ArtCraft: 13 Free Open-Source Alternatives to Photoshop, Premiere, Word and Excel

A small team has released a launcher with 13 free apps that copy the look and workflow of Adobe and Microsoft software. Some are already useful. Most are still alpha. Here is what each app replaces, what works today, and who should install it now.

What is ArtCraft?

ArtCraft started as an AI image and video generation tool. In the first week of October 2026 the team behind it published seven apps on GitHub that mirror Adobe's best-known products. Gizmodo and PetaPixel covered it on 7 October. Within days, Word, Excel and PowerPoint look-alikes followed, and the launcher now lists 13 apps.

The launcher is the part most people will touch first. It shows every app with its version and release date, and installs or updates each one. On 17 October 2026 my launcher showed PhotoCraft 0.9.0, VectorCraft 0.12.0, FilmCraft 0.8.0, LightCraft 0.8.0, PdfCraft 0.8.0 and EffectCraft 0.10.0, all dated 14 to 16 October. Every version number is below 1.0, which tells you where the project stands.

ArtCraft apps and the software they replace

This is the list most readers search for. The "replaces" column names the paid product each app imitates. The last column lists other free tools you can compare against.

PdfCraft was called PrintCraft in the first press coverage. Search for both names if you look for the GitHub repository.

What works, according to early reports

PhotoCraft

The most polished of the group. Reviewers say it looks very close to Photoshop and can open and save PSD and PSB files with layers. Gizmodo's reviewer called it "glitchy, but real, Photoshop" and found Free Transform unreliable. Text typesetting, brushes and plugin compatibility are limited.

FilmCraft and EffectCraft

FilmCraft mirrors the Premiere Pro timeline. EffectCraft handles motion graphics and visual effects. Both can be driven by AI agents through commands, a CLI and MCP, which is unusual for desktop editing software.

WordCraft, GridCraft and DeckCraft

These are the office clones. One report says GridCraft already covers about 89% of Excel's menu commands and roughly 98% of worksheet functions. DeckCraft opens and saves .pptx files. The project's own repositories estimate the three apps are 50 to 60% ready for real work. I have not verified those percentages myself.

Who should try ArtCraft now?

Students and hobbyists who cannot afford a Creative Cloud subscription can learn layers, masks and timelines on PhotoCraft and FilmCraft without a licence fee. Developers and tinkerers will like the Rust source and the AI control hooks. Freelancers and agencies should wait. A crash during a client deadline costs more than a subscription.

In my own work running a web and digital marketing training business, I would not move a paying project onto alpha software. I would install it on a spare machine, test one real file type per week, and re-check after each release.

How to install ArtCraft safely

1. Download the launcher only from the developer's GitHub organization (storytold) or the official site. Community mirrors and copycat sites exist, and some rank well in search.
2. Check the repository's licence and recent commits before installing.
3. Install one app first. Test it on a copy of a file, not the original.
4. Keep your current software until the app has passed your own tests.

The launcher supports macOS, Windows and Linux, and some apps also run in the browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is ArtCraft really free?

Yes. The apps are free and open source. Only the optional AI image and video generation service uses paid credits, and reports say you can avoid that by connecting your own compute.

Is ArtCraft a good free Photoshop alternative?

PhotoCraft is promising and handles PSD files, but it is early alpha. For stable work today, GIMP, Krita or Photopea are safer.

Is there a free open-source alternative to Microsoft Office?

ArtCraft's WordCraft, GridCraft and DeckCraft are new entries. LibreOffice remains the mature free choice.

Does ArtCraft work on Windows, Mac and Linux?

Reports say all three are supported, and some apps also run in a browser.

Who made ArtCraft?

Brandon Thomas, an Atlanta-based developer, leads the project. Coverage says it was built in Rust with help from Claude.

Is it legal to copy Adobe's interface?

The developer says the apps are clean-room rewrites. Whether that holds up is untested, so commercial users should watch for any legal developments.

My verdict

ArtCraft will not replace Adobe or Microsoft this year. It is still a striking proof that one developer with AI help can ship a dozen native apps in weeks. Install the launcher, try PhotoCraft or GridCraft on a throwaway file, and check back in three months. By then the version numbers, and the real answer, will look different.

Sources

1. PetaPixel, 7 Oct 2026
2. Gizmodo, 7 Oct 2026
3. Digital Today, 7 Oct 2026
4. Korben, tests of the 12 clones
5. storytold on GitHub (developer's repositories)

Disclosure: this guide is based on published reports and the ArtCraft launcher as of 17 October 2026. Software versions change quickly, so check each app's GitHub page for current status.