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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 | LightX | Erase.bg | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | 64/100 480 × 480 · PNG | 60/100 1536 × 1536 · PNG | Active task |
| Image upscaling | 86/100 JPEG · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Object removal | 66/100 JPEG · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | 83/100 JPEG · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | LightX AI Background Remover Background removal 64/100 Seven-aspect task score Clearly labelled tiers allow login-free use, but free output is only 480px with limited fine-hair detail; HD requires login. Tested export 480 × 480 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-17 | Erase.bg Background removal 60/100 Seven-aspect task score Hair quality is good, but the HD signup flow failed to deliver, promotions interrupt the workflow, and prior images remain visible in a shared browser. Tested export 1536 × 1536 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-15 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | USD web monthly/annual subscriptions and 800-credit pack; excludes API · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Starter2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Card states 6 AI credits/day; comparison table instead says up to 5 credits Background removal outputs low-resolution JPG; export table lists 512px Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99/month USD 59.99/year Annual 1,000 AI credits/month; unlimited background removal/replacement PNG and high resolution; export table lists 4096px Monthly 1,000 AI credits/month; unlimited background removal/replacement PNG and high resolution; export table lists 4096px 800 AI credit pack2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 800 general AI credits Advertised lifetime validity 4 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Monthly $9.99 verified; promotional annual total $59.99 and non-expiring 800-credit pack $9.99. The free card still says 6 daily credits while the table says up to 5. Free removal is low-resolution JPG; Pro provides unlimited high-resolution PNG removal. Earlier INR and current USD observations do not imply identical regional pricing. 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 ↗ Monthly pricing and feature comparison ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ | Current purchase cards on the Chinese pricing page; dollar pricing · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits 10 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 6 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 10 removals; 1 credit each Rules [1] 100 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 12 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 100 removals; 1 credit each Rules [1] 1000 credits2026-10-20 ↗ USD 50 · one-time payment Usage / one-time Usage / one-time 1000 removals; 1 credit each Rules [1] 5 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. The conflict persists on recheck: purchase cards offer only 10/100/1,000-credit one-time packs, while the FAQ claims unlimited Pro at $15/month or $5/month billed annually without a matching subscription purchase option. These subscriptions are not marked purchasable. Signup grants 3 HD downloads; each removal costs 1 credit; purchased credits expire after one year and are nonrefundable. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCurrent packs are non-refundable. FAQ subscription cancellation text may describe legacy plans. Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Current purchase cards and FAQ conflict recheck ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free guest 480×480 export; registered users receive daily free AI credits for advanced editor tools | Guest tier exports at 75% dimension (1536×1536); registering a PixelBin account grants 3 credits on console.pixelbin.io |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. | Current packs are non-refundable. FAQ subscription cancellation text may describe legacy plans. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Exact resolution limits are displayed right below the Download HD and Download Standard buttons | 1536×1536 downscaling and cross-product redirect to PixelBin are not disclosed before clicking |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Edge error MAD: 0.228 (Lower is better) · Global error SAD(k): 50.793 (Lower is better) · Foreground retention: 99.890% (Higher is better) · Background residue: 1.303% (Lower is better) | Edge error MAD: 0.0739 (Lower is better) · Global error SAD(k): 27.914 (Lower is better) · Foreground retention: 99.960% (Higher is better) · Background residue: 0.036% (Lower is better) |
| Fixture findings | Complete subject contours and convenient previews; this free export was only 480px and smoothed fine hair. | Fine curls were well retained with low edge error in this test; other subjects are not established by this result. |
| Original historical observation | LightX cleanly segments the portrait silhouette (99.89% foreground recall) and offers instant backdrop color previews on the result page (02_workspace.png), though the 480×480 guest resolution cap pixelates fine flyaway curls. | Underlying segmentation model is outstanding (mad_band=0.0748, SAD(k)=27.9, #2 in raw hair edge accuracy), which makes its aggressive cross-product redirect dark pattern all the more unfortunate. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users needing quick, unwatermarked small transparent thumbnails or icons (480×480) without signing up | Users who strictly use the guest no-login button for 1536×1536 exports and ignore the HD sign-up prompt |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 480 × 480 · PNG · No watermark in test | 1536 × 1536 · PNG · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 480 × 480 (Guest Standard tier, 5.5% pixel retention) | 1536×1536 guest export (75% of input dimension; 'Sign up & Download HD 2048×2048' button redirected to console.pixelbin.io without delivering the image) |
| Watermark observation | No watermark | None |
| Batch & API | Commercial API (https://www.lightxeditor.com/api/) + full web editor | Requires switching to PixelBin console for batch & API workflows |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 480 × 480 | 1536 × 1536 |
| Attached file dimensions | 480 × 480 · PNG | 1536 × 1536 · PNG |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 5.85s · End-to-end reference: 7.5s | Network-observed server wait: 8.3s · End-to-end reference: 30.64s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-17 · anchor_bgremove_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-15 · 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 | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | No login required for 480×480 Standard PNG; Google / Facebook / Email login required for 1920×1920 HD | No login required for 1536×1536 export; HD button prompts Google / GitHub / Email login |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Basic background color replacement on Erase.bg; no brush tool |
| Interaction observations | Explicitly labels exact pixel limits (480×480 vs 1920×1920) directly beneath the two download buttons with zero hidden watermarks. | Clicking the free download triggers two consecutive overlay modals (sign-up prompt + PostHog PixelBin survey popup), and the HD sign-up flow redirects across products. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (LightX) | Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd. (Fynd / PixelBin, Reliance-backed) |
| Recorded origin | New Delhi, India | Mumbai, India |
| Domain history record | 2017–present | Launched 2021 |
| Background & reputation assessment | Developed by AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (New Delhi, India), creator of the globally popular LightX mobile photo editor with tens of millions of downloads. | Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd. (Fynd / PixelBin, backed by Reliance Industries, Mumbai, India). |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Built by Indian retail-tech giant Fynd with an excellent segmentation model, but heavily penalized by our 60.0 hard cap due to unfulfilled HD sign-up redirect to PixelBin. |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Not verified | PostHog · Google Analytics |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Performs HTTPS cloud segmentation and triggers direct local download for Standard resolution without intrusive browser permissions. | Supports HTTPS, but in guest mode the page still displayed previous session upload history from the same browser profile. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 28 / 35 Supports direct unauthenticated image upload on the landing page (01_landing.png) and clearly displays two download buttons side by side: "Download HD (Resolution upto 1920 x 1920 px)" and "Download Standard (Resolution upto 480 x 480 px)" (02_workspace.png). Clicking Download Standard immediately exports a 480×480 unwatermarked RGBA PNG without login, while clicking Download HD opens a "Log In to Continue" modal (03_download.png). | 25 / 40 Guest download silently scales 2048×2048 input to 1536×1536 (75% dimension) without stating pixel dimensions on the button; clicking 'Sign up & Download HD (2048×2048)' and completing Google OAuth redirected to console.pixelbin.io instead of downloading the HD image. |
| Interaction restraint | 25 / 30 Explicitly labels exact pixel limits (480×480 vs 1920×1920) directly beneath the two download buttons with zero hidden watermarks. | 6 / 20 Clicking the free download triggers two consecutive overlay modals (sign-up prompt + PostHog PixelBin survey popup), and the HD sign-up flow redirects across products. |
| Background & reputation | 18 / 20 Developed by AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (New Delhi, India), creator of the globally popular LightX mobile photo editor with tens of millions of downloads. | 21 / 25 Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd. (Fynd / PixelBin, backed by Reliance Industries, Mumbai, India). |
| Engineering & privacy | 11 / 15 Performs HTTPS cloud segmentation and triggers direct local download for Standard resolution without intrusive browser permissions. | 11 / 15 Supports HTTPS, but in guest mode the page still displayed previous session upload history from the same browser profile. |
| Task quality | 34.6 / 65 Achieves a very high 99.89% foreground recall, but because the free guest export is capped at 480×480 (only 23.4% of the 2048px master width), fine outer hair curls suffer heavy downsampling loss when evaluated against the 2048×2048 Ground-Truth alpha (mad_band = 0.2280, SAD = 50.793k, bg_leak = 1.303%) (34.6/65). | 59.6 / 65 Transition band error mad_band=0.0739 · Global SAD(k)=27.914 · Foreground recall 99.96% / Background leak 0.036% |
| Deliverable specifications | 10 / 20 Delivers a clean, unwatermarked RGBA PNG for free without login, but caps guest resolution at 480×480 (retaining 5.5% of original pixels) (10.0/20). | 20 / 20 True Alpha channel (8/8); Max deliverable spec: 1536×1536 guest export (75% of input dimension; 'Sign up & Download HD 2048×2048' button redirected to console.pixelbin.io without delivering the image) |
| Processing speed | 12 / 15 Cloud background removal completed in ~5.85s for the 2048×2048 master (12.0/15). | 10 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 8.3s (API mode: async; network upload 15.61s / end-to-end 30.64s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
