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Test scope & comparison notes
These are recorded facts, not a unified ranking. Tested tiers and scope are not consistently recorded. Read pricing with its date and timing with its conditions. Privacy observations reflect visible flows and statements, not a security audit.
Cross-task capability coverage across selected products
Each product is scored independently per task edge; switch tasks below while keeping shared products selected| Task edge | Icons8 | Depositphotos | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | 73/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 69/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Active task |
| Image upscaling | 66/100 1024 × 1024 · PNG | 81/100 1024×1024 (JPG · 2.0x Unwatermarked) · Historical description; output not attached |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Icons8 Background Remover Background removal 73/100 Seven-aspect task score Trial limits are disclosed upfront, with full-size output and batch support without login; only three free trials and a notification prompt limit convenience. Tested export 2048 × 2048 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-17 | DepositPhotos Background Remover Background removal 69/100 Seven-aspect task score You can preview first, but registration is demanded at download; roughly 30 seconds end to end adds friction to getting the result. Tested export 2048 × 2048 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-16 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | Icons8 web background remover: monthly, annual and prepaid, excluding API · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Minimum prepaid package2026-10-20 ↗ USD 10 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time Minimum charge $10; at the listed $0.20/image this equals 50 images; use anytime Limited2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9/month USD 90/year Monthly 100 images/month; unused credits roll over Annual 100 images/month; unused credits roll over Prepaid $502026-10-20 ↗ USD 50 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 250 images at the listed $0.20/image; use anytime Prepaid $1002026-10-20 ↗ USD 100 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 500 images at the listed $0.20/image; use anytime Prepaid $2002026-10-20 ↗ USD 200 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 1,000 images at the listed $0.20/image; use anytime 9 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Prepaid entry confirms a $10 minimum and $50/$100/$200/custom choices. Displayed discounted prices are retained. Reviewed general terms assign applicable taxes to the user but do not specify background-remover subscription refund/cancellation details, which remain unconfirmed. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ Minimum prepaid charge and amount choices ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Relevant official terms excerpts ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ | This web background remover; excludes desktop software and stock subscriptions · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free web tool2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Officially free background removal with transparent PNG output Inputs up to 30MB; free export size and count not specified 1 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Inputs up to 30MB; free export size and count not specified Cancellation, sources & verification recordCredit packs remain valid for 1 year; subscriptions can be cancelled anytime in account settings Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Anonymous visitors get 3 free demo background removals at full resolution; additional images cost $0.20/image or $9/mo | New registered accounts receive free trial download credits, after which Background Remover credit packs apply |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. | Credit packs remain valid for 1 year; subscriptions can be cancelled anytime in account settings |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Disclosed upfront in the landing page hero subtitle ("Try it with 3 demo removes") | Account requirement is disclosed only after processing when clicking Download |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Edge error MAD: 0.1653 (Lower is better) · Global error SAD(k): 52.608 (Lower is better) · Foreground retention: 99.070% (Higher is better) · Background residue: 0.260% (Lower is better) | Edge error MAD: 0.1259 (Lower is better) · Global error SAD(k): 59.256 (Lower is better) · Foreground retention: 99.680% (Higher is better) · Background residue: 0.143% (Lower is better) |
| Fixture findings | Clean subject contours and free full-size output in the record; the finest flyaway hairs are cut sharply. | The subject is largely preserved; translucent background halos remain around the curls. |
| Original historical observation | Clean main subject and inner curl separation (99.07% foreground recall) with slightly firmer outer flyaway cutoffs (mad_band=0.1653) at full 2048×2048 native resolution. | Server generates a full 2048×2048 Alpha mask (99.68% foreground recall), though outer curly hair transition bands retain noticeable semi-transparent background halos (mad_band=0.1259, SAD(k)=59.26). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Designers needing 1–3 full-resolution 2048×2048 unwatermarked cutouts without creating an account | Commercial users already in the DepositPhotos / VistaPrint ecosystem who value an explicit 'automatically removed after 7 days' retention policy |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 2048 × 2048 · PNG · No watermark in test | 2048 × 2048 · PNG · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2048×2048 (Unwatermarked 2048×2048 RGBA PNG within 3 free guest demo removals) | 2048×2048 (result panel displays 'Image size: 2048 × 2048 px' and S3 delivers a 2048×2048 alpha mask; clicking Download requires account sign-up) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | None |
| Batch & API | Batch upload up to 500 images, REST API, Mac app, and Figma/Photoshop plugins | Single-image web uploader + commercial API Suite |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 2048 × 2048 | 2048 × 2048 |
| Attached file dimensions | 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 2048 × 2048 · PNG |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 7.4s · End-to-end reference: 10.2s | Network-observed server wait: 3.57s · End-to-end reference: 30.41s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-17 · anchor_bgremove_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-16 · anchor_bgremove_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) |
| Repeated tests & reliability | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. | No standardized repetition count, success rate or variability range is recorded. |
| Interaction experience | ||
| Account requirements | No login in this test | Account required in this test |
| Sign-in methods | No login required for 3 full-res demo images; supports Email / Google / GitHub sign-in | Guests can preview only; clicking Download requires creating/logging into an account (Google / Facebook / Email) |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Manual erase / adjustment recorded in the historical flow |
| Interaction observations | Triggers a browser notification permission prompt during upload to alert when background processing completes, but allows direct 2048×2048 unwatermarked export within the 3-image demo quota without forced signup. | Clean upload and preview experience without ad clutter, but blocks guest download at the final step with a mandatory sign-up modal (Google / Facebook / Email). |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | Icons8 LLC | DepositPhotos Inc. (Subsidiary of VistaPrint / Cimpress plc, NASDAQ: CMPR) |
| Recorded origin | New York, USA (Global Distributed Team) | New York, USA (Publicly traded Cimpress group) |
| Domain history record | 2012–Present | Founded 2009 (17-year track record) |
| Background & reputation assessment | Developed by Icons8 LLC (founded in 2012 by Ivan Boyko, creator of Pichon, Lunacy, Smart Upscaler, and Generated Photos). | DepositPhotos Inc. (Founded 2009 in New York, top-5 global stock photography marketplace acquired by public company VistaPrint / Cimpress [NASDAQ: CMPR] in 2021). |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Major commercial stock photography platform with strong enterprise compliance. |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Not verified | Google Analytics · Google Ads · Bing Ads · Pinterest Tag · LinkedIn Insight |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Supports batch drag-and-drop up to 500 images (JPG/PNG/WebP) via the ai-cdn.icons8.com async pipeline, plus native Mac app, Figma/Photoshop plugins, and REST API. | Workspace footer explicitly states its retention policy: 'Processed files will be removed automatically after 7 days'; distributes the 2048×2048 mask via AWS S3 (eu-west-1). |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 29 / 35 The landing page (01_landing.png) explicitly states "Try it with 3 demo removes" in the hero subtitle. Anonymous guests can upload and download full 2048×2048 unwatermarked RGBA PNG cutouts (02_workspace.png) for up to 3 demo images before hitting the "$0.20 per image / $9 per month" paywall (03_download.png). | 20 / 40 Landing page headlines 'Free online background remover' without disclosing upfront that an account is required; after processing, the card shows 'Image size: 2048 × 2048 px' and clicking Download triggers a 'To download this image, create an account' modal. |
| Interaction restraint | 24 / 30 Triggers a browser notification permission prompt during upload to alert when background processing completes, but allows direct 2048×2048 unwatermarked export within the 3-image demo quota without forced signup. | 14 / 20 Clean upload and preview experience without ad clutter, but blocks guest download at the final step with a mandatory sign-up modal (Google / Facebook / Email). |
| Background & reputation | 19 / 20 Developed by Icons8 LLC (founded in 2012 by Ivan Boyko, creator of Pichon, Lunacy, Smart Upscaler, and Generated Photos). | 24 / 25 DepositPhotos Inc. (Founded 2009 in New York, top-5 global stock photography marketplace acquired by public company VistaPrint / Cimpress [NASDAQ: CMPR] in 2021). |
| Engineering & privacy | 12 / 15 Supports batch drag-and-drop up to 500 images (JPG/PNG/WebP) via the ai-cdn.icons8.com async pipeline, plus native Mac app, Figma/Photoshop plugins, and REST API. | 11 / 15 Workspace footer explicitly states its retention policy: 'Processed files will be removed automatically after 7 days'; distributes the 2048×2048 mask via AWS S3 (eu-west-1). |
| Task quality | 38.6 / 65 Transition band error mad_band=0.1653 · Global SAD(k)=52.608 · Foreground recall 99.07% / Background leak 0.260% | 39.2 / 65 Transition band error mad_band=0.1259 · Global SAD(k)=59.256 · Foreground recall 99.68% / Background leak 0.143% |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 True Alpha channel (8/8); Max deliverable spec: 2048×2048 (Unwatermarked 2048×2048 RGBA PNG within 3 free guest demo removals) | 20 / 20 True Alpha channel (8/8); Max deliverable spec: 2048×2048 (result panel displays 'Image size: 2048 × 2048 px' and S3 delivers a 2048×2048 alpha mask; clicking Download requires account sign-up) |
| Processing speed | 10 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 7.4s (API mode: async; network upload 1.6s / end-to-end 10.2s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 10 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 3.57s (API mode: async; network upload 14.95s / end-to-end 30.41s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
