed model that allows commercial use. Whole folders, as many photos as you want. 10 photos free.
| Tool | What you install | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| rembg (free, MIT) | Python 3.11 to 3.13 and pip. On Windows its releases also carry a command-line installer. | Whole folders with rembg p, and it can watch a folder. Models download on first use. Since August 2026 the default is BRIA RMBG-2.0, which rembg's README says needs a paid agreement for commercial use. |
| BiRefNet (free, MIT) | A model, not an app: you run it from code or inside another tool | Built for high-resolution cutouts with fine detail. rembg and Unbagrnd can run it, and AwaCut ships its general-lite version. |
| Unbagrnd (free, MIT) | A desktop app for Windows, Mac (Apple silicon) and Linux, also Android | Single photos or whole folders. The model downloads on first use: a small one by default, BiRefNet lite as an option. |
| DeBG (free, MIT) | A Windows app. On first run it installs rembg, and Python if it is missing, about 5 to 10 minutes by its own guide. | Drag and drop many photos, 9 models to choose from, processor or NVIDIA graphics card. |
| BG Remove (free, MIT) | A Windows installer of about 340 MB, with both of its models inside | Works with no internet from the first launch. A Fast mode and a Best mode (BiRefNet lite), folders and subfolders. |
| bgbatch (free, MIT) | A Windows zip that opens a page in your browser, or pip install with Python | Folder and watch modes, built on rembg. The Windows zip includes a small model; BiRefNet downloads on first use. |
| BatchBG (free website, not open source) | Nothing: it runs in a browser tab | The site says photos are processed on your device with the small u2netp model, and that the only limit on batch size is your device's memory. |
| AwaCut ($29 a year) | One installer for Mac, Windows or Linux, signed on Mac and Windows, with the model inside | Works with no internet from the first launch. BiRefNet general-lite, an MIT-licensed model that allows commercial use. Whole folders, as many photos as you want. 10 photos free. |
Read on each project's own GitHub page and website on 19 October 2026 (rembg 2.0.85, Unbagrnd 0.5.6, DeBG 0.2.1, BG Remove 1.0.0, bgbatch 0.3.0). Open-source projects change often; if a line here is out of date, write to us and we will correct it. We make AwaCut.
Three things to check before you trust a free tool with real work
Which model, and may you sell with it
If you sell your photos, check the model's licence, not only the app's. rembg's README says its default model, RMBG-2.0, needs a paid agreement for commercial use. BiRefNet's own weights are MIT: in rembg, choose them with -m birefnet-general.
A first run that still needs the internet
Most free tools download their model the first time, and DeBG may also download Python. If the computer must stay offline, run the tool once on a connection, or pick one that includes its model: BG Remove on Windows, AwaCut on Mac, Windows and Linux.
What your computer says about the download
Several free Windows builds are not code-signed, so Windows warns before they open, and Unbagrnd's guide has Mac users clear a security flag in Terminal. Signing costs money, and many free projects skip it. Check the publisher before you click Run anyway.
If the model is free, what does $29 a year pay for
AwaCut runs BiRefNet, the same open model you can download yourself. If you enjoy the setup, the free tools above are good and cost nothing. What $29 a year pays for is everything around the model, in one app: signed installers, the model already inside, no Python, a preview to check each cutout against the original, white or colour backgrounds, the formats you need, updates, and a person who answers your email. As many photos as you want, all year. Try it on 10 of your hardest photos first.
Try it on your own photos: the first 10 are free, no account.
2 computers per licence. Full refund within 14 days, no reason needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free, open-source background remover?
Yes. rembg is the best-known: free, MIT-licensed, a Python command line that cuts whole folders on your own computer. Unbagrnd, DeBG, BG Remove and bgbatch are free apps around similar models. BiRefNet is an open model built for high-resolution cutouts with fine detail.
Is there a GUI for rembg?
rembg itself is a command line and a Python library, and it can start a local server with a simple web page. DeBG and bgbatch are Windows apps built on rembg. If you want a window with no Python at all, AwaCut runs the BiRefNet model directly in its own desktop app, with the model already inside.
Can I use rembg for commercial product photos?
rembg's code is MIT, but each model has its own licence. Since version 2.0.80 (August 2026) the default is BRIA RMBG-2.0, which rembg's README says needs a paid agreement for commercial use. BiRefNet's own published weights are MIT: choose them with -m, for example -m birefnet-general.
Is there an offline background remover for Windows that works in bulk?
Yes. BG Remove is a free Windows installer with its models inside, so it works with no internet from the first launch, on folders and subfolders. DeBG and bgbatch are free Windows apps built on rembg; they download their model on first use. AwaCut runs on Windows 10 and 11 with the model inside and cuts a whole folder: 10 photos free, then $29 a year.
How do I remove the background from many images at once without uploading them?
Use a tool that runs the AI model on your own computer. rembg cuts a folder with one command: rembg p input output. Unbagrnd, BG Remove and AwaCut do the same from a window: choose a folder and every photo is cut on your computer. Nothing leaves it.
What is BiRefNet?
An open AI model for high-resolution image segmentation, which is what cutting out a subject is. It is published by Peng Zheng and colleagues under the MIT licence, in several versions, including general and general-lite. rembg, Unbagrnd and BG Remove can run it, and AwaCut ships general-lite inside the app.
Does AwaCut have a command line, or let me choose the model?
No. AwaCut is a desktop app with one model, BiRefNet general-lite, built in, so there is nothing to choose or install. If you need scripting or your own model, rembg is the better fit.
Why pay for AwaCut if BiRefNet is free?
You pay for the work around the model, not the model: no Python, no model to pick, signed installers on Mac and Windows, and everything in one app, with updates and support. $29 a year, for as many photos as you want: at 300 photos a month that is 3,600 photos, for the same $29. The first 10 photos are free, so compare it with a free tool on your own photos.
Skip the setup, keep it offline
Download AwaCut and cut 10 photos free, at full resolution, with no account and nothing uploaded.
macOS
macOS 13.4+ (Apple silicon)
v1.0.6 · 194 MB
macOSBackground remover for MacWindows
Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
v1.0.6 · 180 MB
WindowsBackground remover for WindowsLinux
AppImage (x86-64)
v1.0.6 · 268 MB
LinuxBackground remover for Linux
Signed by AYA MIM S.R.L. If Windows still shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
No AwaCut account. No credits. No uploads. 2 computers per licence, full refund within 14 days.