Cutout.pro gives every new account 5 free credits. A passport photo costs 2 credits — so you can make exactly two complete passport photos before the credits run out. After that, the cheapest plan is a monthly subscription starting at ₹246.50 for 80 credits (pricing confirmed June 2026 from cutout.pro/image-pricing). For someone who needs one passport photo per year for a renewal, a monthly subscription makes no sense.
Transparency: easyPhoto is our product. All claims about Cutout.pro below are sourced from their own pricing page, privacy policy, and independent third-party reviews. Where Cutout.pro does something better, we say so.
What Cutout.pro is genuinely good at
Cutout.pro's core product is AI background removal, and it is genuinely strong at it. For complex subjects — hair, fur, transparent objects, product photos on busy backgrounds — the AI handles edges that simpler tools miss. If you need background removal at scale for product photography or commercial work, Cutout.pro is a competitive choice.
The passport photo feature sits on top of this background removal engine. The output quality is high. The problem is not quality — it is the pricing model and the privacy trade-offs for something as sensitive as a biometric government photo.
Three issues with Cutout.pro for one-off passport photos
1. Credits run out after two photos. Five free credits, two credits per passport photo — that is two complete photos and one credit left over. After that, the cheapest path is a ₹246.50/month subscription (80 credits). Pay-as-you-go is ₹254.15 for 30 credits, or roughly ₹17 per photo at minimum. For a tool marketed as "free," that is a significant paywall hidden behind the initial credits.
2. Watermark on free previews. The low-resolution preview visible without spending credits carries a watermark. Independent reviews confirm that a full-resolution, watermark-free download requires credits (DCReport, March 2026; HitPaw review). Cutout.pro's own marketing says "free previews forever" — the word "preview" is doing significant work there.
3. Server upload to AWS. Cutout.pro's privacy policy confirms photos are processed on Amazon Web Services and retained for 24–48 hours after your last edit. Public reports (Cybernews researchers, 2023; Trustpilot user reviews referencing a data set posted to BreachForums in February 2024) indicate past data security incidents. Cutout.pro has not issued a public statement about these incidents that we were able to find. For a biometric face photo destined for a government document, a server upload carries real risk.
| Tool | Cost | On-device | India 35×45 mm | Watermark-free | Exam tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutout.pro | 5 free credits, then ₹246.50+/mo | No — AWS server | India listed (spec unconfirmed) | No — credits required | None |
| easyPhoto | Free | Yes | ✓ Seva spec, verified | Yes | ✓ 40+ portals |
| PassportSizePhoto.in | Free | Yes (WebAssembly) | ✓ 630×810 px, 10–250 KB | Yes | None |
| PassportMaker | Appears free (unconfirmed) | No — server (~1 hr deletion) | India listed (spec unconfirmed) | Not stated | None |
Pricing verified June 2026 from each tool's own pages.
easyPhoto — free, on-device, covers exam photos too
This is our product.
easyPhoto makes passport photos to the Passport Seva spec (35×45 mm, white background, under 1 MB) for free, with no account and no server upload. Every operation runs in your browser — you can verify this yourself by watching the network tab while the tool processes your photo. No image upload request is sent.
It also handles exam photos that Cutout.pro has no support for. SSC CGL requires 275×354 px between 20–50 KB; IBPS PO requires 200×230 px in the same range; UPSC needs a square minimum 350×350 px. The tool knows the exact spec from each board's official notification and resizes to fit in one step for 40+ portals.
PassportSizePhoto.in — the strongest free passport-only alternative
PassportSizePhoto.in is a free, India-native tool built on WebAssembly. It correctly implements the Passport Seva spec at the pixel level: 630×810 px, 10–250 KB. Processing is browser-local with an explicit claim of DPDPA (India's data protection law) compliance alongside GDPR — comparable to easyPhoto's privacy model. The tool includes a print layout selector (1, 4, 6, or 8 photos per 4R sheet), multiple background colour options (white, off-white, light blue, light grey), and a Hindi-language version.
The gap: it is a passport and ID photo tool only. It mentions SSC and UPSC by name but has no portal-specific KB and pixel constraints for individual exam forms. If you only need a passport photo, it is a strong free alternative to Cutout.pro.
PassportMaker — AI outfit swap, server upload
PassportMaker (passportmaker.com) is an AI-powered tool for web, iOS, and Android that appears to be free. Its standout feature is AI clothing substitution — it can add a suit or shirt over a casual photo, which is useful if your source photo has unsuitable attire. It covers 130+ countries.
The caveat: PassportMaker's privacy policy confirms photos are uploaded to their servers and deleted approximately one hour after processing. For users who want server-free processing, PassportMaker is not the right tool. For users who need the AI outfit-swap feature and are comfortable with a temporary upload, it is worth testing. Note that the India 35×45 mm spec is listed as supported but not confirmed at the pixel level on any page we could access.
When Cutout.pro is actually worth using
Cutout.pro is a good product. It is just not designed for one-off passport photo creation at a reasonable cost. It makes sense when:
- Bulk product photography. Removing backgrounds from dozens of e-commerce product images — 80 credits for ₹246.50 is ₹3 per image, which is competitive for commercial-scale use.
- Complex subjects. Hair, fur, and transparent objects are genuinely harder for simpler tools. Cutout.pro's AI handles fine edges better than threshold-based background removal.
- Video background removal. None of the passport photo tools here remove backgrounds from video clips. Cutout.pro does.
For a standard Indian passport photo, exam portal photo, or document resize — where the tool's AI advantages do not apply — the free on-device alternatives are cheaper, faster, and more private.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cutout.pro actually free?
Cutout.pro starts with 5 free credits. A passport photo costs 2 credits, so you get two complete photos before credits run out. After that, the cheapest option is ₹246.50/month for 80 credits (subscription) or ₹254.15 for 30 credits (pay-as-you-go), both confirmed from cutout.pro/image-pricing in June 2026. Free previews are watermarked.
Did Cutout.pro experience a data breach?
Cybernews researchers reported an exposed Elasticsearch server associated with Cutout.pro in early 2023. In February 2024, Trustpilot user reviews referenced a 5.93 GB dataset posted to BreachForums. These are sourced from public reports; we have not independently verified the contents. Cutout.pro's current privacy policy states photos are processed on AWS and deleted within 24–48 hours after the last edit.
Which free tool is most accurate for India passport photos?
PassportSizePhoto.in lists the Passport Seva spec at the pixel level (630×810 px, 10–250 KB), matching the upload portal's exact constraints. easyPhoto targets the same spec and also covers exam portal requirements. Both are free with no server upload. Neither charges credits for any feature.