Transparent PNG maker
Transparent PNG background remover, one photo or a whole folder
AwaCut removes the background and saves a transparent PNG, at full size, on your own computer. One photo or a whole folder. Set the background to Alpha and the format to PNG. 10 photos free, then $29 a year for as many as you want.
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
Listed onAlternativeToMicrosoft Store
How to export a transparent PNG
Add the photos
Drag one photo, several, or a whole folder onto the window. Nothing is uploaded: the files are read from your disk and processed by your own processor, which is also why there is no per-image charge.
Set Alpha and PNG
Choose Alpha as the background and PNG as the format. That pair writes a real alpha channel, the invisible layer that tells other programs which pixels stay see-through. Pick WebP instead if the files are going onto your own website.
Collect the files
Each cutout is saved the moment it is ready, to the Export to Folder you pick (Pictures/AwaCut by default). Every file keeps the original dimensions and the source file name, so the batch drops straight into a listing tool or a print workflow.
PNG, WebP or JPG: which one keeps the transparency
| Format | Transparency | File size | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNG | Yes | Larger, lossless | The safe default. Accepted everywhere, including print and marketplaces. |
| WebP | Yes | Larger, lossless | Lossless, like PNG, and keeps the transparency. Use it on your own website. About a third smaller than PNG on phone photos. |
| JPG | No | Smallest, lossy | Flattens onto white. Use for photos that keep their background. |
2 computers per licence. Full refund within 14 days, no reason needed.
Three reasons a transparent PNG goes wrong
Saving as JPG
The most common one. A cutout saved as JPG is composited onto white before it is written, and the transparency is gone for good. Re-export it from the cutout, not from the JPG.
The platform paints its own background
Some older shop themes, email clients and slide templates draw a white box behind a PNG regardless of its alpha channel. That is the platform, not the file. Check the same file in a browser before you blame the cutout.
Starting from a shrunken copy
A photo that was already saved as a small JPG has compression artefacts baked around the edges of the subject, and no cutout can invent detail back. Feed in the largest original you have, not a copy that has been through a chat app.
Why do this on your own computer?
A transparent PNG is rarely a one-off. It is a catalogue, a season of listings, a print run. Many web tools charge per image or in credits, and upload every photo. AwaCut costs $29 a year for as many photos as you want, on 2 computers, and the photos never leave your machine.
Want a solid colour instead? Change background color.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my PNG not transparent?
Almost always the format. JPG cannot store transparency at all, so a cutout saved as JPG gets flattened onto white and looks like it was never cut out. Save as PNG or WebP instead. AwaCut will not let you pair Alpha with JPG for exactly this reason: it switches the format back to PNG and disables JPG rather than quietly flattening your work.
What is the grey checkerboard behind my cutout?
A checkerboard is how image editors draw nothing at all. Those grey and white squares are not in your file and will not appear anywhere you use it. Seeing them is the proof that the transparency worked.
Should I use PNG or WebP for transparent images?
PNG for marketplaces, print files, older software and anything going to a client. Nothing rejects it. WebP for your own website, if your site accepts it. AwaCut writes WebP lossless, like PNG, so nothing is lost and the transparency stays. In our test on 20 phone photos, WebP came out about a third smaller than PNG.
Can I convert a whole folder to transparent PNG at once?
Yes. Drop the folder in, and each image is saved as a transparent PNG to your Export to Folder as soon as it is ready, named after the original. There is no per-image charge and no queue limit, because the work happens on your own computer. On a Mac Studio (M4 Max), 500 phone photos take about 32 minutes.
Can I turn a JPG or HEIC photo into a transparent PNG?
Yes. Add JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP or TIFF photos (on a Mac, also the HEIC photos an iPhone takes), set Alpha and PNG, and each one comes out as a transparent PNG. For a whole folder of JPGs, see the JPG to transparent PNG guide in the links above.
Does removing the background reduce the resolution?
It stays the size you gave it. The cutout is written at the original dimensions of your photo, so a 4,000 pixel product shot comes back 4,000 pixels wide with a transparent background. Nothing is downscaled on the way out.
Are the transparent PNGs free of watermarks?
Yes, and they are yours to use commercially. The ten trial images are the real application, not a watermarked preview, and no watermark is ever written into an export at any point.
Your first 10 transparent PNGs are free
Ten photos, full resolution, no account and no card. Then $29 a year for as many photos as you want, on 2 computers. Not happy? Full refund within 14 days, no reason needed.
macOS
macOS 13.4+ (Apple silicon)
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LinuxBackground remover for Linux
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No AwaCut account. No credits. No uploads. 2 computers per licence, full refund within 14 days.