PixelAPI vs Remove.bg vs Replicate: Honest Pricing Comparison (2026)

If you're building an app that needs background removal, image generation, or other AI image processing, you've probably looked at Remove.bg, Replicate, and maybe stumbled across PixelAPI. Here's an honest breakdown of what each costs and what each does well.

Disclosure: I built PixelAPI, so take my perspective with appropriate salt. I'll stick to verifiable numbers.

What Each Service Does

Remove.bg is a focused background removal service. It does one thing — removes backgrounds from images — and does it well. It's been around since 2018 and has excellent quality.

Replicate is a platform that lets you run open-source AI models via API. It offers thousands of models with per-second GPU billing. Great flexibility, but pricing varies based on GPU time.

PixelAPI is a REST API with 11 curated AI models for image generation, editing, and audio. It runs on self-hosted dedicated GPUs with fixed credit-based pricing. Fewer models than Replicate, but predictable costs.

Background Removal: Price Comparison

This is where the differences are stark.

Remove.bg is expensive but battle-tested with excellent edge detection. Replicate's cost varies since it bills by GPU second. PixelAPI's fixed 2-credit ($0.002) pricing is predictable.

Quality

All three use modern segmentation models. Remove.bg has had years to optimize for edge cases. PixelAPI uses BiRefNet, which is the current state-of-the-art open-source model. Replicate lets you choose from multiple models. For most product photos, quality is comparable across all three.

Image Generation: Price Comparison

Remove.bg doesn't offer image generation — it's purely background removal. Replicate's pricing varies by model version and GPU. PixelAPI has flat pricing regardless of model.

Feature Comparison

When to Use Each

Choose Remove.bg when:

• You only need background removal and nothing else
• You need the absolute best edge quality for complex hair/fur
• Budget isn't a constraint
• You want a proven, well-established service with enterprise support

Choose Replicate when:

• You need access to the latest and greatest models as they come out
• You need models PixelAPI doesn't offer (video, 3D, LLMs, etc.)
• You're okay with variable pricing and occasional cold starts
• You want maximum flexibility in model selection

Choose PixelAPI when:

• You need multiple AI capabilities (generation + editing + audio) under one API
• Predictable, low pricing matters (fixed credits, no GPU-time surprises)
• You want zero cold starts — models are always warm
• You're processing high volumes and cost sensitivity is key
• You're in India and want INR pricing via Razorpay

Real Cost Example: E-commerce Product Pipeline

Let's say you process 1,000 product photos per month with this pipeline: remove background → replace with lifestyle scene → upscale for print.

With PixelAPI, you'd need the Pro plan ($50/month for 60,000 credits) which covers ~2,200 full pipelines. With Remove.bg alone, background removal for 1,000 images already costs $230.

The Honest Trade-offs

PixelAPI's weaknesses:

• Only 10 models — if you need something niche, Replicate has more options
• Smaller company — solo founder operation vs venture-backed teams
• No video generation, no 3D models, no LLM inference
• Max resolution 1920px per dimension

What PixelAPI does well:

• 10 models that cover the most common image/audio AI tasks
• Simple, predictable pricing — no GPU-time math
• Always-warm models on dedicated GPUs, zero cold starts
• One API key for everything
• INR pricing for Indian developers

Try It Free

PixelAPI gives you 100 free credits on signup — enough for 50 background removals or 33 image generations. No credit card required.

Get Free API Key →