Image Masking vs Stock Photos
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — image masking compared with stock photos.
Last revised
Both sit under Background Remove, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
The quick verdict
In short More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Background Remove sets that out.
Side by side
| Image Masking | Stock Photos | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $0.69 per image | From $0.39 per image |
| Typical turnaround | 12–24 hours | — |
| Services underneath | 18 | — |
Choose Image Masking if
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $0.69 per image against $0.39 per image for stock photos
- The job is specifically alpha channel masking, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically background change, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically background transparent, which sits under this one
Choose Stock Photos if
- Budget is the binding constraint: this starts at $0.39 per image against $0.69 per image for image masking
What each one is
- Image Masking Alpha channel and layer masking for soft or semi-transparent edges, with the old background decontaminated out of the subject so nothing fringes on a dark layout.
- Stock Photos Background removal for stock photography, producing isolated subjects that buyers can use in any design.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
Image Masking starts at $0.69 per image and stock photos at $0.39 per image. Complexity and volume move both, and the cheaper unit is not always the cheaper job.
Which is faster?
Much the same, and volume moves the number far more than the choice between these two does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Image Masking — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Stock Photos — the same for the alternative
- Background Remove pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — 2 images, edited to your brief, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
