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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 | Photoroom | Adobe | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | 86/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 77/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | Active task |
| Image upscaling | 87/100 JPEG · Output attached | 88/100 2048×2048 (4.0x Unwatermarked JPG) · Historical description; output not attached | |
| Object removal | 88/100 2048×2048 (No Watermark PNG) · Historical description; output not attached | 89/100 2048×2048 (Full-Res Unwatermarked PNG) · Historical description; output not attached | |
| Image generation | 86/100 JPEG · Output attached | 90/100 1024 × 1024 · PNG |
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Browse this task →| Criterion | Photoroom Background removal 86/100 Seven-aspect task score This run delivered full size free without login or promotion blocks, with clean removal; photos go to the cloud and visitor analytics scripts are present. Tested export 2048 × 2048 · PNG Historical test · 2026-10-15 | 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 | USD web subscriptions: Pro, Max and all four Ultra volumes, monthly and annual; excludes API/MCP · 2026-10-21 Plan · source date Monthly / one-time Annual bill / period Quota & limits Free2026-10-20 ↗ Free Free Free Limited AI credits and exports; exact quantities are not stated in official help Personal, non-commercial use only; no API access Pro2026-10-20 ↗ USD 12.99/month USD 89.99/year Monthly 8,000 AI credits/month, 1,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 8,000 AI credits/month, 1,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $7.50/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 89.99/year (one free trial per person) Max2026-10-20 ↗ USD 34.99/month USD 249.99/year Monthly 25,000 AI credits/month, 3,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 25,000 AI credits/month, 3,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $20.99/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 249.99/year ($20.83/month equivalent, one free trial per person) Ultra 75k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 99/month USD 990/year Monthly 75,000 AI credits/month, 10,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 75,000 AI credits/month, 10,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $82.50/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 990.00/year Ultra 150k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 198/month USD 1,980/year Monthly 150,000 AI credits/month, 20,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 150,000 AI credits/month, 20,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $165/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 1,980.00/year Ultra 375k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 495/month USD 4,950/year Monthly 375,000 AI credits/month, 50,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 375,000 AI credits/month, 50,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $413/month equivalent ($412.50/month in modal); in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 4,950.00/year Ultra 750k2026-10-20 ↗ USD 990/month USD 9,900/year Monthly 750,000 AI credits/month, 100,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Annual 750,000 AI credits/month, 100,000 exports/month; core removal uses no AI credits Public card shows $825/month equivalent; in-app upgrade modal after sign-in confirms USD 9,900.00/year 13 plan / billing-period records, all listed; — means that period is not recorded. Free use is personal and non-commercial, with no exact allowance stated. Core removal uses no AI credits but export caps and fair-use limits apply. The public pricing page only shows monthly equivalents for annual plans; after sign-in, the in-app upgrade modal confirms all six annual invoice totals: Pro USD 89.99/year (not $7.5×12=$90), Max USD 249.99/year ($20.83/month equivalent, not $20.99×12), and Ultra tiers at USD 990 / 1,980 / 4,950 / 9,900/year. The pricing page states VAT/GST is included. Cancellation, sources & verification recordCancel in app. Pro/Max annual plans have a seven-day trial. Pro/Max/Ultra refunds may be requested within seven days of the last payment, but are not guaranteed and may be refused for misuse or terms violations. API is excluded. Official plans and usage terms ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ · Capture 2 ↗ · Capture 3 ↗ · Capture 4 ↗ · Capture 5 ↗ · Capture 6 ↗ · Capture 7 ↗ · Capture 8 ↗ · Capture 9 ↗ · Capture 10 ↗ · Capture 11 ↗ Purchase entry requires sign-in ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official plans and free-use scope ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ Official refund eligibility ↗ · 2026-10-20 Capture 1 ↗ In-app upgrade modal annual billing totals (verified after sign-in) ↗ · 2026-10-21 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 web tool exports full 2048×2048 PNG without login; batch mode & AI studio templates require Pro | Quick web background removal & full-res download are free without login; generative AI features in Firefly use Generative Credits |
| Cancellation & refunds | Cancel in app. Pro/Max annual plans have a seven-day trial. Pro/Max/Ultra refunds may be requested within seven days of the last payment, but are not guaranteed and may be refused for misuse or terms violations. API is excluded. | Self-serve cancellation in Adobe Account (monthly plans cancel anytime; annual billed-monthly plans subject to Adobe terms) |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Disclosed upfront before upload; free download delivers full 2048×2048 resolution | File formats (JPG/PNG/WEBP) and 50MB limit are disclosed directly inside the upload dropzone |
| Task quality | ||
| Measured fixture results | Edge error MAD: 0.113 (Lower is better) · Global error SAD(k): 43.696 (Lower is better) · Foreground retention: 99.670% (Higher is better) · Background residue: 0.000% (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 | Clean background removal; the finest outer flyaway hairs are slightly cropped. | Hair and subject are largely retained; some background remains between curls. |
| Original historical observation | 0.000% background leak (cleanest background removal of all tested sites) and blazing 1.01s server processing; outer frizzy hair strands are slightly tightened inward (mad_band=0.1112, SAD(k)=43.0). | 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 | Users wanting the fastest, zero-login, true 2048×2048 full-resolution transparent PNG export | Designers and everyday users who value Adobe's enterprise privacy standards and want a zero-login 2048×2048 full-res PNG |
| 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 (Guests can directly export watermark-free 2048×2048 full-resolution PNG without signing in) | 2048×2048 (Guests directly download full 2048×2048 PNG without sign-in; supports files up to 50MB) |
| Watermark observation | None | None |
| Batch & API | Batch processing available in Photoroom Pro web/mobile apps & API | Batch workflows available via Photoshop, Lightroom, or Creative Cloud APIs |
| 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: 1.01s · End-to-end reference: 11.79s | Network-observed server wait: 7.75s · End-to-end reference: 11.98s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-15 · 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 | No login required for free 2048×2048 export; optional sign-in for cloud workspace & batch tools | No login required for background removal and full-res PNG download; Adobe sign-in only needed for Generative Fill in Firefly |
| Manual adjustment | Click 'Edit in Photoroom' to access brush touch-up, shadows, and AI backgrounds | Seamlessly opens in Adobe Firefly canvas for Remove brush & Generative Fill |
| Interaction observations | Zero login wall, zero ad popups, and zero countdown dark patterns; clicking Download immediately saves the full-res PNG. | 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 | PhotoRoom SAS | Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) |
| Recorded origin | Paris, France | San Jose, California, USA |
| Domain history record | Launched 2019 | Domain registered 1986 / Firefly pipeline 2023–2026 |
| Background & reputation assessment | Photoroom (Artizans / PhotoRoom SAS, Paris, France), unicorn-scale AI photo studio trusted by millions of e-commerce sellers. | Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE, creator of Photoshop, Creative Cloud, and Firefly), global authority in digital imaging. |
| External reputation record | Ranked #1 on our Free & No-Login Leaderboard: combines 1.01s server speed with genuine 2048×2048 guest PNG downloads. | 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 | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Cloudflare Turnstile · Microsoft Clarity · Snitcher | Adobe Experience Platform / Alloy |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Fast synchronous WebSocket/REST pipeline (1.01s server time), strict GDPR compliance. | 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 | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Claims deletion within 4 hours; deletion not independently verified |
| Evaluation basis | ||
| Pricing transparency | 38 / 40 Landing page promises 'Free background remover — fast, accurate, no sign-up required'; real-machine testing confirms guests directly download a watermark-free 2048×2048 true-Alpha PNG. | 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 | 19 / 20 Zero login wall, zero ad popups, and zero countdown dark patterns; clicking Download immediately saves the full-res PNG. | 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 | 24 / 25 Photoroom (Artizans / PhotoRoom SAS, Paris, France), unicorn-scale AI photo studio trusted by millions of e-commerce sellers. | 25 / 25 Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE, creator of Photoshop, Creative Cloud, and Firefly), global authority in digital imaging. |
| Engineering & privacy | 13 / 15 Fast synchronous WebSocket/REST pipeline (1.01s server time), strict GDPR compliance. | 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 | 47.4 / 65 Transition band error mad_band=0.113 · Global SAD(k)=43.696 · Foreground recall 99.67% / Background leak 0.000% | 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 (Guests can directly export watermark-free 2048×2048 full-resolution PNG without signing in) | 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 | 15 / 15 Network-observed server wait: 1.01s (API mode: sync; network upload 8.65s / end-to-end 11.79s 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) |
