Open-source creative apps by ArtCraft

ArtCraft creative apps by category

1. PhotoCraft: Image editing

The open-source image editor you already know how to use. Early alpha

The PhotoCraft README describes a clean-room reimplementation of Adobe Photoshop.

Latest snapshotted release: v0.18.0 · 2026-10-31.

• Keep edits separate with adjustment layers, pixel and vector masks, layer groups, and smart objects. The README also describes live layer styles and brush controls driven by pressure and tilt.
• Work with RGB, Grayscale, CMYK and Lab documents at different bit depths. Color profiles, soft proofing, cropping, selections and recorded actions are documented.

Documented limits: PhotoCraft is early alpha. Its README says it is not ready to replace Photoshop in daily professional work. Gaps include AI/generative work, missing tools, typography depth, professional workflows and plug-in compatibility. Command wiring does not prove that every operation behaves as intended.

2. VectorCraft: Vector illustration

Fast, open-source vector illustration, reimagined in pure Rust. In development

Latest snapshotted release: v0.19.0 · 2026-10-31.

• Use path editing, curve booleans, Pathfinder, Shape Builder, gradients and appearance controls. The README describes styles, threaded text and bidirectional Hebrew/Arabic layout.
• Prepare screen exports and work with a documented JSON native format. Import warnings identify content that could not be translated.

Documented limits: The official listing says In development; the README describes an alpha. Native .ai exchange, tool interaction details, much of the 3D/material work, vertical CJK composition, scripting and generative AI remain incomplete. All 57 raster filters now have approximate implementations and the Effect Gallery is present; filter thumbnails and its preview area remain missing. Its parity scores are the maintainers' own assessments, not independent review results.

3. FilmCraft: Video editing

Professional, open-source video editing, rebuilt from scratch in Rust. In development

Latest snapshotted release: v0.15.0 · 2026-10-31.

• The README documents editing and trimming, multicam, color controls, keyframes, effects, titles, captions and audio mixing.
• Video and audio codecs are implemented in Rust. Software and hardware export have different capabilities; check the format limitations before planning delivery.

Documented limits: FilmCraft is in alpha. Large-footage performance, real-world media testing and platform coverage need work. It cannot open .prproj and does not host VST3 / Audio Units or OpenFX plug-ins. Speech-to-text is optional and disabled by default. Windows and Linux receive less testing than macOS.

4. LightCraft: Photo library and raw development

An open-source photo library and raw developer that runs on your machine. In development

Latest snapshotted release: v0.16.0 · 2026-10-31.

• Adjust light, color, tone curves and masks without changing your source photos. Ratings, flags, keywords, collections, filters and library persistence are documented.
• Export with naming templates, size controls, metadata policy and watermarks. The README describes HDR and panorama merging, plus XMP sidecar workflows.

Documented limits: The listing says In development. Object/Describe masking and Bayer RAW AI Denoise use separately installed models. Subject and Sky still use heuristic selections; X-Trans and linear-RGB AI denoising, Super Resolution and measured camera calibration remain missing. HDR display support and some camera/lens profiles are also unfinished.

5. PdfCraft: PDF reading and organization

The open-source PDF workbench: read, organize, combine, split and secure. Early alpha

Latest snapshotted release: v0.16.1 · 2026-10-31.

• Search and navigate documents, rearrange pages, combine PDFs or split them into smaller files. The README documents comments and form filling/authoring.
• Password handling, redaction, sanitizing, basic digital signatures and an Accessibility Checker are documented. The project is still being hardened against problematic files.

Documented limits: The listing says Early alpha. Existing-text editing, especially CJK and right-to-left text, Office interchange, signature tokens and long-term online validation need work. OCR beyond Latin script, Preflight and PDF/X/UA are incomplete. The web build cannot print yet. The README reports crashes and hangs still being found during fuzzing.

6. EffectCraft: Motion graphics and visual effects

Open-source motion graphics and visual effects, built in pure Rust. In development

Latest snapshotted release: v0.19.0 · 2026-10-31.

• Build compositions from footage, shapes, solids, text and nested compositions. Animate properties with keyframes, masks and effects.
• Use output modules and render settings for queued output. Lottie import/export translates supported composition elements and reports what cannot be represented.

Documented limits: The listing says In development and the README describes an alpha intended for experimentation rather than production client work. Automated rendering tests focus on small compositions; the README asks users to report visual differences and unexpected behavior. Linux and Windows have had basic interaction bugs; macOS is the most tested platform. Optional trained models are still being evaluated and tuned.

7. DesignCraft: Page layout and publishing

Open-source page layout and publishing, rebuilt in pure Rust. In development

Latest snapshotted release: v0.15.2 · 2026-10-31.

• Lay out spreads with parent pages, frames, threaded stories and paragraph/character styles. The paragraph composer includes hyphenation, justification, baseline grids and columns.
• The README documents PDF output with matching on-screen line breaks, along with document interchange, editable .pptx export and EPUB export.

Documented limits: The official listing says In development. The official README does not include a detailed current gap list or a professional replacement guarantee. Treat the documented tools as development-stage capabilities and test copies of your documents. Japanese text in source builds needs the optional shared fonts or suitable system fonts; release builds include the shared fonts.

8. FigCraft: Interface design and prototyping

Open-source interface design and prototyping, rebuilt in pure Rust. Early alpha

Latest snapshotted release: v0.13.1 · 2026-10-31.

• Build frames with auto layout, wrapping and grid tracks, sizing constraints and layout grids. Components support instances, overrides, variants and properties. Local styles and typed variables provide modes, aliases and bindings across design properties.
• Edit vector networks, editable boolean groups, variable-width strokes, gradients and text. Prototype connections support triggers, actions, transitions and conditional variables. Inspect mode documents measurements, annotations, ready-for-development status and generated code.

Documented limits: The official listing labels FigCraft Early alpha. The README describes an alpha, best-effort .fig import and a lack of validation against real design documents. Multiplayer is a preview, with no accounts, teams or cloud yet. Its plugin system runs FigCraft's own sandboxed WebAssembly plugins. The maintainers' readiness estimate is their own assessment, not this guide's testing.

9. SoundCraft: Audio recording, editing and mixing

Professional audio recording, editing and mixing in pure Rust. In development

Latest snapshotted release: v0.15.0 · 2026-10-31.

• Arrange clips with edit modes, fades, playlists and comping. Punch and loop recording, input monitoring and autosave recovery are documented.
• Use buses, sends, faders and automation. Built-in processors, plug-in hosting, a piano roll, quantization and a score editor are described.
• The MCP server can confine agent access to separate read and write folders.

Documented limits: The official listing says In development, while the README is more specific: pre-alpha. Choosing an audio interface and buffer size, recording MIDI from a controller, session interchange (AAF/OMF) and translations remain gaps. Record/edit/mix/bounce is described as working end to end, but the project is not presented as ready for all professional work.

Is ArtCraft an AI clone?

The official READMEs do not establish that the Crafting Apps were AI-generated. The listing describes agent-ready tools controlled through CLI, JSON and MCP. ArtCraft separately offers an AI image and video studio; that is a different product from these creative apps.

Is PhotoCraft an AI Photoshop clone?

PhotoCraft’s README describes a clean-room Rust reimplementation of Adobe Photoshop; it does not establish that the app was AI-generated. Its command registry supports scripts and AI agents through CLI, JSON control and MCP. AI/generative features remain among its documented gaps.

ArtCraft and its separate AI studio · PhotoCraft clean-room and automation documentation

How we selected the creative apps

This overview groups the Crafting Apps used for visual and audio work by their own categories. It includes interface design and audio alongside the image, video and publishing tools. Numbering follows the official lineup order and does not rank quality. Read our editorial method for how we use the official documentation.

Statuses and descriptions come from the official apps listing; versions come from the snapshotted releases. Read our official-download guide and the safety evidence and limits. Where published, check your file against the release's SHA256SUMS.txt.

Office tools, CAD and ArtCraft Launcher

The wider lineup also covers word processing, presentations, CAD and spreadsheets. ArtCraft Launcher installs and updates the creative and office apps.

• WordCraftIn development
• DeckCraftIn development
• CADCraftIn development
• GridCraftIn development
• ArtCraft LauncherEarly alpha

Frequently asked questions