What Is AI Photo Editing and Why Does It Matter?
AI photo editing is the process of automatically enhancing, editing, and transforming photos using artificial intelligence algorithms. Tasks like background removal, object erasing, color correction, upscaling, and old photo restoration can now be done with a single click. We at the tasarim.ai team have tested dozens of tools in this space, and in this guide, we'll share the best tool and techniques for each task.
While traditional photo editing can take hours in complex software like Photoshop, AI tools can do the same job in seconds. Of course, professional-level fine-tuning may still require manual intervention, but in the vast majority of cases, AI results are good enough — and sometimes even better.
Background Removal: Comparative Test
Background removal is one of the most popular AI photo editing tasks. It has a wide range of uses from e-commerce to social media. We tested four different tools with the same photographs:
Remove.bg **Score: 9/10**
The industry leader in background removal. It produced excellent results in over ninety percent of the photos we tested.
- Strengths: Capturing fine details like hair strands, fast processing, API support
- Weaknesses: Low resolution on free plan, per-image pricing
- Price: Free (low resolution), 1 credit/image (high resolution), packages start at $9
- Best for: E-commerce product photos, profile pictures, batch processing
PhotoRoom **Score: 9/10**
A particularly e-commerce-focused tool. Beyond background removal, it also offers new background creation and product staging features.
- Strengths: Background removal + new background creation, batch processing, mobile app, AI product staging
- Weaknesses: Some difficulty with complex scenes (glass, transparent objects)
- Price: Free plan available, Pro $13/month
- Best for: E-commerce stores, social media content, catalog photography
ClipDrop **Score: 8.5/10**
A versatile platform powered by Stability AI's toolkit. Offers many editing features beyond background removal.
- Strengths: Background removal, object erasing, relighting, upscaling all in one platform
- Weaknesses: Not precise enough for some operations
- Price: Free basic usage, Pro $13/month
- Best for: Multi-purpose editing, those wanting a single platform solution
Pixlr AI **Score: 7.5/10**
Pixlr has been around as a browser-based photo editor for a long time and has added AI features.
- Strengths: Integrated with full photo editor, free to use, browser-based
- Weaknesses: AI background removal quality slightly behind others
- Price: Free (ad-supported), Plus $1.99/month
- Best for: Simple edits, budget-friendly solution
Verdict: We recommend Remove.bg for background removal only, PhotoRoom for e-commerce workflows, and ClipDrop for multi-purpose editing.
AI Color Correction and Enhancement
AI color correction tools automatically optimize the color balance, exposure, and tones of your photos. The best tools we found in this area:
Luminar Neo Developed by Skylum, Luminar Neo offers the most comprehensive package of AI features as a desktop photo editing software:
- AI Enhance: One-click automatic improvement. Optimizes exposure, contrast, white balance, and saturation
- AI Sky Replacement: Completely replace the sky — turn a cloudy day into clear blue
- AI Portrait Enhancement: Skin smoothing, eye brightening, face illumination
- AI Noise Reduction: Clean grain from low-light photos
- AI Structure: Detail and clarity enhancement
We particularly recommend Luminar Neo for photographers and visual content creators. When we tested it, we found that the AI Enhance feature produced results comparable to manual editing in most cases. Pricing is $14.95/month or a one-time $149.
Old Photo Restoration
One of AI's most impressive use cases is restoring old, worn-out photos. Here are the methods we tested:
Step 1: Repairing Damage (Inpainting) Use AI inpainting for tears, scratches, and stains. ClipDrop's "Clean Up" feature or Photoshop's Generative Fill are the best for this job.
When we tested it, the process works like this: 1. Scan the old photo at high resolution (at least 300 DPI) 2. Upload to ClipDrop or a similar tool 3. Mark damaged areas with the brush 4. Let AI automatically fill in the missing parts
Step 2: Adding Color (Colorization) Use AI colorization tools to colorize black and white photos. DeepAI, MyHeritage, and Palette.fm are successful tools in this area.
When we tested them, we found MyHeritage produced the most natural results. It's quite successful with skin tones, clothing colors, and nature colors. However, color guesses can be wrong in some cases — especially for clothing in unusual colors.
Step 3: Resolution Enhancement (Upscaling) As a final step, increase the photo's resolution with AI upscaling. We'll cover this topic in detail in the next section.
AI Upscaling: Rescuing Low-Resolution Photos
AI upscaling is a technology that enlarges low-resolution photos using artificial intelligence while minimizing quality loss. The best tool in this area is definitely Topaz Photo AI.
Topaz Photo AI **Why is it the best?** Among all upscaling tools we tested, Topaz is clearly ahead in detail preservation and new detail creation:
- Upscale: 2x, 4x, 6x enlargement options
- Denoise: AI noise reduction
- Sharpen: AI sharpening
- Face Recovery: Recreating low-resolution faces
When we upscaled a 600x400 pixel old family photo to 3600x2400 at 6x, the result amazed us. Facial details, hair strands, and background textures were incredibly recreated. The price is a one-time $199 — expensive but absolutely worth it for professional use.
Alternative Upscaling Tools - **Pixlr AI Upscaler:** Free, web-based, simple 2x-4x enlargement - **ClipDrop Upscaler:** Free limited usage, good quality - **waifu2x:** Specialized for anime and illustration images, free
Object Removal (Inpainting): Removing Unwanted Elements
Removing unwanted objects from photos — a passerby on a road, an ugly power line, or a trash can in the background — now takes seconds:
Best Tools 1. **ClipDrop Clean Up:** Paint over the element you want to remove with a brush, and AI automatically fills it with the background. When we tested it, we got perfect results for simple objects.
- Luminar Neo Erase: Offers more precise control as desktop software. Produces consistent results even when erasing large areas.
- PhotoRoom Magic Eraser: A practical solution also available in the mobile app. Particularly successful at removing unwanted shadows and reflections from e-commerce photos.
Tip: Don't try to remove large and complex objects all at once. Removing in pieces generally produces better results. Remove small parts first, then move on to remaining pieces.
E-Commerce Workflow: Product Photography Pipeline
Creating professional product photos for your e-commerce store no longer requires a studio. Here's our recommended AI-powered workflow:
Step 1: Product Photo Shooting Take photos with your phone in front of a simple white background in a well-lit environment. It doesn't need to be perfect — AI will handle the rest.
Step 2: Background Removal and Replacement Remove the background with PhotoRoom or Remove.bg. Use PhotoRoom's AI staging feature to showcase your product in a professional setting — marble countertop, wooden table, or studio environment.
Step 3: Color and Light Correction Optimize color balance with Luminar Neo or ClipDrop. Ensure product colors appear accurate.
Step 4: Upscale and Final Touches Upscale the image to high resolution with Topaz Photo AI or ClipDrop. Meet the minimum resolution standards required by e-commerce platforms (Amazon, etc.).
Batch Processing Tips If you have dozens or hundreds of products: - Use PhotoRoom's batch processing feature - Write an automatic background removal script with the Remove.bg API - Apply the same settings to all photos for consistency
When we tested this workflow, we got results very close to professional studio photography. As an e-commerce store owner, you can obtain professional-quality images by spending 5-10 minutes per product.
Conclusion: The Right Tool for Each Task
AI photo editing tools make professional photo editing accessible to everyone. Here are our task-based recommendations:
- Background removal: Remove.bg or PhotoRoom
- Color correction: Luminar Neo
- Upscaling: Topaz Photo AI
- Object removal: ClipDrop
- Old photo restoration: ClipDrop + MyHeritage + Topaz combination
- E-commerce workflow: PhotoRoom (all-in-one)
Each tool has a free plan or trial period; make sure to test with your own photos. AI photo editing is rapidly evolving, and the results in 2026 have improved incredibly compared to just a year ago.