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ArtCraft AI Guide

Independent guide · updated October 11, 2026

Free, open-source Adobe alternatives that run on your computer

ArtCraft is a family of crafting apps: PhotoCraft for images, VectorCraft for vectors, FilmCraft for video and more, plus an AI studio that gives artists real control. This guide helps you pick, download and install them.

Download freeView on GitHub

PhotoCraft 0.7.0 · 45.5k GitHub stars · MIT / Apache-2.0

Try it now

Edit a photo in your browser first

Crop, adjust, filter, draw and export. Nothing is uploaded. When you need layers and PSD files, download PhotoCraft.

Open the full editor

Drop an image here

You can also paste an image (Ctrl/⌘ V).

Try a sample

Your image stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded.

The crafting apps

One open-source app for each Adobe tool you pay for

Seven desktop apps, each written from scratch in Rust and each able to stand on its own. All of them are new, so expect rough edges.

PhotoCraft

Alternative to Photoshop

Image editing with layers, masks, type and real PSD files

Alphav0.7.0· ★ 45.5kGuide

VectorCraft

Alternative to Illustrator

Vector illustration

Alphav0.9.0· ★ 6.7kGuide

FilmCraft

Alternative to Premiere Pro

Video editing, colour and sound

Alphav0.6.0· ★ 9.5kGuide

LightCraft

Alternative to Lightroom

Photo library and raw development

Alphav0.6.0· ★ 9.7kGuide

PdfCraft

Alternative to Acrobat

Reading, organizing and protecting PDFs

Alphav0.6.0· ★ 8.9kGuide

EffectCraft

Alternative to After Effects

Motion graphics and visual effects

Alphav0.8.0· ★ 4.9kGuide

DesignCraft

Alternative to InDesign

Page layout and publishing

Pre-alphav0.6.0· ★ 2.8kGuide

ArtCraft

AI image & video studio

Compose in 2D, stage in 3D and pick the model that fits.

v0.41.0· ★ 16.5kGet ArtCraft

Real screenshots

What PhotoCraft looks like in use

Every image here is PhotoCraft 0.7.0, installed and tested by us on a Mac.

Vermeer’s The Milkmaid in PhotoCraft with a Black & White adjustment layer masked so only the figure stays in colour
Mask an adjustment to keep one subject in colour
Editing a bold “PILLARS OF CREATION” headline with the Type tool over the Hubble image in PhotoCraft
Editable type layers
A layered PSD reopened in PhotoCraft with type, shape and masked adjustment layers in the Layers panel
A layered PSD, saved and reopened
Lasso selection
Five interface themes

Artworks shown: Vincent van Gogh, Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889, The Met, CC0); Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid (c. 1660, Rijksmuseum); Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (c. 1817); The Blue Marble (NASA, 1972); Pillars of Creation (NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), 2014). All public domain. Screenshots: PhotoCraft 0.7.0, captured by ArtCraft AI Guide.

ArtCraft AI studio

AI images and video, with an artist’s control

ArtCraft itself is an “IDE for artists”: instead of hoping a prompt lands, you build the shot first and then generate it.

  1. 01

    Compose in 2D

    Layer images, remove backgrounds and sketch where things go.

  2. 02

    Stage in 3D

    Turn an image into a mesh, pose characters and place the camera.

  3. 03

    Pick your model

    Generate with Nano Banana, GPT Image, FLUX, Seedream, Kling, Veo and more.

Get ArtCraft

ArtCraft runs on Windows and macOS, needs a free ArtCraft account, and generates with cloud AI models that cost credits.

PhotoCraft vs Photoshop

Where it already competes, and where it doesn’t yet

PhotoCraftPhotoshop
PriceFreeSubscription
No account, works offlineYesSign-in needed
Layers, masks, adjustment layersYesYes
Open and save PSDYes, exchange still imperfectNative
Generative AI (Generative Fill)Not yetYes
LinuxNativeNo
See the full comparison

What a year of Adobe costs

Adobe Creative Cloud Pro$839.88 / year
One Adobe app (e.g. Photoshop)$275.88 / year
All ArtCraft crafting apps$0

US list prices on an annual plan billed monthly, checked Oct 2026. Prices vary by region and promotion. Source

Up and running in three steps

  1. 1

    Download

    Grab the installer for your system from the official GitHub release.

    Go
  2. 2

    Install

    Follow our guide for Windows, macOS or Linux, with screenshots.

    Go
  3. 3

    Open an image

    Open a JPG, PNG or PSD and start editing with layers.

    Go

Latest releases

All news

October 11, 2026 · PhotoCraft 0.7.0

PhotoCraft 0.7.0 fixes layers, brushes and masks

A bug-fix-heavy release with softer brushes, better mask thumbnails, a tidier Layers panel and TGA alpha export.

October 7, 2026 · Craft apps

The ArtCraft team releases seven open-source Craft apps

PhotoCraft, VectorCraft, FilmCraft, LightCraft, PdfCraft, EffectCraft and DesignCraft arrive as free, Rust-built alternatives to Adobe's best-known apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is ArtCraft free?
All the crafting apps (PhotoCraft, VectorCraft, FilmCraft and the rest) are completely free and open source under MIT or Apache-2.0. The ArtCraft AI studio is also free to download, but generating images and video uses cloud AI models that cost credits. Check the official site for current pricing.
Is this the official ArtCraft website?
No. ArtCraft AI Guide is an independent community guide, not affiliated with the ArtCraft team or Adobe. The official site is getartcraft.com and the code lives on GitHub.
Can PhotoCraft open PSD files?
Yes. PhotoCraft opens, edits and saves layered PSD and PSB files. In the project’s own tests, re-saving keeps the render of 307 of 309 files in the psd-tools test set. Files saved by PhotoCraft are still occasionally refused by Photoshop, so take care when swapping files with Photoshop users.
Do I need an internet connection or an account?
The crafting apps (PhotoCraft and the rest) need no account and work fully offline once installed. The ArtCraft AI studio is different: it asks you to create and sign in to an ArtCraft account on first launch, and it needs a connection to generate.
Does PhotoCraft have AI features?
There is no generative AI like Generative Fill yet. It has on-device smart tools such as Select Subject, the Remove tool and Content-Aware, and it ships an MCP server and a CLI so AI agents like Claude can drive it.
Can PhotoCraft replace Photoshop?
Not yet. The project says plainly that it is “not yet a Photoshop replacement for daily professional work” and rates itself about 45% ready for real work. It is good today for everyday edits, learning, Linux users and open-source fans; professional workflows should wait. See the full comparison.
Are the downloads safe? How do I verify them?
Download only from GitHub Releases or the official site. macOS builds are signed and notarized by Apple. Every release includes SHA256SUMS.txt so you can check your file; see the download page for how.
Which systems are supported?
The crafting apps run on Windows (x64, ARM64, 32-bit), macOS (universal for Apple silicon and Intel), Linux (x86_64, ARM64, RISC-V), FreeBSD, and a self-hostable web build. The ArtCraft AI studio ships for Windows and macOS; on Linux you build it from source.
How is it different from GIMP or Krita?
PhotoCraft deliberately mirrors Photoshop’s menus, shortcuts and workflow, with adjustment layers, layer styles and PSD support, so it suits people moving from Photoshop. GIMP and Krita have been developed for more than twenty years and are more mature and stable; Krita focuses on digital painting.
Is a “clean-room” reimplementation legal?
The project says the code was written only from public specifications and observed behaviour, with no Adobe code, shaders or assets. Some press coverage has questioned the approach. We are not lawyers and only report what is public.
Is there an ArtCraft “PhotoShot” app?
No. ArtCraft’s Photoshop alternative is called PhotoCraft; “PhotoShot” is a common mix-up.