How to Remove a Background in Canva (and What to Do on the Free Plan)

Canva is one of the easiest places to make posters, Instagram posts, thumbnails, and product banners, so it makes sense to remove a photo's background there too. Canva has a one-click BG Remover, but it comes with a catch: it is a paid feature, and so is downloading a PNG with a transparent background.

This guide shows how to remove a background in Canva step by step, how to save a transparent PNG, how to clean up rough edges, and what to do if you are on the free plan and still want a clean cut-out inside your design.

Is Canva's background remover free?

Mostly no. Canva's Help Center lists Background Remover as a feature of its paid plans, such as Canva Pro, Teams, Business, Education, and Nonprofits. Some of Canva's own feature pages mention a one-time free try, but you should not count on it for regular use.

Downloading a design with a transparent background is also limited to paid plans. On the free plan, a PNG download keeps a solid background.

Plans, names, and limits change from time to time, so check Canva's current pricing page if you are deciding whether to upgrade. If you only need a few cut-outs, the free-plan method below is usually enough.

How to remove a background in Canva (Pro and other paid plans)

These steps work in the Canva editor in a browser and in the desktop app. Button positions can shift slightly between updates.

1. Open or create a design and upload your photo from the Uploads tab. You can also drag the file straight onto the page.
2. Click the photo on the page to select it.
3. In the editor toolbar, choose BG Remover. In some versions you will find it after clicking Edit or Edit photo.
4. Wait a few seconds while Canva processes the image. The background disappears and only the subject stays on the page.

That is all it takes for most photos. Canva's Help Center notes that BG Remover works on photos under 9 MB, so compress very large camera photos before uploading if the option fails.

On the Canva mobile app

The steps are the same on Android and iPhone: open your design, tap the photo, tap Edit in the bottom toolbar, then tap BG Remover. Tap Done or the tick to apply it.

Remove backgrounds from the Projects tab

If you just want the cut-out and not a full design, you can work from your uploaded images directly.

1. From the Canva home page, go to Projects, then Images.
2. Hover over the photo and open the More (three dots) menu.
3. Choose Edit image, then select BG Remover under Tools.

How to fix rough edges with Erase and Restore

Automatic removal is good but not perfect. Hair, fur, glass, and thin straps often lose a bit too much or keep a bit of the old background. Canva gives you two brushes to fix this.

1. Select the photo and choose BG Remover again.
2. Pick the Erase brush to remove leftover background, or the Restore brush to bring back parts of the subject that were cut off.
3. Adjust the brush size slider. A smaller brush is better near edges.
4. Drag over the area you want to fix. Turn on Show original image if you need to see what was there before.
5. Use undo and redo for brush strokes, then click Done when you are happy.

Zoom in before you start; it is much easier to follow an edge with a small brush on a large view.

How to download a transparent PNG from Canva

Removing the background in the editor does not mean the downloaded file is transparent. Your design's page usually has a white background, and that white gets saved too unless you turn it off.

1. Make sure nothing sits behind your subject. Delete any background images or shapes, and leave the page background plain white.
2. Click Share, then Download.
3. Under File type, choose PNG.
4. Tick Transparent background. This option needs a paid plan.
5. Click Download.

Do not choose JPG. JPG cannot store transparency, so the empty area always turns into a solid colour. If you want to understand why, see how to make an image transparent, which explains PNG, JPG, and alpha channels.

My Canva download still has a white background

The usual reasons are:

• Transparent background was not ticked, or you are on the free plan where it is not available.
• The file type was JPG or PDF instead of PNG.
• There is still a background colour, image, or shape behind the subject. Select it and delete it, then download again.
• You are exporting a Canva Doc, which Canva does not support for transparent downloads.

Remove the background without Canva Pro

If you are on the free plan, you can still use cut-out images in Canva. The trick is to remove the background somewhere else first and then upload the transparent PNG to Canva. Canva keeps the transparency of uploaded PNGs inside your design, so the subject sits neatly on any colour, gradient, or photo you place behind it.

1. Open the PerfectifyAI Background Remover.
2. Upload your JPG, PNG, or WebP photo.
3. Make sure Background Remover is selected, then choose Run.
4. Enter the email address where you want the download notification and complete the human-verification step.
5. Download the result and check that it is a transparent PNG, not a solid rectangle.
6. In Canva, open Uploads, upload the PNG, and drag it into your design.

You can now build your poster, YouTube thumbnail, or WhatsApp status around the cut-out. Keep in mind that the free plan still cannot download the whole design with a transparent background; the PNG you created is transparent, and the design you export from Canva will have whatever background you put behind it.

Before and after example

The first image shows a selfie of two friends taken in a park. The second shows the same photo after background removal, saved as a transparent PNG that you can upload to Canva and place on any background. The pale grey fill only shows where the image is transparent.

Before: the original selfie with the park behind.

After: the same two friends cut out on a transparent background.

Canva vs a dedicated background remover

Both approaches work. Which one fits you depends on how often you do it and what you need at the end.

• Canva's BG Remover is handy if you already pay for Canva and want to remove backgrounds without leaving your design. The Erase and Restore brushes help with small fixes.
• A dedicated tool such as PerfectifyAI is useful on the free plan, or when you simply need a transparent PNG file to use in Canva, Photoshop, PowerPoint, an online store, or a marketplace listing.

For more manual control, Photoshop and GIMP are covered in how to remove a background in Photoshop and GIMP. For selling online, see how to remove the background from a product photo. And for scanned signatures, which have their own quirks, see how to remove the background from a signature.

Tips for a cleaner cut-out

• Start with a good photo. A sharp, well-lit image with a clear gap between subject and background gives much better results than a dark or blurry one.
• Pick a contrasting background when shooting. A light product on a dark wall, or the other way round, is easier to separate.
• Check the result on dark and light colours. A thin halo of the old background can hide on white and show clearly on black.
• Keep the original. Always work on a copy so you can start again if needed.
• Only edit images you own or have permission to use. Removing a background does not change who owns the photo.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove a background in Canva for free?

Not on a regular basis. Canva lists BG Remover as a paid-plan feature, and transparent PNG downloads also need a paid plan. On the free plan, remove the background with a free tool such as the PerfectifyAI Background Remover and upload the transparent PNG to Canva.

Why can't I see the BG Remover button in Canva?

Usually because your account is on the free plan, or because you selected a design element, video frame, or graphic instead of a photo. Select the photo itself and look in the editor toolbar or under Edit. Very large files (over 9 MB) can also cause problems.

How do I make a logo transparent in Canva?

If the logo is your own Canva design, delete the page background and download as PNG with Transparent background ticked (paid plans). If the logo is an image with a white or coloured box behind it, remove that background first, then download or upload the transparent PNG.

Does Canva reduce image quality when removing a background?

The cut-out keeps the resolution of the photo you uploaded, but the final download depends on your design size and export settings. Upload the highest-quality photo you have and download as PNG for the cleanest result.

Can I remove a watermark in Canva?

Canva does not have a dedicated watermark remover. If you need to remove a visible watermark from a photo you own or created, see how to remove a watermark from a photo, or try the PerfectifyAI Watermark Remover.

Remove your background

If you already pay for Canva, BG Remover plus a transparent PNG download is the quickest path. If you are on the free plan, or just need a clean transparent file, try the PerfectifyAI Background Remover and upload the result to Canva. Either way, check the edges on light and dark backgrounds before you publish.