# Background Eraser vs Retouch

Background Eraser and Retouch both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Background Eraser's written reviews are positive against 28% of Retouch's. Background Eraser also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (134K vs 4.4K). Retouch's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Background Eraser sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per year and Retouch sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Background Eraser against 4.6 for Retouch. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Background Eraser has 134K ratings behind it against 4.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Background Eraser's written reviews are positive against 28% of Retouch's.

Background Eraser ships an update every 4 days, Retouch every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Background Eraser | Retouch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (134K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/background-eraser-ai-remove/id815072622/reviews) | **[4.6 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retouch-ai-object-remover/id1619769150/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **134K** | 4.4K |
| Positive reviews | **74.9% of reviews** | 28.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 111 MB | 231 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SUNWOONG JANG](https://appshunter.io/developer/515224445) | [Anthony Durbin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1619769152) |

## What reviewers say

### Background Eraser

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/background-eraser-ai-remove/id815072622)

Effortlessly remove backgrounds from your photos with AI-powered tools. Maintain transparency, fine-tune edges, and add new backgrounds. Export in high resolution and various formats.

**Highlights:** AI background removal, Transparency maintenance, Fine pixel-level accuracy, Erase/Restore tool, Crop with presets, Adjust image effects, Add new backgrounds

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro - Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| Remove AD & remove watermark | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for editing photos
- 💡 Allows custom backgrounds
- 🚀 Efficient background removal
- 👍 Useful for digital scrapbooking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when saving edited photos
- 🔒 Forced to follow social media for full access
- 🔒 Paid version doesn't remove all ads
- 🐛 Eraser tool can be inaccurate
- 🐛 Leaves pixelated edges after background removal

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to exit ad screen
- Losing progress when switching apps
- Inconsistent background removal quality
- Paid version not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add more background options
- Improve accuracy of eraser tool
- Implement undo/redo functionality
- Allow importing custom backgrounds
- Add tutorial or guidance for new users


### Retouch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retouch-ai-object-remover/id1619769150)

Easily remove unwanted objects, people, or text from your photos with AI. Enhance portraits, change outfits, and replace backgrounds with professional results. Create stunning visual effects and edit images with advanced tools.

**Highlights:** AI object and person removal, Background replacement and transparency, AI-powered portrait retouching, AI outfit changer, Clone stamp tool, Background blur effects, Sky replacement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Background | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Retouch Photo Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Remove objects | $9.99 | per month |
| Remove Objects Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Remove Objects Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Remove People from Photo | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great free app
- 👍 Good for fixing photos
- 🚀 Works great with 3 free edits per day

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Too many charges and premium features
- 🔒 Limiting free usage
- 🐛 Quality issues after editing
- 🔍 Unrealistic object removal
- 🔋 Glitchy and slow

**Reported bugs**

- Eraser tool leaves blurry/pixelated areas
- Removal feature doesn't work as expected
- Glitches and crashes

**Requested features**

- More free daily edits
- Improved object removal quality
- Better free version features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Background Eraser free?

Background Eraser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Retouch free?

Retouch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Background Eraser or Retouch?

Retouch is rated higher. Background Eraser averages 4.5 out of 5 from 134K ratings, while Retouch averages 4.6 from 4.4K ratings.

### Do Background Eraser or Retouch have ads?

Both Background Eraser and Retouch show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Background Eraser or Retouch?

Background Eraser ships an update every 4 days, and Retouch every 3 weeks. Most recently, Background Eraser was updated on October 29, 2026 and Retouch on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*