AI photo editors you can use free October 2026
Background removal, object erasers and watermarks, read on the pages of 18 AI photo editors. Some that say free are really a trial, and some save a smaller photo.
Checked by hand on 16 October 2026, on each company’s own pages.All 63 quotes re-checked 22h ago and still there.
The short answer
If you read nothing else, read this.
- Free background removal: Clipdrop does 20 per 24 hours and lets you download them in HD. Adobe Express, Pixlr, Fotor, Photoroom and the Photoshop phone app do it free too, and Windows Photos does it on your own PC. On Canva it is paid, and on Picsart it is a 7-day trial.
- Free object eraser: Google Photos has Magic Eraser free on Android phones with at least 3 GB of RAM. Some Galaxy phones have Samsung's AI Eraser, and Windows Photos has Generative Erase, with no limit stated. On the web, Clipdrop's Cleanup gives 20 per 24 hours, saved at 720 px.
- No watermark: Fotor says free exports have none, except on Pro effects and templates, and Snapseed has no watermarks at all. YouCam saves free images with a watermark, and Samsung marks AI-generated images. Most others do not say.
- No sign-up: Pixlr's free editor works without an account. Fotor's background remover needs no sign-up, though the rest of Fotor needs a free account. Adobe needs an Adobe account, and Samsung a Samsung account.
- "Free" that is really a trial: Picsart's Free Background Remover is free for 7 days, through a trial of its paid plan. Adobe's Photoshop web page says you can edit free online, but its FAQ says there is no free web version: the free part is the phone app. Remini and Lensa trials turn into paid plans unless you cancel, and Lensa starts at $2.99 a week.
- remove.bg closes on 1 December 2026: its background removal moves into Canva, where it is a paid feature. Until then it is free for small images, up to 0.25 megapixels, for personal use.
I read the pages of 18 photo editors. Erasing is often free. Full size often is not.
Quick picks
Background removal, in HD
Clipdrop
20 per 24 hours
Downloaded in HD. Its eraser, Cleanup, also gives 20, but saves at 720 px.
Free eraser on Android
Google Photos
Magic Eraser
Free for all Google Photos users, on phones with 3 GB of RAM and Android 8.0 or newer.
No sign-up, no watermark
Fotor
Free forever
Its background remover needs no sign-up, and free exports carry no watermark, except Pro items.
Free on a Windows PC
Microsoft Photos
No limit stated
Generative Erase and background removal run on your own PC, in the Photos app.
Compare them all
All 18, side by side. Tap a name for the sentences behind it.
Free on the web
Clipdrop20 per 24 hours, per toolBackground removal Yes, HD download · Object eraser Cleanup, saves at 720 px · Paid from $15 a monthTry free
Adobe Express (with Firefly)Daily AI uses, number not givenBackground removal Yes, free · Object eraser Yes, from daily AI uses · Paid from $9.99 a monthTry free
PixlrEditor without an accountBackground removal Yes, free · Paid from $1.99 a month yearly, $2.49 monthlyTry free- FotorFree forever, limited creditsBackground removal Yes, no sign-up · Watermark None, except Pro items · Paid from $3.99 a month, billed yearlyTry free
Photoroom100 exports a monthBackground removal Yes, free · Paid from $7.50 a month, billed yearlyTry free
PhotopeaWhole editor, in a browserBackground removal Offered, free not statedTry free
Free on your phone or PC
- Google Photos (Magic Eraser)Free, no subscriptionObject eraser Magic EraserOpen
Adobe Photoshop (phone app)Free app, daily AI usesBackground removal Yes, in the app · Object eraser Yes, with Generative Fill · Paid from $7.99 a monthTry free- Samsung Galaxy AI (Gallery)Basic Galaxy AI, in GalleryObject eraser AI Eraser · Watermark On AI-generated imagesOpen
- Microsoft Photos (Windows)Free app in WindowsBackground removal Yes, on your PC · Object eraser Generative EraseOpen
- Snapseed (by Google)30+ tools, no adsObject eraser Healing tool, not generative · Watermark None · Paid from No paid planOpen
Free to try, then paid
Canva20 AI uses a month, sharedBackground removal Paid plans only · Object eraser Listed as a paid extra · Paid from $144 a yearTry free
PicsartSome AI tools, not listedBackground removal 7-day trial only · Paid from $10.50 a month yearly, $15 monthlyTry free
YouCam Online Editor5 credits for new usersBackground removal With free credits · Object eraser With free credits · Watermark Yes, on free saves · Paid from $3.33 a month, billing unclearTry free
Adobe Lightroom (phone app)Most editing, no free AIObject eraser Premium only · Paid from $11.99 a month, yearly planTry freeReminiLimited, not listedPaid from Shown only in the appTry free
LensaSome features, not listedPaid from $2.99 a weekTry free
– means their own pages do not say.
Free on the web
Free in your browser, with limits. Read on each company's own pages on 5 October 2026.
- Free
- 20 per 24 hours, per tool
- Background removal
- Yes, HD download
- Object eraser
- Cleanup, saves at 720 px
- Paid from
- $15 a month
Limits count per 24 hours, not per calendar day. Text Remover gives 50 per 24 hours, and a 2x upscaler and Relight are free too. Clipdrop's pages do not say if free results carry a watermark or if you must sign in.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“Background Removal 20/24h”
“Cleanup 20/24h”
“Export will be limited to 720px for the free version.”
“Clipdrop will remove the background for you, and you will be able to download your HD image for free.”
Adobe Express (with Firefly)
- Free
- Daily AI uses, number not given
- Background removal
- Yes, free
- Object eraser
- Yes, from daily AI uses
- Sign-up
- Adobe account
- Paid from
- $9.99 a month
Adobe does not say how many free AI uses you get a day, and says the number can change. Its background remover now opens in Adobe Firefly. Removing objects uses your daily AI uses; the separate Erase tool is for Premium. Premium has a 30-day free trial, and billing starts when it ends unless you cancel. The free plan needs no card.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“Free to use. No credit card required.”
“Yes, you can remove backgrounds in Adobe Firefly for free with an Adobe account.”
“Free users of Adobe Firefly, Adobe Express, Adobe Stock, Photoshop on the web, Acrobat, and Adobe mobile apps get a limited number of free daily generations across all generative AI features, available on a curated set of models.”
“US$9.99/mo”
Pixlr
- Free
- Editor without an account
- Background removal
- Yes, free
- Sign-up
- Not needed
- Paid from
- $1.99 a month yearly, $2.49 monthly
New users get 20 AI credits, for 20 images; Pixlr does not say they refill. The free version shows ads, and the paid plan lists "Unlimited saves", so free saves seem limited, but Pixlr does not say how many. Its pages do not say if free downloads carry a watermark.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“You can enjoy Pixlr’s free version, which offers a robust set of features that many users find satisfying without requiring an account or any charges.”
“The tool is free and designed for everyone, from students and e-commerce sellers to professional designers and content creators.”
“As a new user, enjoy the freedom of generating 20 images using 20 credits.”
“$1.99 per month”
- Free
- Free forever, limited credits
- Background removal
- Yes, no sign-up
- Watermark
- None, except Pro items
- Paid from
- $3.99 a month, billed yearly
Fotor's help center says you use the rest of Fotor free after you create an account. Its price table lists HD and transparent PNG for paid plans, though its remover page promises a free HD download. The free account is not for commercial designs. The 7-day trial is only for accounts made in the last 2 days, and charges you when it ends unless you cancel.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“Yes, Fotor image background remover is free to use with no sign up needed.”
“Yes, Fotor’s online photo editor offers a free plan that allows anyone to edit as many images as they want and export the edited photos without watermarks.”
“Yes. You can use Fotor for free after you create an account.”
“US$47.99 billed yearly.”
Photoroom
- Free
- 100 exports a month
- Background removal
- Yes, free
- Paid from
- $7.50 a month, billed yearly
Free accounts can export 100 images a month and get fewer AI credits than paid plans. High-resolution exports are for paid plans. Photoroom says the free plan is not for commercial use. Its pages do not say if free exports carry a watermark.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“You can get started for free to remove backgrounds, and when you're ready, upgrade to access more AI photo editing tools and high-resolution exports.”
“Plan Export limit (Weekly) Export limit (Monthly) Free 25 100”
“The Free plan has limited features, lower AI credit and export limits, and no API access.”
“$7.50 Per month, billed yearly”
Photopea
- Free
- Whole editor, in a browser
- Background removal
- Offered, free not stated
Its home page shows one-click background removal and AI that replaces part of a photo from a text prompt, but no page we could read says if those are free or how many uses you get. Those details appear only inside the editor. It runs in your browser, on your device, with no uploads. Premium prices are not on its own pages.
In their own words(2, checked 5 Oct)
“Unlock your creativity with the best free photo editor.”
“Enjoy all the premium features without spending a dime.”
Free on your phone or PC
Free in apps on your phone or PC. Read on each company's own pages on 5 October 2026.
Google Photos (Magic Eraser)
- Free
- Free, no subscription
- Object eraser
- Magic Eraser
- Needs
- 3 GB RAM, Android 8.0+
Free for all Google Photos users on phones with at least 3 GB of RAM and Android 8.0, says Google's current help page. Some tools are Pixel only. The sentences below are from Google's April 2024 post, which also said every user would get 10 Magic Editor saves a month, and more would need a Pixel or a Google One plan of 2 TB or more. Google's current help pages no longer say this.
In their own words(3, checked 5 Oct)
“Magic Editor, Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser and more enhanced editing features are coming to all Google Photos users”
“no subscription required.”
“Additionally, all Google Photos users on Android and iOS will get 10 Magic Editor saves per month”
Adobe Photoshop (phone app)
- Free
- Free app, daily AI uses
- Background removal
- Yes, in the app
- Object eraser
- Yes, with Generative Fill
- Paid from
- $7.99 a month
The free part is the phone app. Adobe's Photoshop web page says you can edit free online, but its own FAQ says there is no free version on the web. In the app, the Remove Tool and 100 generative credits are premium, and Adobe does not say how many free AI uses you get. Prices are from Adobe's iPhone App Store listing (US): $7.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“Yes, Photoshop on mobile is a free, standalone app with premium features available on iOS that are available when you purchase a subscription.”
“Explore a range of AI models with free daily generations that refresh every day”
“Blur or remove backgrounds”
“Remove objects from your images with Generative Fill.”
Samsung Galaxy AI (Gallery)
- Free
- Basic Galaxy AI, in Gallery
- Object eraser
- AI Eraser
- Watermark
- On AI-generated images
- Sign-up
- Samsung account
Only on some Galaxy phones and tablets with Android 14 and One UI 6.1 or newer. Generative Edit can also move or add objects, and saves a resized photo of up to 12MP. Samsung says its enhanced AI features, and all third-party ones, may cost money.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“Galaxy AI basic features provided by Samsung are free.”
“Use AI Eraser to remove objects by tapping or outlining them.”
“A Galaxy AI watermark will appear on AI-generated images.”
“A Samsung account and internet connection is required.”
Microsoft Photos (Windows)
- Free
- Free app in Windows
- Background removal
- Yes, on your PC
- Object eraser
- Generative Erase
Microsoft states no limit for Generative Erase or background removal, and both run on your own PC. The separate Edit with Designer option needs internet and a Microsoft account.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“Microsoft Photos - Free download and install on Windows”
“Generative Erase allows you to retouch photos to remove blemishes or unwanted parts.”
“Select the Remove option, then select Apply to remove the image background.”
“The process is done locally on your device.”
Snapseed (by Google)
- Free
- 30+ tools, no ads
- Object eraser
- Healing tool, not generative
- Watermark
- None
- Paid from
- No paid plan
A free Google app for iPhone and Android: its Google Play listing makes the same promise. It lists no generative AI tools. Healing is a classic retouch tool, not an AI eraser, so big objects may not vanish cleanly.
In their own words(2, checked 5 Oct)
“No Strings Attached: Get 30+ pro tools and filters - no subscriptions, purchases, ads, or watermarks”
“Healing: remove the uninvited neighbor from a group picture”
Free to try, then paid
A small free part or a trial. The AI photo tools you came for are mostly paid, and some trials turn into a paid plan.
- Free
- 20 AI uses a month, shared
- Background removal
- Paid plans only
- Object eraser
- Listed as a paid extra
- Paid from
- $144 a year
The 20 uses are shared by all of Canva's AI tools and reset on the first of each month. Canva lists the Background Remover and Magic Eraser as extras of its paid plans; Pro Lite, a cheaper plan with both, is sold only in India and Indonesia for now. From 1 December 2026, remove.bg's background removal moves into Canva, as a paid feature.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“Background remover is included with paid plans.”
“Canva Free: Up to 20 uses of Standard AI tools, or Premium AI tools.”
“If you're on Canva Free, your AI allowance resets at 12:00 a.m. UTC on the first of each month.”
“US$144 /year for one person”
Picsart
- Free
- Some AI tools, not listed
- Background removal
- 7-day trial only
- Paid from
- $10.50 a month yearly, $15 monthly
The page is called "Free Background Remover", but its own FAQ says it is free for 7 days, through a trial of the paid plan. Picsart does not list which AI tools are free or how many free credits you get. The phone app shows ads unless you pay, and who gets a trial depends on your account history.
In their own words(3, checked 5 Oct)
“You can try the Background Remover free of charge for 7 days by getting a trial to Picsart’s subscription plan.”
“You can access essential editing features, templates, and selected AI tools at no cost, with additional premium tools and content available through a subscription.”
“$15/month Pro $126/year ($10.50/month)”
- Free
- 5 credits for new users
- Background removal
- With free credits
- Object eraser
- With free credits
- Watermark
- Yes, on free saves
- Paid from
- $3.33 a month, billing unclear
YouCam says many features are free to use anytime, while advanced AI tools need credits. Free images are saved with a watermark, high-resolution downloads are paid, and business use is listed only on Pro. No card is needed. Its price page did not show us whether $3.33 is the monthly or the yearly price.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“New users receive 5 free credits to try our full suite of AI editing tools, including photo enhancement, object removal, background editing, and AI art generation.”
“Many features are free to use anytime, while advanced AI tools run on credits that can be purchased à la carte or unlocked with a membership plan.”
“Save image with watermark”
“$3.33/mo”
Adobe Lightroom (phone app)
- Free
- Most editing, no free AI
- Object eraser
- Premium only
- Paid from
- $11.99 a month, yearly plan
- Trial
- 7 days
Generative Remove, Masking and Lens Blur need Premium. The $11.99 plan is "Annual, billed monthly": you agree to a year and pay each month. It covers Lightroom on phone, computer and web. A phone-only Premium is sold in the app stores, but Adobe's pages do not show its price.
In their own words(4, checked 5 Oct)
“You can use all capture, organization, and sharing features for free, plus most editing tools.”
“Generative Remove requires an internet connection and is available as a premium feature in Adobe Lightroom on mobile.”
“US$11.99/mo Annual, billed monthly”
“7-day free trial”
Remini
- Free
- Limited, not listed
- Trial
- Cancel 24 hours before it ends
- Paid from
- Shown only in the app
Remini does not publish what is free, how many free edits you get, or a price list: plans can be weekly, monthly or yearly, and are shown in the app. Free trials are not always offered. Its help center says even paying users may see a watermark on some tools.
In their own words(2, checked 5 Oct)
“While Remini offers limited access for free, subscribing to a paid plan unlocks several additional benefits”
“When the trial ends, you can choose to continue with a paid subscription or cancel and revert to the free version.”
Lensa
- Free
- Some features, not listed
- Trial
- Turns paid unless you cancel
- Paid from
- $2.99 a week
Lensa's website shows its AI eraser and enhancer but does not say what is free or what it costs. Lensa has no price page, so the price is from Apple's App Store (US), and the cheapest plan is billed every week. Trials are for new users only.
In their own words(2, checked 5 Oct)
“Some functionalities and features of the application are free of charge.”
“Unlimited Access (1 Week) $2.99”
Closing soon
Still free until it closes on 1 December 2026. Plan where you will go next.
- Free
- Small images, personal use
- Closes
- 1 December 2026
- Background removal
- Yes, 0.25 megapixels
- Paid from
- $9 a month, 40 credits
The website closes on 1 December 2026 at 9:00 CET. Background removal moves into Canva, where it is paid, and the API moves to Leonardo.ai. Unused pay-as-you-go credits expire that day. Free results are 0.25 megapixels, for example 625 × 400 pixels; full size (up to 50 megapixels) and business use need credits. The desktop app and API give 50 free previews a month.
In their own words(5, checked 5 Oct)
“remove.bg is 100% free for low-resolution images (up to 0.25 megapixels) processed on the website and for personal use.”
“The maximum output resolution for preview images is 0.25 megapixels (e.g. 625 × 400).”
“The standalone website will no longer be available from 1 December 2026 at 9:00am CET.”
“All credits (including pay-as-you-go (PAYG) credits, monthly rollover credits and any other type of credits) may be used until December 1 2026 only.”
“Subscription Plan 40 credits Amount $9 / month”
Questions
What is the best free AI photo editor?
It depends on the job. To remove backgrounds, Clipdrop: 20 per 24 hours, downloaded in HD. To erase things, the tools already on your device: Magic Eraser in Google Photos, AI Eraser on some Galaxy phones and Generative Erase in Windows Photos. For no watermark, Fotor or Snapseed.
How do I remove a background from a photo for free?
Clipdrop does 20 per 24 hours, in HD. Adobe Express (with an Adobe account), Pixlr, Fotor (no sign-up), Photoroom and the Photoshop phone app do it free too, and Windows Photos does it on your PC. remove.bg is free for small images of 0.25 megapixels until it closes on 1 December 2026. Canva keeps its Background Remover for paid plans, and Picsart gives it free only in a 7-day trial.
Which free AI photo editor has no watermark?
Fotor says free exports have no watermark, except on Pro effects and templates. Snapseed has no watermarks, ads or purchases at all, but lists no generative AI tools. YouCam saves free images with a watermark, and Samsung adds a Galaxy AI watermark to AI-generated images. Most others do not say on their own pages.
Is there a free AI photo editor with no sign-up?
Pixlr says its free version needs no account, and Fotor says its background remover needs no sign-up. The rest of Fotor needs a free account, its help center says. Adobe Express needs an Adobe account, and Samsung's Galaxy AI a Samsung account. Most others do not say.
Is remove.bg still free?
Until 1 December 2026, yes, for small images: up to 0.25 megapixels, made on the website, for personal use. The desktop app and API give 50 free previews a month. On 1 December the website closes: background removal moves into Canva, where it is paid, and the API moves to Leonardo.ai. Unused pay-as-you-go credits expire that day.
Which free AI photo editor app is best on a phone?
Start with what you have. Google Photos has Magic Eraser free on Android phones with 3 GB of RAM and Android 8.0 or newer, and some Galaxy phones have Samsung's AI Eraser. The Photoshop phone app is free, with daily AI uses, background removal and Generative Fill. Snapseed is fully free but lists no generative AI tools. Picsart, Remini and Lensa have a small free part and sell plans; Lensa's cheapest is billed weekly.
How we checked
Every fact here comes from the company’s own page, with the sentence it is in. The facts checked for this guide show the day we read them. The tables come from our catalogue, which re-reads each price page on its own. When a page does not say something, we write that, and we never guess. How we check