Photography · head-to-head
Google Photos vs ObjectCut
Google's Photos APIs let apps read from and write to a user's Google Photos library across three products: the current Picker API lets a user securely choose individual items to share without granting an app full library access, the older Library API supports app-driven uploads and management of app-created content (several of its broader read scopes were removed on April 1, 2025), and the newer Ambient API drives slideshow experiences on photo frames and connected TVs. Every product requires OAuth2 user consent — there is no server-only API-key path — governed by Google's Photos API User Data and Developer Policy. Usage is free, bounded by per-project quotas that vary by product (for example 100,000 requests/minute for the Picker API versus 10,000/day for the Library API).
ObjectCut is a background-removal API built on the open-source BASNet image-segmentation model, published exclusively as a RapidAPI marketplace listing rather than through its own developer portal — objectcut.com is just marketing, with the interactive docs, console, and pricing living at the RapidAPI listing page. Every call needs a RapidAPI key sent via the x-rapidapi-key header, and the listing is tagged freemium, meaning a free tier sits alongside metered paid plans. The underlying GitHub project (AlbertSuarez/object-cut) is still actively maintained, with commits as recent as July 2026.
| Google Photos | ObjectCut | |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | OAuth | API Key |
| Pricing | free | freemium |
| Formats | JSON | Binary, JSON |
| CORS | yes | yes |
| HTTPS | Yes | Yes |
ObjectCut supports 2 response formats, while Google Photos offers fewer — pick ObjectCut for more integration flexibility.