TouchRetouch vs Removex

Both apps erase things from your photos. TouchRetouch is a classic for wires, spots, and small objects. Removex is built for one job — removing people — and it does things TouchRetouch can't. Here's an honest side-by-side for the photo in front of you.

  TouchRetouch Removex
Best atWires, spots, small objectsRemoving people, incl. large subjects
Ease of useMany tools, steeper learning curveSimple tap-to-remove flow
Selecting a personBrush or lasso by handOne tap — detects the whole subject
People-aware AIManual selectionYes
Large foreground subjectsNeeds careful maskingBuilt for it
Group photosMark each person by handSelect all, exclude who you keep
Move people together after removalCan't move subjectsClose the gap
Fill methodSmudges / clones nearby pixelsAI reconstruction
Background reconstructionGreat on small areas, smears on big onesFull resolution, tuned for big removals
PlatformiPhone & AndroidiPhone, iOS 17.6+
Cost$39.99/year subscriptionFree to download + free trial

When TouchRetouch is the right tool

TouchRetouch has earned its reputation. If you're erasing power lines, wires, a blemish, a stray sign, or a small distant object, its line-removal and brush tools are fast and clean, and it runs on both iPhone and Android. For that kind of tidy-up it's hard to beat.

When Removex is the better choice

The moment the thing you want gone is a person — especially a large one, or one standing in a group — the manual approach starts to cost you. Reach for Removex when:

  • You're removing a person, not a wire. Removex detects the whole subject from one tap — no tracing limbs, hair, or clothing by hand.
  • The person is large or close to the camera. TouchRetouch fills a removal by smudging and cloning nearby pixels, so big areas smear; Removex's people-tuned AI actually reconstructs the background and is built for large foreground subjects.
  • It's a group photo. Select everyone and exclude the ones you want to keep, instead of masking each person individually.
  • You need to move people together. Remove someone from the middle of a group and slide the others together to close the gap — something TouchRetouch simply can't do.
  • You want it to be simple. TouchRetouch stacks up object, line, clone, and brush tools with their own settings — powerful, but overwhelming if you just want someone gone. Removex is one clear flow: tap the person, remove, save.
  • You've run into stability issues. A number of recent App Store reviews report TouchRetouch crashing or freezing. Experiences vary, but if it's been unstable for you, Removex is actively maintained with a simple, reliable flow.
  • You want to try before you buy. Removex is free to download with a free trial, so you can test it on your own photos — TouchRetouch is a $39.99/year subscription.

The one thing only Removex can do: move the people who stay

Every eraser, TouchRetouch included, can only delete and fill. When you remove someone from the middle of a group, that leaves a person-shaped gap the app has to invent a background for. Removex instead lets you move the remaining people together, so the gap closes with far less background to reconstruct — and the shot looks like it was always meant to be that way.

The short version

TouchRetouch is a superb, cross-platform tool for wires and small objects, if you don't mind its many manual tools. Removex is a dedicated people remover with a simple tap-to-remove flow, one-tap AI selection, large-subject handling, group-photo support, and the unique ability to move people together. If your job is removing people, Removex is the more reliable choice — and it's free to download with a free trial, versus TouchRetouch's $39.99/year subscription.

Try Removex on your toughest people photo

Free to download. Works on iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later.

Download Removex

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