Here’s a case study from a guy at Notre Dame who used ChatGPT to remove people from his travel photos — and here’s what we found.
SnapEdit is still the most reliable AI photo editor to remove objects or people from images cleanly and quickly, while ChatGPT is the creative generalist that’s fun to experiment with but can go wildly off-script when you just want something simple done.
You probably notice it too – suddenly everyone’s talking about ChatGPT and Gemini rolling out these fancy new image creation and editing features. It feels like just in several months there’s another announcement about AI models like ChatGPT 4o or Gemini VEO that can supposedly do everything from generating artwork to fixing your photos.
And honestly? It got us thinking: are these general-purpose AI giants about to make specialized photo editing tools like SnapEdit obsolete? I mean, if ChatGPT can write my emails, solve math problems, AND edit my photos, why would I need a separate app just for removing unwanted objects?
Well, I decided to put this theory to the test. After spending way too much time experimenting with both ChatGPT’s image editing and SnapEdit, I’ve got some pretty entertaining stories to share – including one ChatGPT fail that’s so ridiculous it belongs in a comedy sketch.
Spoiler alert: Turns out there’s a big difference between an AI that can edit photos and one that’s built to edit photos well. It’s like asking your super-smart friend who “knows a bit about everything” to fix your car versus going to an actual mechanic. Sure, your friend might give it a shot, but… well, you’ll see what I mean.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | SnapEdit | ChatGPT |
| Primary Focus | Professional AI photo editor | General AI with image editing |
| Object Detection | Automatic AI detection | Manual prompting required |
| Removal Process | One-click removal | Prompt-based instructions |
| Speed | Very fast (seconds) | Slow, especially on free tier |
| Accuracy | High precision, natural results | Inconsistent, may alter faces |
| File Formats | JPG, PNG, HEIC | JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, HEIC, BMP, TIFF |
| Free Version | upto 3 images/day | 3 images/day (limited speed) |
| Pricing | From $5/month | $20/month |
| Bulk Processing | Yes (paid plans) | No |
| Learning Curve | None – just upload and click | Requires effective prompting |
| Best For | Professional object removal | General creative experiments |
Ready to Clean Up Your Photos?
Try SnapEdit free – get 3 professional object removals daily without any prompts or hassle. Perfect for those product photos, family pictures, or social media posts where you need clean, natural results.
SnapEdit: The Dedicated Photo Cleanup Specialist
Strengths
- Effortless operation – Upload, click, done. No prompting gymnastics required
- Lightning-fast processing – Results in seconds, not minutes
- Smart AI detection – Automatically identifies objects and people to remove
- Natural-looking results – Seamlessly fills in backgrounds naturally
- Budget-friendly – Professional results starting at just $5/month
- Bulk processing – Handle multiple images efficiently for business use
- Mobile-friendly – Works great on phones and tablets
Limitations
- Fewer file formats – Limited to JPG, PNG, and HEIC
- Free tier restrictions – Only 3 images daily on free plan
ChatGPT: The Creative Playground with Mixed Results
Strengths
- Versatile creativity – Can generate, edit, enhance, and modify images in countless ways
- Multiple file formats – Supports 7 different image types
- Conversational editing – Describe what you want in natural language
- Part of larger ecosystem – Access to ChatGPT’s full capabilities
- Experimental fun – Great for creative projects and trying new ideas
Limitations
- Inconsistent results – May change faces, add unwanted logos, or misunderstand requests
- Slow processing – Especially painful on the free tier
- Requires good prompting – Need to be specific about what you want
- Higher cost – $20/month for reliable access
- Not detail-preserving – Often alters important features you wanted to keep
- No bulk processing – One image at a time approach
Real User Experience: When ChatGPT Goes Wrong
When scrolling through Twitter the other day (as one does when procrastinating), and we came across this post that made us want to do a double-take. This guy had tried using ChatGPT to clean up a photo of himself at Notre Dame – you know, just wanted to remove the other tourists in the background. Simple request, right?
His exact words to ChatGPT: “Remove all the other people outside of me. Don’t change my face”
What could go wrong with such clear instructions? Well… everything, apparently.
ChatGPT didn’t just ignore his “don’t change my face” request – it completely transformed his face into someone else’s AND slapped an AI logo right onto Notre Dame cathedral. I’m talking full-on face swap plus random branding nobody asked for. It was like ChatGPT thought, “You know what this historic landmark needs? My signature!”
You can see the full story
Asked ChatGPT to:
“Remove all the other people outside of me. Don’t change my face”
And it totally changed my face and even added an AI logo to Notre Dame 🥲 pic.twitter.com/53C7qbYlPr
— Peter Yang (@petergyang) June 17, 2025
So We Put SnapEdit to the Test
Naturally, this got me curious. I mean, this was the perfect real-world test case, right? So I decided to take the same type of photo scenario and run it through SnapEdit to see what would happen.
Here’s how it went down with SnapEdit:
- Uploaded a similar tourist photo – Person in foreground, bunch of people in background
- SnapEdit’s AI immediately highlighted the background people – No prompting needed, it just knew
- One click later – Clean background, original person completely untouched
- Face stayed exactly the same – No mysterious transformations or random logo appearances
- Whole process took maybe 10 seconds – Fast, clean, predictable
The difference was like night and day. While ChatGPT was busy playing “pin the AI logo on the cathedral” and giving our guy a completely new identity, SnapEdit just… did exactly what you’d expect. Boring? Maybe. Reliable? Absolutely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SnapEdit really better than ChatGPT for removing objects?
For dedicated object removal, absolutely. SnapEdit is built specifically for this task, while ChatGPT’s image editing is more of a general feature that often produces unpredictable results.
Can I use ChatGPT for free to remove objects?
Yes, but you’ll deal with slow processing, limited daily usage, and inconsistent results. The free tier is really more for experimentation than professional use.
Which tool is better for business use?
SnapEdit wins hands down. It’s faster, more accurate, costs less, and can handle bulk processing. ChatGPT’s unpredictability makes it risky for business photos.
What if I need to edit multiple photos?
SnapEdit’s paid plans support bulk processing, making it perfect for photographers, e-commerce, or social media managers. ChatGPT requires individual attention for each image.
Do I need to write prompts for SnapEdit?
Nope! That’s the beauty of it. Just upload your photo and the AI automatically detects what to remove. Click the delete button and you’re done.
Can ChatGPT do things SnapEdit can’t?
Absolutely. ChatGPT can generate entirely new images, create artistic effects, and do complex creative edits. But for simple object removal, it’s overkill and often problematic.
Which tool should I choose to remove people from people?
Choose SnapEdit if: You need reliable object removal, work with photos professionally, want fast results, or prefer simple tools that just work.
Choose ChatGPT if: You enjoy experimenting with AI, need versatile creative tools, don’t mind inconsistent results, or want to try various image manipulations beyond just object removal.
The choice really comes down to whether you need a reliable tool for a specific job (SnapEdit) or a creative playground for general experimentation (ChatGPT).
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