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Tutorial · Canva Pro & Canva Free

How to remove a background in Canva

The three-click BG Remover method, the free way for Canva Free accounts, removing backgrounds from 50 photos at once — and what to do when BG Remover is greyed out.

Monstera plant in a white pot on a cluttered desk (original)
Monstera plant in a white pot on a cluttered desk (cut out)
OriginalCut out
  • Checked against Canva's help centre
  • Works on Canva Free too
  • Bulk method
  • Fixes for greyed-out BG Remover

Updated by the

Quick answer

Updated

How do you remove a background in Canva?

To remove a background in Canva, select the photo in your design, click BG Remover in the editor toolbar and refine the edges with the Erase and Restore brushes. BG Remover is only on paid Canva plans; on Canva Free, cut the photo out with Kenerate's free-to-start remover and upload the transparent PNG to Canva.

Key facts

Plan needed
Paid Canva plans only
Where
BG Remover in the editor toolbar, or Tools in Edit image
Max photo size
Under 9 MB
Resolution
Over 10 MP is downscaled to 10 MP
Bulk
Up to 50 images per folder, one folder at a time
Free way
Cut out elsewhere, upload the transparent PNG

Before you start

Is Canva's background remover free?

No. Canva's help centre says Background Remover is included with paid plans. Free accounts can't use it.

Three other limits from Canva's help centre are worth knowing before you start:

  • Photos must be under 9 MB.
  • Photos over 10 MP are downscaled to 10 MP after the background is removed.
  • It doesn't work on vector graphics — only on photos.

Method 1 · paid plans

Remove a background in the Canva editor

The standard way, inside a design.

  1. Step 1: Select the photo

    Open your design and click the photo you want to cut out.

  2. Step 2: Click BG Remover

    With the photo selected, choose BG Remover from the editor toolbar.

    Editor toolbarBG Remover

    Tip: Can't see it? Background Remover is part of Canva's paid plans.

  3. Step 3: Wait a few seconds

    Canva processes the photo and removes the background.

  4. Step 4: Refine with Erase and Restore

    Paint with Erase to remove leftovers, or with Restore to bring back a part the AI cut away — ears, fingers, the edge of a product.

  5. Step 5: Download

    Download the design. For a cut-out on its own, put the photo on a blank design sized to the subject.

Method 2 · paid plans

Remove a background without opening a design

Handy when you only need the cut-out.

  1. Step 1: Open Projects

    From the Canva homepage, go to Projects, then Images.

    ProjectsImages

  2. Step 2: Edit the image

    Hover over the photo, click the ⋯ (More) menu and choose Edit image.

    MoreEdit image

  3. Step 3: Run BG Remover

    Under Tools, select BG Remover. You don't need to open a design first.

    ToolsBG Remover

Method 3 · Canva Free

How to remove a background in Canva for free

Do the cut-out outside Canva, then use the PNG in any Canva design.

  1. Step 1: Cut out the photo in Kenerate

    Upload the photo to the free background remover. New accounts get free credits.

    Tip: Use Cutout HD for hair, fur or glass.

  2. Step 2: Download the transparent PNG

    It downloads with the background already removed.

  3. Step 3: Upload the PNG to Canva

    In Canva, go to Uploads and upload the PNG. It works on Canva Free.

    UploadsUpload files

  4. Step 4: Drop it into your design

    Drag the PNG onto any template — the background shows through where the old background was.

Method 4 · many photos

Remove backgrounds from up to 50 photos at once

Canva's folder method (paid plans).

  1. Step 1: Put the photos in a folder

    Collect the photos in one Canva folder. Keep it to 50 or fewer — larger folders show the option greyed out — and run one folder at a time.

  2. Step 2: Run Remove background on the folder

    From Projects, hover over the folder, open More and select Remove background.

    ProjectsFolderMoreRemove background

  3. Step 3: Find the results

    Canva creates a new folder named “[folder name] - Edited”. Your originals stay unchanged.

Checked 25 October 2026

Canva BG Remover vs Kenerate

Canva is great when the cut-out goes straight into a Canva design. Kenerate is the free-to-start option with a high-detail mode.

Canva BG Remover vs Kenerate — checked 25 October 2026
Canva BG Remover · paid plansKenerate AI · free to start
Free planNoFree credits on sign-up
After thatCanva paid planOne-time credit packs, no subscription required
Max photo sizeUnder 9 MBUp to 10 MB (Cutout HD)
Output resolutionDownscaled to 10 MP if largerUpscale afterwards with the AI upscaler
High-detail mode for hair & glassNoCutout HD
Keep only what you describeNoObject Pick
BulkUp to 50 per folderUp to 20 in Edit Studio batch
Design toolsFull Canva editorEdit Studio (layers, text, AI background)

Canva details from Canva's help centre (Remove photo and video backgrounds).

Sources: Canva Help — Remove photo and video backgrounds

Look closer

Where cut-outs usually fail: the edges

Zoom into a Cutout HD result — the kind of detail you would otherwise fix with Canva's Erase and Restore brushes.

  • Windblown strands kept across the sky
  • No sea-coloured fringe
  • Transparent PNG, ready to upload to Canva
Woman with long windblown auburn hair on a sea cliff (original)
Woman with long windblown auburn hair on a sea cliff (cut out)
OriginalCut out
Woman with long windblown auburn hair on a sea cliff — cut out with Kenerate Cutout HD. The checkerboard is transparent.

Troubleshooting

Why is Canva BG Remover not working?

BG Remover is greyed out

You are on Canva Free, or the element is a vector graphic rather than a photo. Upgrade, or use the free method above. In Projects, a folder with more than 50 images also shows Remove background greyed out — split it into smaller folders.

“File too large”

Canva's limit is 9 MB. Compress or resize the photo first, or cut it out in Kenerate (Cutout HD takes up to 10 MB).

The cut-out looks soft or small

Canva downscales results over 10 MP. For big prints, cut out the full-size photo elsewhere and upload the PNG.

Parts of the subject are missing

Use the Restore brush to paint them back. Busy or low-contrast backgrounds cause this most often.

I made the whole image see-through

That's the Transparency slider, which changes the opacity of the whole image. It doesn't remove the background — see how to make an image transparent.

Ready for Canva

Transparent PNGs you can drop into any template

Real Kenerate cut-outs — tap “Original” to see the photo.

Example uses

Who uses which method

Canva's remover and a separate cut-out tool both have their place.

Illustrative examples of typical workflows, not customer reviews.

  • Handmade ceramic mug on a messy kitchen counter — Kenerate Cutout · Canva Free

    Small business owner

    On Canva Free. Cuts product photos out in Kenerate, uploads the PNGs and drops them into Canva templates for weekly posts.

    Try this workflow
  • Woman with long windblown auburn hair on a sea cliff — Canva for speed · Cutout HD for hair

    Social media designer

    Uses BG Remover inside Canva for quick social graphics, and Cutout HD when a model's hair needs a cleaner edge than the brushes give.

    Try this workflow
  • Monstera plant in a white pot on a cluttered desk — Transparent PNG · Cutout HD

    Teacher

    Makes worksheets in Canva Free with cut-out photos of plants and animals, prepared as transparent PNGs first.

    Try this workflow

How it works

How it works in the app

  1. Step 1

    Add your image

    Open Remove & Erase and drop in a photo — products, people and pets all work.

  2. Step 2

    Choose what should happen

    Pick Cutout for a fast transparent PNG, HD for hair and fur, Pick for one object or Erase to remove something.

  3. Step 3

    Click Remove background

    Press the button and the cut-out lands in your results in seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Compare and download the PNG

    Drag the slider to compare, add a new background if you like, then download the transparent PNG.

1Add your image2Choose what should happen3Click Remove background4Compare and download the PNG
Kenerate AI Remove and Erase tool with a sneaker photo loaded as the input image

Open Remove & Erase and drop in a photo — products, people and pets all work.

1 / 4 · Add your image

FAQ

Canva background remover questions

How do I remove a background in Canva?

Select the photo in your design, click BG Remover in the editor toolbar and wait a few seconds. Refine the result with the Erase and Restore brushes if needed.

Link to this answer

Is Canva's background remover free?

No. Canva's help centre says Background Remover is included with paid plans. On Canva Free, cut the photo out in a free tool such as Kenerate and upload the transparent PNG to Canva.

Link to this answer

How do I remove a background in Canva for free?

Remove the background outside Canva first: upload the photo to Kenerate (free credits on sign-up), download the transparent PNG, then upload that PNG to Canva and use it in any design.

Link to this answer

Why is BG Remover greyed out or missing?

The usual reasons are a free plan, a file over 9 MB, or a vector graphic instead of a photo. Canva's help centre lists all three limits. For folders, the option is also greyed out when the folder holds more than 50 images.

Link to this answer

Is BG Remover the same as the Canva background remover?

Yes. Canva's Background Remover appears as BG Remover in the editor toolbar and under Tools when you edit an image from Projects. It is the same tool, on paid plans only.

Link to this answer

Does Canva reduce the quality of cut-outs?

Canva says photos over 10 MP are downscaled to 10 MP after the background is removed. For large prints, cut out the photo elsewhere and upload the full-size PNG.

Link to this answer

Can I remove backgrounds from many photos at once in Canva?

Yes, on paid plans. Canva can remove backgrounds for up to 50 images in a folder, one folder at a time, and saves the results in a new folder. Folders with more than 50 images can't use it — the option is greyed out.

Link to this answer

Is the Transparency slider the same as removing the background?

No. The Transparency slider makes the whole image see-through. BG Remover deletes only the background and keeps the subject solid.

Link to this answer

Does Background Remover add an AI label to my design?

Canva says Background Remover is treated as an editing tool and does not add its AI-generated content metadata on its own.

Link to this answer

In depth

Canva's background remover, and where it came from

How the tool got into Canva, what it needs, and what the remove.bg change means — with sources.

On this page

From remove.bg to Canva

Canva launched its Background Remover in 2019 [1]. In February 2021 it bought Kaleido, the Austrian start-up behind remove.bg, which Canva said was removing more than 150 million backgrounds a month [2]; remove.bg itself dates from 2018 and is now a Canva Austria brand [3]. From 1 December 2026 remove.bg's website removal moves into Canva, while its self-service API moves to Leonardo.Ai [4] — which Canva acquired in 2024 [1].

Keep going

More background guides

By Last updated and reviewed

Checked against Canva's own help centre; the cut-out examples are real Kenerate results.

Sources: Canva Help — Remove photo and video backgrounds

On Canva Free? Get the cut-out here

Free credits on sign-up — download a transparent PNG and upload it to Canva.

Remove a background free

Tried it? Tell us how it went