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Unscreen

Automatic background removal for video and animated content

Free | Freemium | Paid | Enterprise ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4.2/5 🎬 Video AI 🕒 Updated
Visit Unscreen ↗ Official website
Quick Verdict

Unscreen is a web-based Video AI tool that automatically removes video and GIF backgrounds without chroma keys, ideal for creators and marketers needing fast background extraction; it offers a usable free tier with watermarked exports and paid plans for high-resolution, watermark-free downloads and API access, making it practical for small teams and automation workflows.

Unscreen is an online Video AI tool that removes video and GIF backgrounds automatically without green screens. Its primary capability is frame-by-frame background segmentation for short clips, animated GIFs, and screen recordings, producing transparent or replacement-background outputs. The key differentiator is a browser-first, no-plugin workflow plus a developer-facing API for automated processing. Unscreen serves content creators, social media managers, and developers needing quick background extraction. Pricing is accessible with a free, watermarked option and paid credits or subscriptions for higher-resolution, watermark-free exports and API usage.

About Unscreen

Unscreen is a browser-based Video AI service, launched to make background removal from video and animated content accessible without green screens or manual rotoscoping. Originating as an offshoot of the same team behind remove.bg, Unscreen positioned itself as the quick solution for creators who need transparent or replaced backgrounds for short video clips and GIFs. The product emphasizes an instant, web-first flow where users upload footage and receive per-frame segmentation, and the company provides both a consumer-facing site and an API for automated workflows. Its core value proposition is saving time compared with manual masking while enabling creative background replacement and export flexibility.

Unscreen’s feature set centers on automated frame-by-frame segmentation, output options, and APIs. The site supports uploads of MP4, MOV, WebM and animated GIFs, producing PNG sequence, GIF, WebM or MP4 with replaced backgrounds; users can export a transparent video (alpha) where supported. The platform includes background replacement choices (solid color, custom image, or animated background), GIF-to-video conversion, and a trimming tool to crop short clips before processing. For developers and teams, Unscreen provides an API and an upload endpoint with credit-based billing to process files programmatically and retrieve segmented outputs. The service also produces a downloadable ZIP with frames and a matte for inline compositing in editors like After Effects.

Pricing mixes a free watermarked option, pay-as-you-go credits, and subscription tiers. The free option allows low-resolution, watermarked outputs suitable for quick tests. Paid credit packages and monthly subscriptions remove watermarks and enable higher resolutions; Unscreen historically offered per-second pricing for video exports and higher-rate API credits for HD exports. Team and enterprise arrangements are available via custom quotes for bulk API usage and SSO. Exact current prices and credit bundles are published on Unscreen’s pricing page and vary by resolution, output format, and whether the user requires transparent (alpha) exports or packaged frame sequences.

Unscreen is used by social media managers converting short clips into transparent assets for stories, and by independent developers automating thumbnail and compositing tasks via the API. Example users include a Content Creator using Unscreen to produce 20 short transparent clips per week for TikTok overlays, and a Front-end Developer automating product demo backgrounds for a web app via the API. It suits marketing teams needing quick compositing without full editing suites. Compared to manual rotoscoping in After Effects or competitor tools like Kapwing, Unscreen’s specialization is automated per-frame matte generation and a credit/API model rather than a full video editor feature set.

What makes Unscreen different

Three capabilities that set Unscreen apart from its nearest competitors.

  • Browser-first per-frame alpha output and ZIP of frames, unlike editors that require local rendering
  • Credit-based pay-as-you-go API model for programmatic segmentation without long contracts
  • Explicit support for animated GIF inputs and direct GIF-to-video or transparent GIF outputs

Is Unscreen right for you?

✅ Best for
  • Social media creators who need transparent clips for overlays
  • Marketing teams who require quick compositing for ads
  • Front-end developers automating product demo backgrounds via API
  • Small studios converting GIFs to video with alpha mattes
❌ Skip it if
  • Skip if you need long-form feature-length video rotoscoping
  • Skip if you require frame-accurate manual keyframing inside a full NLE

✅ Pros

  • No-green-screen workflow: removes backgrounds without chroma keying
  • Direct alpha and ZIP frame exports for compositing in After Effects or Premiere
  • API and credit model let developers automate background removal programmatically

❌ Cons

  • Short-clip focus: not intended for long-form video and can struggle with long durations
  • Quality varies with complex motion, fine hair, or transparent objects—may need manual cleanup

Unscreen Pricing Plans

Current tiers and what you get at each price point. Verified against the vendor's pricing page.

Plan Price What you get Best for
Free Free Low-resolution exports with watermark, limited file size and short durations Quick tests and occasional single clip use
Credits / Pay-as-you-go Variable per credit (see website) Buy credits to remove watermark and get higher-res exports per second of video Occasional users who prefer per-job billing
Monthly Subscription Starting price varies; see site for current monthly plans Higher-resolution exports, more credits/month, API access options Regular creators and small teams with steady volume
Enterprise Custom Bulk API credits, SSO, custom SLAs and invoicing Large teams and companies needing integration

Best Use Cases

  • Social Media Manager using it to produce 20 short transparent clips/week for Instagram Stories
  • Front-end Developer using it to automate 100 product demo thumbnails/month via the API
  • Indie Game Marketer using it to convert GIFs into transparent MP4s for in-app promotion

Integrations

After Effects (via exported frames/mattes) Zapier (via API workflows) Figma (asset import workflow via exported files)

How to Use Unscreen

  1. 1
    Upload a video or GIF
    On unscreen.com click 'Upload Clip' and choose an MP4, MOV, WebM or GIF. The uploader accepts short clips; a progress bar shows processing. Success: you see a preview with background removed.
  2. 2
    Choose output and background
    In the preview page select output type (GIF, WebM, MP4, PNG sequence) and pick 'Transparent' or a replacement background color/image. Confirm to queue the export; the demo preview updates.
  3. 3
    Download export or frames ZIP
    After processing click 'Download' to get the selected format. For compositing choose the ZIP download which includes frame PNGs and alpha mattes for import into After Effects or other editors.
  4. 4
    Use the API for automation
    Sign into your account, copy the API key from Settings, and POST files to the upload endpoint as documented. Verify credit usage in billing and retrieve processed output URLs for automated pipelines.

Unscreen vs Alternatives

Bottom line

Choose Unscreen over Kapwing if you prioritize dedicated per-frame alpha exports and a credit-based API for automated background removal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Unscreen cost?+
Costs vary by credits and plan; there is no single flat monthly price. Unscreen uses a free tier with watermarked outputs plus pay-as-you-go credits and subscription options for watermark-free, higher-resolution exports. API usage consumes credits based on clip duration and output resolution; enterprise pricing is available via custom quote. Check the pricing page for current credit bundles and monthly plan rates.
Is there a free version of Unscreen?+
Yes — Unscreen offers a free, watermarked option for low-resolution exports. The free tier is intended for testing and produces watermarked GIFs or videos with lower resolution and file size limits. To remove the watermark or export higher-resolution transparent outputs you must buy credits or subscribe. Free usage is suitable for quick previews but not production assets.
How does Unscreen compare to Kapwing?+
Unscreen focuses solely on automated background removal and alpha exports, while Kapwing is a full video editor with background removal as one feature. Choose Unscreen when you need per-frame PNG sequences, alpha mattes, or an API for programmatic processing; choose Kapwing if you want integrated trimming, subtitles, and collaborative editing in one web app.
What is Unscreen best used for?+
Unscreen is best for short clips, GIFs, and demo footage that need transparent backgrounds or replacement backdrops. It excels at converting social media clips into overlay assets, producing PNG frame sequences with mattes for compositing, and automating background removal via API for product demos or thumbnails. It is not meant for detailed long-form rotoscoping workflows.
How do I get started with Unscreen?+
Start by visiting unscreen.com and clicking 'Upload Clip' to test with a short MP4 or GIF. Use the preview to try transparent output or a replacement background, then download the watermarked result. To go production-ready, create an account, purchase credits or a subscription, and use the API key from Settings for automated processing.

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