10 Ways to Remove a Video Background without a Green Screen

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Edited by Ben Jacklin
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Shooting a video can be chaotic, and sometimes you don’t have the option to shoot in a studio with a green screen. Let’s talk about how to remove a video background without a green screen – so you can create flawless videos anywhere!

Program

Best for

Download

Easily creating pro-level videos and changing backgrounds on a PC or Mac

Creating attractive videos with non-linear editing (recommended for experienced users only)

Fast and easy background removal online

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Best programs to change your video background without a green screen on a PC or Mac

Best for: easily editing videos and changing backgrounds on a Mac or PC

Movavi Video Editor

  • OS: macOS 10.13.6 or higher, Windows 7/8/10/11
  • G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5, 116 reviews

Movavi Video Editor is a professional-level video-editing platform that makes it easy for users of all experience levels to create gorgeous videos. It includes up to 4K resolution video exports, and it includes a large variety of tools and features – including an AI background removal tool. With this tool, you can easily remove a video background by simply pressing one button. Along with a user-friendly interface, Movavi Video Editor also has a large library of free tutorial videos and articles to help users get started. 

Key features

  • AI background remover
  • Titles, filters, and transitions
  • Chroma key
  • Shot stabilization

Pros:

  • Instant background removal with the AI tool

  • Comprehensive set of editing tools and features for pro-level videos

  • Hundreds of tutorials

Cons:

  • Rendering can be a little slow with large video files

Best for: non-linear video editing for experienced users

VSDC Video Editor Pro

#ComissionsEarned

VSDC Video Editor Pro is another popular video-editing program. The big difference between VSDC and other editing programs is its non-linear approach to video editing. Essentially, instead of placing elements one after another in chronological order, VSDC allows more freedom to place objects and elements at different times and places in a video. While this is freeing for some users, others find it confusing and cumbersome. 

So, if you’re wondering how to remove the background from a video without a green screen, use VSDC Video Editor Pro and check out its features!

Key features

  • Video masking capabilities
  • Non-linear video editing
  • Support for 4K resolution videos

Download VSDC Free Video Editor

Pros:

  • Most popular editing tools, features, and effects are included with the paid version

  • Customer support is responsive and quick

  • Chroma key feature makes it possible to edit out backgrounds

Cons:

  • No Mac-compatible version

  • Might seem confusing to inexperienced users

Best for: professional video editing for experienced users

Adobe® Premiere® Pro

  • OS

    Windows 10 (64-bit) or later, macOS 11.0 (Big Sur) or later

  • PCMag rating

    4.5 out of 5

For years, Adobe® Premiere® Pro has been considered an industry standard for video editing. It boasts a robust platform with a lot of capabilities, but it’s not the most user-friendly or intuitive video-editing program available. Users who get past the initial learning curve tend to enjoy using the software, but it may take some time for newer users to acclimate to it. Also, while Premiere® Pro was arguably one of the most comprehensive editing programs around for many years, some functionalities have not been updated to keep pace with modern editing trends.

Key features

  • Frame-by-frame masking
  • Chroma key
  • Unlimited video and audio tracks

Download Adobe® Premiere® Pro

Pros:

  • Robust platform with many features and tools

  • Popular with professional film editors

Cons:

  • Has a fairly steep learning curve

  • Removing backgrounds manually can be time-consuming and difficult

Best for: basic free video editing for beginners

OpenShot

OpenShot is an open-source video-editing program that’s cross-compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Unlike a lot of freeware options, OpenShot is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive for beginners. However, if you try to figure out how to change a video background without a green screen on a PC with this software, you may find it frustrating. The process isn’t fast or automated, and can be tedious – even after you figure out how it works.

Key features

  • Unlimited video and audio tracks
  • Slow motion and time effects
  • Drag-and-drop video editing

Download OpenShot

Pros:

  • Provides an easy-to-learn user interface

  • Includes most basic video-editing tools and functions for free

  • Compatible with multiple operating systems

Cons:

  • Lacks customer support

  • Difficult manual background removal

Best tools to remove a video background online without a green screen

Best for: quick background removal online

Unscreen

Unscreen offers a solution for users who want to remove a video background online without a green screen. This web application works in your browser, so there’s no software to download. Users can simply upload their videos to the Unscreen site to have it automatically remove their backgrounds. If you use a compatible editing program, you can also download the Unscreen plug-in to integrate it with your existing editor. However, this is not a free (or cheap) option. Unscreen charges by the minute, with prices ranging from $1.18-4.99 per minute of video footage. While this online software is convenient, it may not be the best option for video creators on a budget.

Key features

  • Automatic background removal
  • Integration with third-party editing programs

Go to Unscreen

Pros:

  • Removes backgrounds with a single click

  • Works with all operating systems

Cons:

  • By-the-minute pricing can get expensive

  • Lacks other video-editing tools and features

Best for: removing video and image backgrounds online

Cutout.Pro

Cutout.Pro is another online video background removal tool. Like Unscreen, the process to remove the background from your video without chroma key is as simple as uploading your video clip to Cutout.Pro and letting the software automatically remove the background for you. While this is a paid service, Cutout.Pro does offer a free subscription. At this level, users can remove the background from five videos or images per month for free online. If you need to process more than five videos per month, you can purchase credits that can be used to remove backgrounds from videos and images. And, while you can get one download per credit, there may be a limit on the size of downloads, which can hinder you if you’re trying to remove the background from a full video. Prices range from $0.099/credit to $0.499/credit. 

Key features

  • One-click background removal

Go to Cutout.Pro

Pros:

  • Available for any operating system

  • Simple, fast background removal online

Cons:

  • Free version limited to five downloads per month

  • No other editing capabilities aside from background removal

Best for: online manual background removal

VEED.IO

VEED.IO is an online background remover and video-editing platform. If you’re creating a video for personal use, you can opt for the free version, which includes a watermark and allows you to export videos up to 10 minutes in length. Resolution is capped at 720p for the free version, and 1080p for the basic version. If you want to export 4K videos, you’ll need to opt for the pro or business subscription. Pricing ranges from $0-49/month, and most popular editing tools are included in the more affordable options. With all that said, background removal in VEED.IO is not entirely automatic. You can mask out backgrounds with the software’s dropper tool fairly easily, but you may need to go in and clean up specific frames.

Key features

  • Dropper background masking tool
  • Automatic subtitles
  • Stock video and audio libraries

Go to VEED.IO

Pros:

  • Manual background removal is intuitive for beginners

  • Multiple subscription options to accommodate users’ budgets

  • A variety of popular editing tools and features are included

Cons:

  • Manual background removal may not be completely accurate

  • Watermark is not removable on the free version

Best for: removing backgrounds on lower-resolution videos

Kapwing

Kapwing is an online video background changer app with paid and free subscription options. Users who don’t mind a watermark can remove the backgrounds from videos for free. Kapwing allows unlimited downloads, but the free subscription does cap your resolution at 720p, and videos are limited to seven minutes in length. Likewise, free users don’t get access to some of the additional video-editing tools that are available to paid users. The Pro and Teams subscriptions are both $16/month if you choose an annual subscription or $24/month if you opt for the month-to-month subscription. With these options, users can remove the background on up to 120 minutes of video footage per download, but export resolution is still limited to 1080p. 

Key features

  • Automated video background removal
  • AI editing tools
  • Auto subtitler

Go to Kapwing

Pros:

  • Offers free automatic video background removal (with a watermark)

  • Includes unlimited cloud storage

Cons:

  • Video length limitations on free and paid versions

  • No 4K video export capabilities

Best apps to change the background in a video without a green screen on your phone

Best for: removing backgrounds from iPhone videos

Video Background Eraser

Video Background Eraser is an iOS app that allows users to remove the backgrounds on their iPhone videos without exporting them to a computer. The app is free, but it includes in-app purchases. While the background removal is automatic, some users have reported that it can be very slow, especially on longer videos.

Key features

  • Automatic video background removal
  • 800+ background templates
  • Support for multiple resolutions

Download Video Background Eraser

Pros:

  • Provides an easy way to remove video backgrounds on your phone

  • Has a simple one-click user interface

  • Includes free background removal with no watermark

Cons:

  • Rendering can be very slow

  • Processing stops if the phone screen turns off while rendering

Best for: editing videos for TikTok on Android devices

CapCut

CapCut is a video-editing app for Android devices that allows users to automatically remove their video backgrounds and enhance their videos with features like music, sound effects, filters, text, and stickers. The app is specifically designed to create customized TikTok videos, and sharing to social apps can be done directly from the editor.

Key features

  • Automatic background removal
  • Keyframe animations
  • Picture-in-picture capabilities

Download CapCut

Pros:

  • Easy editing for TikTok videos on Android phones

  • A variety of popular video-editing features and effects

Cons:

  • Glitches with controls while applying sound effects and filters

  • Issues with video lag

How to change a video background without a green screen on a PC or Mac

Step 1. Download and install Movavi Video Editor

Download the installation file and install the program on your computer or Mac.

Step 2. Add your video to the program

Open the program and click the Add Files button to upload your video to the video editor. Drag and drop your clip to the Timeline.

Step 3. Remove the background

Open the More tools tab on the left side of the program window. Next, select Background removal. There are two modes available – Quick and Precise. Choose the one that works best for your needs and click the Remove button.

Step 4. Save the video

To save the result, click the Export button. In the window that opens, specify the exporting settings and hit Start.

Summary

You should now have a good idea of how to change the background in a video without a green screen on a PC or Mac, online, or on your phone. While any of the options we discussed here can work, some are definitely quicker and easier than others. Instead of laboring over manual masking and editing, why not try out Movavi Video Editor’s advanced AI background removal tool to see how quick and easy it can be?

Movavi Video Editor

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*The free version of Movavi Video Editor may have the following restrictions depending on the build: watermark on exported clips, 60-second video or 1/2 audio length limit, and/or some advanced features unavailable when exporting videos.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest way to remove a background from a video?

The easiest way to remove the background from a video is to leverage the power of AI. Instead of trying to mask subjects or go through manual editing processes, Movavi Video Editor’s new AI background removal tool lets you instantly remove your existing background and drop in a new image or video background of your choice.

What is the best app to remove a video background?

Our top choices for removing video backgrounds are:

  • Movavi Video Editor

  • OpenShot

  • Unscreen

  • VEED.IO

  • Kapwing

  • Video Background Eraser

  • CapCut

Read our full article for more info on how to easily remove backgrounds from videos without a green screen.

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