Islamabad: A software engineer has released seven free open source Adobe alternatives — rebuilt versions of popular Adobe creative apps — with the help of artificial intelligence. The suite, called ArtCraft, covers Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign and Acrobat Pro on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Brandon Thomas, an Atlanta-based software engineer, announced the project on Reddit this week, Gizmodo reported. He says he used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 AI model to write the apps in Rust. “I’m not a casual vibe coder,” Thomas wrote, describing himself as a 15-year industry veteran with a decade of Rust experience.
Seven free open source Adobe alternatives in one suite
The seven apps mirror Adobe’s lineup almost one for one. PhotoCraft stands in for Photoshop, VectorCraft for Illustrator, FilmCraft for Premiere Pro, LightCraft for Lightroom, EffectCraft for After Effects, DesignCraft for InDesign and PrintCraft for Acrobat Pro.
The code is released under permissive open-source licences, Apache 2.0 and MIT, so anyone can read it, modify it or redistribute it. Each app shipped with installers for Windows, macOS and Linux on October 8, plus WebAssembly builds that run in a browser tab, joining a crowded field of free AI and online tools that need no installation.
The project also embeds generative AI features. Users can optionally buy AI credits inside the apps or connect their own third-party AI subscriptions — similar to the many free AI tools now available for content creators. The base software remains free with no subscription required — a relief for freelancers in Pakistan watching every rupee, and students can already tap a free Google Gemini plan for AI work.
Built by AI, but not a toy
PhotoCraft, the Photoshop stand-in, looks much like the real thing. It opens genuine PSD files, Photoshop’s proprietary format, and the team wired up all 625 of Photoshop’s menu items.
The reception has been enormous. The seven repositories collected more than 22,000 GitHub stars in their first week, with PhotoCraft passing 23,900 stars on its own.
The fine print
Thomas describes ArtCraft as a “clean-room reimplementation” of Adobe’s apps, meaning the team reverse-engineered the functionality without copying Adobe’s code or assets.
The project’s own documentation offers a reality check: it estimates the apps cover about 86 per cent of mainstream features, handle roughly 65 per cent of PSD test files perfectly, and sit only a quarter to a third of the way towards something a professional could rely on daily. Adobe also holds thousands of software patents, so whether the apps infringe any of them remains untested.
Why this matters for Adobe
Thomas says frustration with Adobe’s subscription model drove the project. “They charged me the ‘cancellation fee’ on multiple occasions and I’ve hated them ever since,” he wrote. That anger is widespread: the United States government sued Adobe in 2024 over hidden early termination fees, and Adobe agreed to a 150 million dollar settlement earlier this year while denying wrongdoing.
Frequently asked questions
What is ArtCraft?
ArtCraft is a suite of seven free, open-source creative apps built by software engineer Brandon Thomas, written in Rust with heavy assistance from Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 AI model.
Which Adobe apps does ArtCraft replace?
PhotoCraft replaces Photoshop, VectorCraft replaces Illustrator, FilmCraft replaces Premiere Pro, LightCraft replaces Lightroom, EffectCraft replaces After Effects, DesignCraft replaces InDesign and PrintCraft replaces Acrobat Pro.
Is ArtCraft really free?
Yes. The apps carry no subscription and are released under the Apache 2.0 and MIT open-source licences. Optional paid AI credits exist inside the apps, but the core software costs nothing.
How complete is the software?
The project is in alpha. Its own estimates say the apps cover about 86 per cent of mainstream features and are only 25 to 35 per cent of the way to professional daily use, so they suit hobbyists better than production workflows for now.
Is it legal to use?
Thomas calls the apps a clean-room reimplementation that copies no Adobe code, and the project is not affiliated with Adobe. Whether any Adobe patents are infringed remains untested, so download only from the official ArtCraft site or its GitHub repositories.
