head to head · open source
rembg vs GIMP
rembg has 25,325 GitHub stars, 2,468 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. GIMP has 6,563 stars, 915 forks, 0 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. rembg leads on adoption by 286% (25,325 vs 6,563 stars). rembg is written in Python under MIT; GIMP is written in C under a custom or non-standard licence. rembg has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, GIMP 14%. GIMP was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| rembg | GIMP | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 25K | ★ 6.6K |
| License | MIT | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | C |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.5K | ⑂ 915 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick rembg if
- You weight community size — 25K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick GIMP if
- You want the GIMP feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and GIMP fits your workflow better
About rembg
Rembg is a tool to remove image backgrounds. It can be used as a CLI, Python library, HTTP server, or Docker container. Sponsors PhotoRoom Remove Background API Fast and accurate background remover API If this project has helped you, please consider making a donation. Requirements bash pip install "rembg[gpu]" for library pip install "rembg[gpu,cli]" for library + cli bash pip install "rembg[rocm]" for library pip install "rembg[rocm,cli]" for library + cli shell rembg help shell rembg help shell curl s rembg i output.png shell rembg i path/to/input.png path/to/output.png shell rembg i path/to/input.png →…
read the full rembg overview →
About GIMP
GNU Image Manipulation Program 3.3 Development Branch This is an unstable development release in the GIMP 3.3 series. If you think you found a bug in this version, please make sure that it hasn't been reported earlier and report it! If you want to hack on GIMP, please read the file devel docs/README.md. For detailed installation instructions, see the file INSTALL. 1. Web Resources ================ GIMP's home page is at: Please be sure to visit this site for information, documentation, tutorials, news, etc. All things GIMP ish are available from there. The latest version of GIMP can be found at: We also have a…
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Frequently asked questions
Is rembg or GIMP more popular?
rembg has 25,325 GitHub stars and GIMP has 6,563. rembg has the larger community by that measure.
Are rembg and GIMP free?
Both are open source. rembg is licensed under MIT, and GIMP has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between rembg and GIMP?
rembg is written in Python and GIMP in C. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, rembg or GIMP?
Choose rembg if you want the larger community (25,325 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose GIMP if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.