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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 | photopea.com | Adobe | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | 93/100 2048 × 2048 (4.96 MB original RGBA PNG) · Historical description; output not attached | 77/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Active task |
| Image compression | 94/100 JPEG · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
| Image upscaling | Not tested in topic | 88/100 2048×2048 (4.0x Unwatermarked JPG) · Historical description; output not attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Object removal | Not tested in topic | 89/100 2048×2048 (Full-Res Unwatermarked PNG) · Historical description; output not attached | Compare in task topic → |
| Image generation | Not tested in topic | 90/100 1024 × 1024 · PNG | Compare in task topic → |
| Image vectorization | 99/100 SVG · Output attached | Not tested in topic | Compare in task topic → |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Photopea AI Background Remover Background removal 93/100 Seven-aspect task score Benchmark browser-native image suite powered by WebAssembly, delivering free signup-free 2048×2048 watermark-free transparent PNGs; watching a 30s rewarded ad unlocks exceptional curly hair matting precision (99.7% recall). Tested export 2048 × 2048 (4.96 MB original RGBA PNG) · Historical description; output not attached Historical test · 2026-11-03 | Adobe Firefly (Express) BG Remover Background removal 77/100 Seven-aspect task score Free full-size export without login opens the Firefly editor; the subject is retained, but gaps between curls need cleanup. Tested export 2048 × 2048 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-16 |
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| Pricing & rules | ||
| Pricing plans | Photopea Free and Premium pass structure · 2026-10-30 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-30 ↗ Free Free Free 100% complete feature access, unlimited local client-side exports, 0.5 GB PeaDrive, ad-supported PSD/AI/XD/PDF editing, AI background removal, adjustment layers, bitmap vectorizer Premium Single User (30 Days)2026-10-30 ↗ EUR 8/month — Monthly Single user 30 days ad-free, 5 GB PeaDrive, 3,000 AI credits, 2x history steps No ads, one-time payment with no auto-renewal, reverts to free on expiry Premium Single User (365 Days)2026-10-30 ↗ — EUR 50/year Annual Single user 365 days ad-free (€4.17/mo equiv), 5 GB PeaDrive, 3,000 monthly AI credits Full-year ad-free experience, one-time payment without recurring billing 3 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free tier grants 100% feature access with ads; Premium passes are one-time non-recurring purchases (€8/30d, €15/90d, €50/365d) returning to free upon expiry. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancellation and refund terms unverified Photopea Official Premium Pricing Modal ↗ · 2026-10-30 Capture 1 ↗ | US individual Firefly web free feature and four monthly subscriptions; excludes student/business, full Creative Cloud and other regions; includes four generative credit add-on subscriptions · 2026-10-20 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Firefly web background remover2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Official feature page describes free removal; single JPG/PNG/WebP input up to 50MB Count and free export specification are not stated; subsequent generative editing may require separate credits Firefly Standard2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99/month — Monthly 2,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts Rules [1] Firefly Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 19.99/month — Monthly 4,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts Rules [1] Firefly Pro Plus2026-10-20 ↗ USD 34.97/month — Monthly 10,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts First-year promotion advertised through October 21; regular price USD 49.99/month. Renewal and eligibility follow the offer terms. Rules [1]Firefly Premium2026-10-20 ↗ USD 139.91/month — Monthly 50,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts First-year promotion advertised through October 21; regular price USD 199.99/month. Renewal and eligibility follow the offer terms. Rules [1]2,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 9.99/month — Monthly 2,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 7,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 29.99/month — Monthly 7,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 10,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 49.99/month — Monthly 10,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 50,000 generative credit add-on2026-10-20 ↗ USD 199.99/month — Monthly 50,000 generative credits/month; not removal counts 9 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Four US individual Firefly monthly plans and four credit add-on subscriptions are listed. Pro Plus/Premium first-year promotions end October 21, with regular prices separately shown. Official pages do not quantify daily free removal counts or regional tax amounts. Generative credits concern other AI features and do not establish a payment requirement for free removal. Verification has gaps; unknown prices and quotas are not inferred. Cancellation, sources & verification recordSelf-serve cancellation in Adobe Account (monthly plans cancel anytime; annual billed-monthly plans subject to Adobe terms) Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ US individual Firefly subscriptions ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official generative credit add-on subscriptions ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free users watch a single rewarded video ad to complete full-resolution AI export | Quick web background removal & full-res download are free without login; generative AI features in Firefly use Generative Credits |
| Cancellation & refunds | Not verified | Self-serve cancellation in Adobe Account (monthly plans cancel anytime; annual billed-monthly plans subject to Adobe terms) |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Explicitly informs user of ad requirement upon clicking Remove BG | File formats (JPG/PNG/WEBP) and 50MB limit are disclosed directly inside the upload dropzone |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Edge error MAD: 0.112 (Lower is better) · Global error SAD(k): 44.707 (Lower is better) · Foreground retention: 99.740% (Higher is better) · Background residue: 0.026% (Lower is better) | Edge error MAD: 0.1235 (Lower is better) · Global error SAD(k): 49.851 (Lower is better) · Foreground retention: 99.850% (Higher is better) · Background residue: 0.442% (Lower is better) |
| Fixture findings | Outstanding 2048px curly hair matting precision with 99.74% foreground recall and only 0.026% background leak, directly generating editable layer masks. | Hair and subject are largely retained; some background remains between curls. |
| Original historical observation | Photopea exports full 2048×2048 transparent PNG client-side with outstanding hair preservation (fg_recall = 99.74%, bg_leak = 0.026%), generating an editable layer mask. | Very high foreground hair preservation (fg_recall=99.85%) in a 9.23MB 2048×2048 PNG, though a small patch of bookshelf background remained inside left curly hair gaps (bg_leak=0.442%, mad_band=0.1235, SAD(k)=49.85). |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Designers and power users needing free 2048×2048 watermark-free transparent PNG exports with advanced in-browser layer editing | Designers and everyday users who value Adobe's enterprise privacy standards and want a zero-login 2048×2048 full-res PNG |
| Result & output evidence | No native output obtained; the preview does not establish final export quality. | |
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 2048 × 2048 (4.96 MB original RGBA PNG) · Historical description; output not attached · Check watermark record No native output is attached; check the evidence for specification and watermark claims. | 2048 × 2048 · PNG · No watermark in test |
| Historical specification note · not an official maximum | 2048 × 2048 (4.96 MB original RGBA PNG) | 2048×2048 (Guests directly download full 2048×2048 PNG without sign-in; supports files up to 50MB) |
| Watermark observation | Completely watermark-free | None |
| Batch & API | Full keyboard shortcuts, PSD/AI import/export, action scripts, and blend modes | Batch workflows available via Photoshop, Lightroom, or Creative Cloud APIs |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | Not verified | 2048 × 2048 |
| Attached file dimensions | Not verified | 2048 × 2048 · PNG |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Recorded local processing time: 15s · End-to-end reference: 50s | Network-observed server wait: 7.75s · End-to-end reference: 11.98s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-11-03 · 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 | No login in this test |
| Sign-in methods | Completely usable without login | No login required for background removal and full-res PNG download; Adobe sign-in only needed for Generative Fill in Firefly |
| Manual adjustment | Not verified | Seamlessly opens in Adobe Firefly canvas for Remove brush & Generative Fill |
| Interaction observations | Not verified | Removed the legacy mandatory Adobe ID sign-in wall for downloading! Clicking Download immediately saves the PNG while opening firefly.adobe.com/hub in a new tab (-2 pts) alongside a floating chat bubble (-2 pts). |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | The legacy Adobe Express background-remover URL now redirects to the upgraded Adobe Firefly visual pipeline (/products/firefly/features/remove-background.html). |
| Operator | Ivan Kutskir (Photopea) | Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) |
| Recorded origin | Czech Republic | San Jose, California, USA |
| Domain history record | 2013–present | Domain registered 1986 / Firefly pipeline 2023–2026 |
| Background & reputation assessment | Not verified | Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE, creator of Photoshop, Creative Cloud, and Firefly), global authority in digital imaging. |
| External reputation record | Not verified | Users historically criticized Adobe Express for forcing sign-in before download; our 2026 test confirms the migrated Firefly page now lets guests download full-res PNGs without logging in. |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | On-device processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Google AdSense · Google Analytics | Adobe Experience Platform / Alloy |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Not verified | Backed by Adobe Creative Cloud enterprise blob storage (acp-aep-cs-blobstore-prod-va6-data.adobe.io) with signed temporary URLs and strict enterprise privacy commitments. |
| Retention statement | This flow runs locally; post-close deletion not independently verified | Claims deletion within 4 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 40 / 40 Landing page clearly states 'Remove the background from your image for free' and 'File must be JPEG (JPG), PNG, or WEBP and up to 50MB'; real-machine testing confirms guests download a 2048×2048 full-res PNG (9.23MB) without any sign-in wall. | |
| Interaction restraint | 16 / 20 Removed the legacy mandatory Adobe ID sign-in wall for downloading! Clicking Download immediately saves the PNG while opening firefly.adobe.com/hub in a new tab (-2 pts) alongside a floating chat bubble (-2 pts). | |
| Background & reputation | 25 / 25 Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE, creator of Photoshop, Creative Cloud, and Firefly), global authority in digital imaging. | |
| Engineering & privacy | 15 / 15 Backed by Adobe Creative Cloud enterprise blob storage (acp-aep-cs-blobstore-prod-va6-data.adobe.io) with signed temporary URLs and strict enterprise privacy commitments. | |
| Task quality | 58.5 / 65 Transition band error mad_band=0.112 · Global SAD(k)=44.707 · Foreground recall 99.74% / Background leak 0.026% | 39.1 / 65 Transition band error mad_band=0.1235 · Global SAD(k)=49.851 · Foreground recall 99.85% / Background leak 0.442% |
| Deliverable specifications | 20 / 20 True Alpha channel (8/8); Max deliverable spec: 2048 × 2048 (4.96 MB original RGBA PNG) | 20 / 20 True Alpha channel (8/8); Max deliverable spec: 2048×2048 (Guests directly download full 2048×2048 PNG without sign-in; supports files up to 50MB) |
| Processing speed | 13 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 15s (API mode: client_wasm_neural_matting; network upload 0s / end-to-end 50s shown for reference only, never penalized) | 10 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 7.75s (API mode: async; network upload 0.01s / end-to-end 11.98s shown for reference only, never penalized) |
