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Use case · Developers and SaaS

LassoCut for developers: a background removal API you can build on

LassoCut is a background removal API compatible with the remove.bg API: the same request fields, the same X-Api-Key header and the same JSON errors. Existing code needs a new base URL and a new key; new code gets predictable costs and safe retries.

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The problem

Background removal is usually one step inside a larger product: an avatar upload, a listing editor, an automated catalogue job. When the service behind it shuts down, the step breaks for every user at once. Code that calls api.remove.bg stops working on 1 December 2026 (dates and sources). What you need next is an API that accepts the same requests, tells you what each call cost, and does not charge twice when your job retries.

Switching takes one URL and one key

The request below is the one from the API reference, where the curl and Python examples were run against the production API on 27 September 2026:

curl --fail-with-body -H "X-Api-Key: $LASSOCUT_API_KEY" \
  -F "image_file=@photo.jpg" \
  -F "size=auto" \
  -o no-bg.png \
  https://api.lassocut.com/v1.0/removebg

Coming from remove.bg, the migration guide has the compatibility table and the honest differences. Full walkthroughs per language: curl, Python, Node.js, PHP.

A real example

A zebra-striped succulent in a round dark grey pot on a wooden table, with a blurred office and a second potted plant behind The front succulent and its pot cut out by LassoCut; the table, the office and the blurred plant behind are removed
Product · potted succulent on a blurred office background

Sent with the default settings (type=auto): a classifier picks the model for the subject. Photo first published on Unsplash under CC0 (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons; cut out by LassoCut through the API. Drag the slider to compare.

What helps in production

  • Costs you can read: every result carries X-Credits-Charged (0 for a free call, 0.25 for a preview, 1 otherwise), and GET /account returns the balance free of charge.
  • Errors are free and parseable: errors come back as {"errors": [{"code", "title", "detail"}]} and nothing is charged. A 503 is safe to retry; a 429 comes with Retry-After.
  • Retries don't pay twice: a result is kept in memory for up to 10 minutes, so the same request sent again (same image and settings, or the same Idempotency-Key header) gets it without a second charge.
  • Limits: 22 MB per upload, full size up to 25 MP (50 MP with size=50MP), 500 megapixel-images per minute per account. The first call after a quiet period can take several seconds longer while a GPU starts: set a generous timeout.
  • Subject hints and framing: type, crop, crop_margin, scale, position, roi, bg_color, bg_image_url; the response headers give the subject's bounding box.

Outside your own code: the MCP connector lets Claude Code, Cursor or Windsurf remove backgrounds while you work, the CLI covers shell scripts, and n8n, Make and Zapier cover no-code steps.

What it costs

Full-size results. Previews cost a quarter of a credit, so a 1,000-credit pack covers 4,000 previews, enough for thumbnails or a first pass before a full-size call.

VolumePackPricePer image
1,000 API calls1,000 credits$39$0.039
10,000 API calls10,000 credits$249$0.0249
100,000 API calls100,000 credits$1,500$0.015

Prices in US dollars from the pricing page: 1 credit per full-size image, 0.25 credit per preview, 50 free previews a month (up to 10 a day). No subscription, and purchased credits do not expire. Larger volumes with a service agreement: write to us.

Questions

How close is the API to the remove.bg API?

Same request fields, the same X-Api-Key header and the same JSON error format, so most integrations only change the base URL and the key. Some differences exist, for example the car and 3D shadow types are accepted but not drawn yet; the migration guide lists them.

Can I test without paying?

Yes. Every account gets 50 free previews a month (up to 10 a day); send size=preview. Full-size and 50 MP images always use credits.

How should my code handle a slow or failed call?

Retry 502, 503 and 504 after a short pause, and honour Retry-After on 429. Resending the same request within 10 minutes, or reusing the same Idempotency-Key, returns the kept result without a second charge.

Is there an official SDK?

No SDK to install: the API is plain HTTP, and the language guides give copy-paste code with error handling. For AI coding assistants, use the MCP connector.

Try it on your own photo

Drop an image on the home page to see the cut-out, then create an account for 50 free previews a month (up to 10 a day).

Try it on your image Create a free account

See also: API reference · Python guide · all platforms · pricing · moving from remove.bg · other use cases.

Related features: remove.bg-compatible API · batch processing · crop and framing.