The Best Video Background Remover for Beginners + 12 Comparable Alternatives

Whether you're a content-creating hobbyist or a professional video editor, knowing how to remove background from video is an essential skill that can save both time and money. Is there anything worse than a forced reshoot because the background is all wrong? In addition to saving time and money, a video background remover like chroma key or masking are great for adding special effects to videos during post-production.

This article will review eleven of the best free video background removers, including our top overall pick, key features, pros and cons, and classifications. You can also check out our quick-read comparison chart if you're in a hurry. There are also step-by-step instructions on how to remove background from video and frequently asked questions. Let's get started!

• Snapshot of Our Top 3 Video Background Remover Picks
• How to Choose a Video Background Remover?
• What Tools Do I Need to Remove Background From Video?
• Best Video Background Remover Tools
• Best Video Background Remover Comparison Chart
• How to Remove Background From Video
• Download the Best Video Background Remover for Free
• Video Background Remover FAQ

Snapshot of Our Top 3 Video Background Remover Picks

How to Choose a Video Background Remover?

Selecting the right video background remover is crucial for an efficient and high-quality video editing process. Key factors to consider include the software's user-friendliness and its range of features. Tools like PowerDirector and Camtasia are known for their intuitive interfaces, making them suitable for both beginners and professionals.

Additionally, the software should offer a variety of Video Background Remover Tools, such as chroma key, green screen, and masking capabilities. Compatibility with your operating system is another important consideration. For instance, iMovie is a great choice for Mac users, while VideoPad is ideal for Windows users.

Lastly, consider the cost of the software. Some tools are free, while others may require a subscription or a one-time purchase. Your budget and specific needs will determine the best pricing model for you.

Remember, the ideal video background remover will depend on your unique requirements, skills, and budget.

What Tools Do I Need to Remove Background From Video?

Any high-quality video editor will have a few options to remove background from video. However, the most popular methods for background removal include chroma key, green screen, and blending modes.

With chroma key, you film a subject against a solid-colored background (green, blue, purple, etc.), then remove the colored background during post-production. Once the solid color is transparent, you can add a new background video or image.

Technically, green screen editing is a form of chroma keying. However, chroma key works with any solid color background, whereas green screen tools only work with green backgrounds.

To remove video backgrounds, you can also use blending modes, which layer two images together to create a composite. Essentially, blending changes the way your footage looks by allowing the pixels of each layer to mix and merge.

Another option is masking to remove video backgrounds, which cuts out sections of the frame. Or you can use sky replacement if you want a better-looking sky.

Best Video Background Remover Tools

1. PowerDirector - Best Overall Video Background Remover

Key Features:

1. 3,000+ effects and templates
2. Motion graphic titles
3. LUT color presets
4. 8 million royalty-free stock assets

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

PCMag Rating: 5/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 5/5

Price: Free
*Premium version available for $4.08/month

Who It’s For

Whether you're a weekend editing enthusiast, social media influencer, live streamer, or professional video editor, PowerDirector has everything you need and more to create unique and engaging content. You can remove background from videos easily using a variety of methods, earning it the top spot.

If you need software with the speed, power, and capabilities to handle your most complex video editing jobs, PowerDirector has what it takes.

Why We Picked It

PowerDirector features an extensive range of powerful editing tools, templates, transitions, effects, and so much more. We're talking AI-powered tools like object detection, motion tracking, and speech enhancement. Also, PowerDirector has up to 7.6 times faster rendering in true 4K than the leading competitor.

Bottom Line

PowerDirector is our best overall choice for software that will quickly and easily remove background from videos. It has an impressive range of tools for background removal, including chroma key, green screen, blending, masking, overlays, and even sky replacement.

If you need some help, the software offers a gigantic tutorial library and blog you can reference with answers to all your editing questions.

Get started and download PowerDirector for free by clicking on the button below.

Check out these related topics for video editing:

• How to Make and Use a Green Screen the Easy Way
• Best Sources of Free Visual Effects
• 9 Hottest YouTube Trends You Can't Ignore in 2023

2. VSDC Free Video Editor - Best for Professionals on a Budget

Key Features:

1. Wide format support
2. Motion tracking
3. Text animation
4. AI art generator

Compatibility: Windows

Capterra Rating: 4.5/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 4.7/5

Price: Free
*Pro version available for $19.99

Who It’s For

Although all the video background removers on our list offer free versions or free trials, many have expensive premium versions. Beginners hoping to advance to more tools and features, or professionals on a budget will want something that won’t break the bank if they decide to upgrade. Like PowerDirector, VSDC Free Video Editor has a robust free version, and an affordable premium version.

Why We Picked It

Remove background from video quickly with VSDC’s HSL chroma key tool. Use the eyedropper to select a color to remove, then manually adjust the settings for more accuracy. There are several masking tools as well, such as inverted mask and clipping mask for even more precision. Unfortunately, the chroma key tool only works in the paid version. The free version will only remove a green screen.

Bottom Line

We found the chroma key results were not as accurate in VSDC FreeVideo Editor as they were in other software higher on our list. Also, even though this video background remover is supposed to be beginner-friendly, the clunky workflow and interface made finding tools difficult. Still, considering the offerings of the free version and those of the affordable premium version, VSDC Free Video Editor has lept up our list to higher ranks from its original position.

3. Camtasia - Best for Webcam Users

Image from The FRESH VAN ROOT.

Key Features:

1. Royalty-Free stock library
2. Upload directly to social media
3. Speed adjustment tools
4. Color correction

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

SoftwareHow Rating: 4.3/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 4.8/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $299.99

Who It’s For

Camtasia has a powerful, precise, and easy-to-use video background remover. It comes with lots of great tools for screen recording and webcam capture, but video editing tools are limited. It is also only available for a free trial and is expensive compared to the other video background removers on our list. We recommend Camtasia if you do a lot of screen recording, but for video editing needs, we prefer PowerDirector.

Why We Picked It

You can use the video background remover for any type of video footage, not just webcam capture. Camtasia’s chroma key feature is very easy to use, just use the eyedropper to pick any background color for removal. There are sliders to adjust tolerance, softness, and hue, and to defringe the effect. There’s also a tool to invert the chroma key effect, so you remove the subject instead of the background.

Bottom Line

Camtasia is a basic video editor, screen recorder, and video background remover. With this tool, you can capture webcam footage with a green screen background, so you can put yourself anywhere you wish while recording webinars, gaming videos, YouTube videos, or computer tutorials.

4. Lightworks - Best for Professionals

Image from Influencer Marketing Hub.

Key Features:

1. Direct upload to YouTube
2. Tilting and motion graphics
3. Advanced transitions
4. Stock music library

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

Tom’s Guide Rating: 4/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 5/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscriptions available for $9.99/month for Create and $23.99/month for Pro

Who It’s For

While Lightworks is a good choice for free software, its learning curve makes it more suitable for the experienced editor. However, the biggest downside of using the free version of Lightworks is the export restriction on videos to MPEG 720p. If you are looking for a free video editor with advanced features, but need something more beginner-friendly, try PowerDirector.

Why We Picked It

Lightworks offers multiple color choices for chroma keying. We found the tool worked well, and there was a handy Remove Spill slider to fix any bleed. There were an impressive number of adjustments and tools to go along with the chroma key effect. This could intimidate beginners, but you really don’t need to use any of them to effectively remove background from video.

Bottom Line

Lightworks has been in development since 1989 and is a popular video editor for Mac, Windows, and Linux users. It earns a spot on our “free and easy” video background remover list because its chroma key tool is easy to use. However, you'll have to spend some time learning the basic features and editing interface first, making this an easy choice for professionals, but not beginners.

5. iMyFone Filme - Best for Fast Video Editing

Key Features:

1. Fast mode for creating videos in minutes
2. Multi-layer timeline for precise editing
3. Variety of special effects and transitions
4. Audio editing tools

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Kasa Reviews Rating: 4.5/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 4/5

Price: Free
*Premium versions available for $39.95 for Monthly Plan and $59.95 for Yearly Plan

Who It’s For

iMyFone Filme is ideal for users who want to create professional-looking videos quickly and easily. Its fast mode allows you to create videos in minutes, making it a great choice for beginners and busy professionals.

Why We Picked It

iMyFone Filme offers a unique fast mode that allows you to create videos in just a few clicks. It also features a multi-layer timeline for precise editing and a variety of special effects and transitions to enhance your videos.

Bottom Line

iMyFone Filme is a versatile video editing software that offers a balance of speed and functionality. Its fast mode is a standout feature, allowing you to create videos quickly. However, the free version includes watermarks on videos, and some advanced features require a paid upgrade.

6. VideoPad - Best for Windows Users

Key Features:

1. 50+ visual effects
2. Color adjustment tools
3. Audio effects
4. Title animations

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

G2 Rating: 4.1/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 4/5

Price: Free
*Premium versions available for $70 for Home Edition and $129 for Master’s Edition

Who It’s For

VideoPad is our top video background remover for Windows users because the Mac version has fewer features and tools. VideoPad is suitable for beginners, and many Windows users chose this editor as a replacement for the now-defunct Windows Movie Maker.

Why We Picked It

To remove background from video with VideoPad, you don’t have to have a green screen. You can select the color you want to remove using a color picker tool. It comes with plenty of adjustments to fine-tune the effect, like feathering, fading, threshold, and brightness.

Bottom Line

VideoPad has a user-friendly interface and an impressive range of editing tools, features, and functions for free software. If you're a beginner editor and only occasionally want to remove background from video, then VideoPad has the features you need. However, the free version has obnoxious notifications and limited editing tools, and the Mac version has even less. Plus, many users report that VideoPad's customer service needs improvement, bumping this video background remover down a couple positions on our list.

7. Shotcut - Best Open-Source Video Background Remover

Key Features:

1. Wide format support
2. Audio editing tools
3. Effects and filters
4. Blending modes

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

TechRadar Rating: 4/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 4/5

Price: Free

Who It’s For

If you need help learning how to remove background from video with Shotcut, you can check out the website. It has numerous tutorials, how-tos, and a community forum where you can ask other users for advice. It’s also a little harder to use than some of the other video editors on our list, such as PowerDirector or VideoPad, making it better for more advanced editors or those with a bit more patience.

Why We Picked It

Shotcut’s chroma key tool defaults to green screen, but you can choose another color either by using the color picker tool on your video or by choosing a color from the color wheel. We liked that Shotcut offered both simple and advanced chroma key tools. The simple video background remover generally works well, and only requires one click, plus a slider for spill. If your video doesn’t look quite right, you can use the advanced chroma key tools for more precise adjustments.

Bottom Line

Shotcut is free software you can use to easily remove background from video. We think it is the best open-source option, beating out OpenShot, the other open-source video background remover on our list. Shotcut has more advanced tools than OpenShot, and its video background remover tools work better.

8. Adobe Premiere Elements - Best for Keying Effects

Key Features:

1. Time-Lapse
2. Noise reduction
3. Video stabilization
4. Double exposure

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

PCMag Rating: 3.5/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 4.5/5

Price: 30-day free trial, then $99.99

Who It’s For

Adobe Premiere Elements is a beginner-friendly version of Adobe Premiere, but its tools to remove background from video are no less impressive. To make a background transparent, you can apply a keying effect based on color (blue/green screen, non-red key, chroma key), based on matte (garbage matte and track matte keys), or based on alpha channel. If that sounds intimidating, beginners can use the Video Merge tool, which will automatically remove background from video.

Why We Picked It

This video background remover has AI-powered tools, like auto reframing and automatically matching music to the length of your video. We also like Premiere Elements for its video organizational tools, which automatically tag videos by facial recognition, place, and date.

Bottom Line

Although it has some pretty advanced tools to remove background from video, Premiere Elements is lacking in other advanced features, such as multi-cam and 360-degree editing. It is also very heavy on computer resources and has slow rendering speeds. PowerDirector is a great alternative to Premiere Elements. It has the fastest rendering of any video editor on our list and comes with advanced features and organizational tools. And if you want a video background remover that is lightweight, we also recommend OpenShot or VSDC Free Video Editor.

9. Wondershare Filmora - Best for User-Friendly Interface

Key Features:

1. Over 300 visual and audio effects
2. Advanced color tuning features
3. Audio ducking and denoise tools
4. Motion tracking and keyframing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

Tech Radar Rating: 4/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 3.5/5

Price:Free
*Premium versions available for $39.99 per year for Individual Plan and $99.87 per year for Business Plan

Who It’s For

Wondershare Filmora is an excellent choice for both beginners and intermediate video editors. Its user-friendly interface and extensive range of editing tools make it a versatile option for various video editing needs.

Why We Picked It

We found that Filmora stands out for its intuitive interface and powerful editing tools, ranking it in the number two spot on our list. Its background removal features, including chroma key and green screen tools, are easy to use and deliver professional results. Plus, it offers a wide range of visual and audio effects to enhance your videos.

Bottom Line

Wondershare Filmora is a robust video editing software that balances advanced features with ease of use. While the free version includes watermarks on output videos, the premium plans offer full access to all features and free tech support. However, advanced editing tools require a paid upgrade.

10. HitFilm - Best for Amateur Filmmakers

Image from G2.

Key Features:

1. Drag-and-Drop transitions
2. Titles and subtitles
3. Royalty-Free stock library
4. Lighting and lens flares

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

TechRadar Rating: 4/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 3/5

Price: Free
*Premium subscriptions available for $7.50/month for Creator and $12.50/month for Pro

Who It’s For

If you're an indie or amateur filmmaker without a big budget for professional video editing, Hitfilm is worth a shot. The software offers numerous effects that mimic Hollywood cinema, like light swords, shockwaves, blood spatter, fire, and weather effects. While it's free to use, editors who want the full range of editing tools without a watermark will have to purchase add-ons or splurge on the premium version.

Why We Picked It

Hitfilm has several tools to remove background from video during post-production, including color difference, masking, green screen removal, and color correction via hue/RGB adjustment. However, we found the software's video background remover tools were not very user-friendly and required precise manipulation.

Bottom Line

The free version of Hitfilm offers a few video background remover editing tools, but they're not the greatest, and using the color correction/RGB tool is challenging. However, most amateur filmmakers will appreciate the range of cinematic effects and editing features that Hitfilm offers for free.

11. AVS Video Editor - Best for Tutorials

Image from AVS4you.

Key Features:

1. Screen recorder
2. Color adjustment tools
3. 300+ video effects
4. Video stabilization

Compatibility: Windows

TopTenReviews Rating: 3/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 3.2/5

Price:Free
*Premium versions available for $149/year or $279 for a lifetime license

Who It’s For

AVS Video Editor really wants first-time users to feel comfortable using their product. When you use this video background remover for the first time, you follow a series of prompts that teach you how to use every aspect of the software. Every prompt also links you to a tutorial video that will further explain how to use the feature. This long introduction to the product is helpful for newbies, but time-consuming for more seasoned editors who just want to get on with it.

Why We Picked It

What stood out to us with this tool is the ease of use. You can use a chroma key effect, color picker tool, or color append tool to remove background from video with AVS Video Editor. Then adjust transparency or fade in and out of the effect. The amount of tutorials and support AVS provides comes in handy here, as the tool requires quite a few steps to correctly apply.

Bottom Line

AVS Video Editor comes with tons of effects and transitions, but lacks advanced editing features, and only has one video editing track. Also, the software crashed a few times during our test, which was frustrating. For more reliable software, try PowerDirector or Premiere Elements.

12. iMovie - Best for Mac Users

Key Features:

1. Picture-in-Picture
2. Cinematic Mode
3. Speed adjustment tools
4. Magic Movie tool

Compatibility: Mac

Creative Bloq Rating: 3/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 3/5

Price: Free

Who It’s For

iMovie comes free and is already installed on Mac devices, making it a quick and easy way to remove background from video for Mac users. It’s also compatible with your iPhone and iPad, so you can stop editing on one device and pick up where you left off on another.

Why We Picked It

The software uses masking controls and a green screen effect to remove background from video. An adjustment slider will change the strength of the effect, a crop button will isolate parts of the effect, and an eraser tool will clean up parts of the video that weren’t removed. However, to use the video background remover in iMovie, you need to record with a green or blue screen. There is no color picker or eye drop tool to isolate other colors.

Bottom Line

We think beginners will love iMovie’s automatic movie-making tools, such as Magic Movie and Trailers. However, we found this video background remover was harder to use than we thought it would be for beginner-friendly software. Also, Mac users sometimes wait years for iMovie updates, unlike both Shotcut and PowerDirector, which are updated regularly.

13. OpenShot - Best for Beginners

Key Features:

1. Scaling and snapping
2. Color adjustment tools
3. 40+ vector title templates
4. 3D animations

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

TechRadar Rating: 3/5

Video Background Remover Tools: 2.9/5

Price: Free

Who It’s For

OpenShot is a free and open-source video background remover and editor. It is slightly pared-back in terms of features, but that makes it simple for users with no video editing experience. It is also lightweight on computer resources and has an updated and pleasing interface, which is rare for an open-source video editor.

Why We Picked It

To remove background from video, you can easily use the chroma key tool. Choose a color on a dial or point to a color in your video to remove it. There’s also a Fuzz setting, where you can adjust the area and intensity of the effect. We didn’t like that the setting made you input a specific number, instead of offering a slider. It took a lot of trial and error to get our test just right.

Bottom Line

OpenShot is a completely free, quick, and easy way for beginners to try a video background remover, even if they don’t have a green screen. That being said, in our test the video background remover didn’t work very well, even though we had a green screen. For a background remover tool that completely removes background the first time around, try PowerDirector.

Best Software to Remove Background from Video Comparison Chart

How to Remove Background from Video

We're going to use PowerDirector to teach you how to remove background from video using blending modes and the green screen/chroma key. Just download PowerDirector below and follow these simple steps:

How to Remove Background from Video Using Blending Modes

1. To remove white or black background from a video, add your main video to Track 1 on the timeline, then add the video with the colored background to Track 2, directly below the first clip.
2. Left-click to select Track 2, then click Tools.
3. Select Blending Mode.

4. In the pop-up editor, click on the Normal menu.
5. For videos with white backgrounds, click Multiply. For videos with black backgrounds, click Lighten.

6. Click OK.

How to Remove Background from Video Using Chroma Key

1. Add the main clip to Track 1 on the timeline. Then, add the green screen (or another solid color) clip to Track 2, directly below the first clip.
2. Double click on Track 2 to open the PiP Designer.
3. On the left-hand menu under Properties, scroll down to the Chroma Key section and click on the box to enable the effect.

4. Select the Eye Dropper tool.
5. Click on the solid color background you want to remove in the video using the Eye Dropper.
6. Adjust Color Range or Denoise to your liking.

7. Click OK on the bottom right to save your changes, and that's it!

For a more in-depth look at how to remove background from video, visit Green Screen Editing: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Download the Best Software to Remove Background from Video for Free

There you have it: eleven of the best free video editing software you can use to remove background from video. We also discussed standard editing tools to remove background from video, including chroma key and blending. With those tools, you can change your video backgrounds to anything you want: an urban city, a beautiful forest, even the surface of Mars.

Of the eleven editors we reviewed, it was clear that PowerDirector was the best overall video background remover. PowerDirector’s AI-driven software offers an enormous selection of basic and advanced editing tools, including blending, masking, green screen, chroma key, sky replacement, and thousands more. It also features lightning-fast 4K rendering, the latest format support, and a gigantic stock library. Ultimately, PowerDirector is one of the best professional video editors on today's market.

Download PowerDirector for free now and start creating.