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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 | LightX | Switch / compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background removal | 86/100 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 64/100 480 × 480 · PNG | Active task |
| Image upscaling | 87/100 JPEG · Output attached | 86/100 JPEG · Output attached | |
| Object removal | 88/100 2048×2048 (No Watermark PNG) · Historical description; output not attached | 66/100 JPEG · Output attached | |
| Image generation | 86/100 JPEG · Output attached | 83/100 JPEG · Output attached |
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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 | 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 |
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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 ↗ | 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 ↗ |
| Free & trial allowance on the test date | Free web tool exports full 2048×2048 PNG without login; batch mode & AI studio templates require Pro | Free guest 480×480 export; registered users receive daily free AI credits for advanced editor tools |
| 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. | Cancellation and refund terms follow official checkout and help policies. |
| Disclosure of costs & limits | Disclosed upfront before upload; free download delivers full 2048×2048 resolution | Exact resolution limits are displayed right below the Download HD and Download Standard buttons |
| 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: 0.228 (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) |
| Fixture findings | Clean background removal; the finest outer flyaway hairs are slightly cropped. | Complete subject contours and convenient previews; this free export was only 480px and smoothed fine hair. |
| 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). | 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. |
| Suitable uses · historical assessment | Users wanting the fastest, zero-login, true 2048×2048 full-resolution transparent PNG export | Users needing quick, unwatermarked small transparent thumbnails or icons (480×480) without signing up |
| Result & output evidence | ||
| Delivery capabilities | ||
| Recorded export specifications | 2048 × 2048 · PNG · No watermark in test | 480 × 480 · 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) | 480 × 480 (Guest Standard tier, 5.5% pixel retention) |
| Watermark observation | None | No watermark |
| Batch & API | Batch processing available in Photoroom Pro web/mobile apps & API | Commercial API (https://www.lightxeditor.com/api/) + full web editor |
| Recorded free-tier dimensions | 2048 × 2048 | 480 × 480 |
| Attached file dimensions | 2048 × 2048 · PNG | 480 × 480 · PNG |
| Speed & reliability | ||
| Timing observation | Network-observed server wait: 1.01s · End-to-end reference: 11.79s | Network-observed server wait: 5.85s · End-to-end reference: 7.5s |
| Date & fixture | 2026-10-15 · anchor_bgremove_v1 · US-West (California, AS2914) | 2026-10-17 · 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 480×480 Standard PNG; Google / Facebook / Email login required for 1920×1920 HD |
| Manual adjustment | Click 'Edit in Photoroom' to access brush touch-up, shadows, and AI backgrounds | Not verified |
| Interaction observations | Zero login wall, zero ad popups, and zero countdown dark patterns; clicking Download immediately saves the full-res PNG. | Explicitly labels exact pixel limits (480×480 vs 1920×1920) directly beneath the two download buttons with zero hidden watermarks. |
| Background & reputation | ||
| Service lifecycle notice | Not verified | Not verified |
| Operator | PhotoRoom SAS | AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (LightX) |
| Recorded origin | Paris, France | New Delhi, India |
| Domain history record | Launched 2019 | 2017–present |
| Background & reputation assessment | Photoroom (Artizans / PhotoRoom SAS, Paris, France), unicorn-scale AI photo studio trusted by millions of e-commerce sellers. | Developed by AndOr Communications Pvt. Ltd. (New Delhi, India), creator of the globally popular LightX mobile photo editor with tens of millions of downloads. |
| External reputation record | Ranked #1 on our Free & No-Login Leaderboard: combines 1.01s server speed with genuine 2048×2048 guest PNG downloads. | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy | ||
| Processing location | Uploaded for cloud processing | Uploaded for cloud processing |
| Third-party tracking record | Cloudflare Turnstile · Microsoft Clarity · Snitcher | Not verified |
| Engineering & privacy assessment | Fast synchronous WebSocket/REST pipeline (1.01s server time), strict GDPR compliance. | Performs HTTPS cloud segmentation and triggers direct local download for Standard resolution without intrusive browser permissions. |
| Retention statement | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record | Explicit retention period unconfirmed; inspect policy record |
| 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. | 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). |
| Interaction restraint | 19 / 20 Zero login wall, zero ad popups, and zero countdown dark patterns; clicking Download immediately saves the full-res PNG. | 25 / 30 Explicitly labels exact pixel limits (480×480 vs 1920×1920) directly beneath the two download buttons with zero hidden watermarks. |
| Background & reputation | 24 / 25 Photoroom (Artizans / PhotoRoom SAS, Paris, France), unicorn-scale AI photo studio trusted by millions of e-commerce sellers. | 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. |
| Engineering & privacy | 13 / 15 Fast synchronous WebSocket/REST pipeline (1.01s server time), strict GDPR compliance. | 11 / 15 Performs HTTPS cloud segmentation and triggers direct local download for Standard resolution without intrusive browser permissions. |
| 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% | 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). |
| 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) | 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). |
| 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) | 12 / 15 Cloud background removal completed in ~5.85s for the 2048×2048 master (12.0/15). |
