Generate Edited Videos by Removing a Person or Object From Videos
Most editors hit the same wall — an unwanted person appears in a shot, a subject needs to be swapped out, or a background talent walked into frame at the wrong moment. Reshooting costs time and money, and manual frame-by-frame editing takes hours. We tested five AI tools that claim to remove or replace a person from video automatically and found the right tool.
What to Expect
What we tested
We tested 5 tools that explicitly claim to remove or replace a person from video, using the same two source videos across all tools.
The Best Way to Do It
Our Recommendation
Use Runway ML — It is the only tested tool that handles both person removal and person replacement in a single workflow, with the highest output quality across all background types. Here's how — tested April 2026.
Upload Your Video
Go to Runway ML and open the Inpaint tool. Upload your source video directly. Runway ML accepts common formats including MP4 and MOV. No account setup beyond a free signup is required to start.
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Describe What to Remove
Enter a text prompt describing the object or person you want to remove from the video. Runway ML uses AI-based detection and tracking to identify the subject across frames automatically. Clear and specific prompts improve removal accuracy and reduce visual artifacts in the final output.
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Generate the Removal Process
After entering the removal prompt, click the Generate button to begin AI processing. Runway ML analyzes the video frame-by-frame and automatically removes the selected subject while reconstructing the background naturally. Processing time may vary depending on video length, motion complexity, and output quality.
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Preview and Process
Run the generation. Runway ML processes the video and presents a frame-by-frame preview before final export. This is the point to catch any tracking errors before committing. Re-brush specific frames if a particular section shows artifacts or missed coverage.
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Export the Edited Video
Once satisfied, export the final video. Standard plan and above removes the Runway ML watermark and enables HD export. The output is a clean MP4 ready for further editing, publishing, or direct upload to social platforms.
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What You'll Actually Get
Background Smear Limitation
In our outdoor test (Frame 3), a slight background smear appears when the subject moves quickly across detailed areas like foliage. This highlights a current limitation of Runway ML in handling fast motion combined with complex, overlapping backgrounds.
Hair & Edge Detail Accuracy
Handling fine details such as hair strands and soft edges remains a challenge across all tested tools. While Runway ML delivers the best results among them, minor imperfections are still noticeable and not entirely seamless.
Free Tier Credit Constraints
The free plan offers limited credits, and even a short 10-second HD video can consume a significant portion. Users planning to edit multiple videos should consider upgrading to a paid plan for uninterrupted workflow.
Learning Curve for Replacement Prompts
Replacing a person using the “Erase and Replace” feature requires well-defined text prompts. Vague or unclear instructions often lead to inconsistent outputs, meaning users need some experimentation to achieve optimal results.
Quality vs Simplicity Tradeoff
Tools like EzRemove AI and MagicEraser AI are easier to use and beginner-friendly, but they fall short in delivering high-quality results on complex scenes. Compared to Runway ML, the difference in output precision is clearly noticeable.
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Runway ML
Advanced AI video editing tool that can remove or replace people from videos with realistic background filling and smooth motion tracking.
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AVC Labs
AI-powered video enhancer and editor that allows object and person removal with clean results and improved video quality.
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Media.io
Easy-to-use online editor that lets you quickly remove unwanted people or objects from videos without complex editing skills.
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EzRemove
Simple AI tool focused on removing or replacing people in videos with minimal effort and fast processing.
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MagicEraser AI
Smart AI-based remover that detects and erases people from videos while maintaining natural-looking backgrounds.