Crafting Apps GuideUnofficial guide. Not affiliated with ArtCraft / Storytold, Adobe or Microsoft. Facts from the official READMEs as of 2026-10-12.
Last updated: · Data snapshot: 2026-10-12
Twelve apps. Open source. Pure Rust.
Crafting Apps by ArtCraft: free, open-source Adobe & Office alternatives
ArtCraft is the team and brand behind the Crafting Apps: twelve free, open-source creative and productivity tools built in Rust, with ArtCraft Launcher for installation and updates. Their official pages are on getartcraft.com and their source repositories are under storytold on GitHub. The READMEs describe ArtCraft itself separately as an AI image and video studio.
What are the Crafting Apps?
The ArtCraft team publishes twelve creative and productivity apps in the storytold GitHub organization. The official apps listing describes free, open-source tools written from scratch in Rust, with native desktop builds. Their READMEs describe clean-room implementations of familiar workflows.
If you searched for “artcraft apps,” “storytold apps,” “Adobe clones” or an “open source Adobe suite,” this is the lineup those names point to. Each app stands on its own; ArtCraft Launcher handles installation and updates across the suite.
Early software, with real gaps. PhotoCraft and PdfCraft are labeled Early alpha; the other ten apps are In development. Read each app's limits before trying it on important work. This guide summarizes documentation and has not tested the apps.
What is ArtCraft? Read about the team, the Crafting Apps and the separate AI studio.
The repositories provide permissive licenses. The table and individual guides keep license metadata and README terms separate where needed; bundled assets and branding have their own notices.
All Crafting Apps at a glance
Versions, release dates and stars are a snapshot, not live counts. Platform labels come from the official listing; the download pages show the packages actually present in releases.
PhotoCraft
Alternative to Adobe Photoshop
VectorCraft
Alternative to Adobe Illustrator
FilmCraft
Alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro
LightCraft
Alternative to Adobe Lightroom
PdfCraft
Alternative to Adobe Acrobat
EffectCraft
Alternative to Adobe After Effects
DesignCraft
Alternative to Adobe InDesign
WordCraft
Alternative to Microsoft Word
SoundCraft
Alternative to Avid Pro Tools
DeckCraft
Alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint
CADCraft
Alternative to Autodesk AutoCAD
GridCraft
Alternative to Microsoft Excel
ArtCraft Launcher
Install, update and open the Crafting Apps from one place.
View the complete app comparison table
| App | For | README alternative to | Official status | Platforms | Latest release | GitHub stars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhotoCraft | Image editing | Adobe Photoshop | Early alpha | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.7.0 | 49,563 |
| VectorCraft | Vector illustration | Adobe Illustrator | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.9.0 | 7,334 |
| FilmCraft | Video editing | Adobe Premiere Pro | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux | v0.6.0 | 10,557 |
| LightCraft | Photo library and raw development | Adobe Lightroom | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.6.0 | 10,488 |
| PdfCraft | PDF reading and organization | Adobe Acrobat | Early alpha | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.6.0 | 10,111 |
| EffectCraft | Motion graphics and visual effects | Adobe After Effects | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.8.0 | 5,332 |
| DesignCraft | Page layout and publishing | Adobe InDesign | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.6.0 | 3,124 |
| WordCraft | Word processing | Microsoft Word | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.5.0 | 7,012 |
| SoundCraft | Audio recording, editing and mixing | Avid Pro Tools | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.5.0 | 1,942 |
| DeckCraft | Presentations and slide shows | Microsoft PowerPoint | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.5.0 | 2,164 |
| CADCraft | Computer-aided design and drafting | Autodesk AutoCAD | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.5.0 | 2,901 |
| GridCraft | Spreadsheets and data analysis | Microsoft Excel | In development | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | v0.5.0 | 3,207 |
| ArtCraft Launcher | Installing and updating the Crafting Apps | — | Early alpha | macOS, Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Web | v0.3.2 | 1,408 |
Which app do I need?
- Image editingPhotoCraft →
- Vector illustrationVectorCraft →
- Video editingFilmCraft →
- Photo library and raw developmentLightCraft →
- PDF reading and organizationPdfCraft →
- Motion graphics and visual effectsEffectCraft →
- Page layout and publishingDesignCraft →
- Word processingWordCraft →
- Audio recording, editing and mixingSoundCraft →
- Presentations and slide showsDeckCraft →
- Computer-aided design and draftingCADCraft →
- Spreadsheets and data analysisGridCraft →
- Installing and updating the Crafting AppsArtCraft Launcher →
Editing PSD files? Start with PhotoCraft. Developing RAW photos? Check LightCraft. For DOCX and XLSX, read the format limits in WordCraft and GridCraft.
How to install the Crafting Apps
ArtCraft Launcher picks an official package for your OS and processor, checks its published SHA-256 checksum and keeps installed apps up to date. You can also install an app separately from its own official page or GitHub Releases.
- Pick your app and check its documented status and file support.
- Open its official website or Releases page.
- Choose your operating system, processor architecture and package format.
- Verify the checksum and follow that app's README instructions.
Frequently asked questions
What is ArtCraft?
ArtCraft is the team and brand behind the Crafting Apps, published at getartcraft.com and under the storytold GitHub organization. The READMEs also describe ArtCraft itself as a separate AI image and video studio.
Is ArtCraft legit?
The supplied research identifies official getartcraft.com pages and public storytold repositories with license files and releases. That gives you traceable sources for the Crafting Apps; it is not an independent audit or a safety guarantee.
Is ArtCraft free?
The official listing says the Crafting Apps are free to use. ArtCraft itself is also described as an AI image and video studio, but its pricing is not established by this research.
Is ArtCraft open source?
The Crafting Apps have public source repositories and permissive licenses. Consult each repository for its terms and separate asset or trademark notices. These materials do not establish the source-license scope of the separate ArtCraft AI studio.
Are the Crafting Apps really free?
The official apps listing says they are free and open source. License terms belong to each repository; several READMEs offer MIT OR Apache-2.0 even where GitHub records one license.
Who makes the Crafting Apps?
They come from the ArtCraft team and community. The source repositories are published under the storytold GitHub organization.
Are they safe, and where should I download them?
Use getartcraft.com or the official storytold GitHub Releases pages. Check SHA256SUMS.txt against your downloaded file. This guide has not audited the binaries, and the early builds have documented bugs.
Do they open PSD, DOCX and XLSX files?
PhotoCraft documents PSD and PSB support; WordCraft documents .docx read/write; GridCraft uses XLSX as its native format. Those apps also document fidelity limits, so check their individual guides and keep your originals.
Do Crafting Apps run in a browser?
The official listing labels Web support for eleven apps, with FilmCraft labeled macOS, Windows and Linux. FilmCraft’s README also documents a WebAssembly build. Browser packages and desktop capabilities can differ.
Are the Crafting Apps finished?
No. The official listing says Early alpha for PhotoCraft and PdfCraft and In development for the other ten. Several READMEs describe alpha builds; SoundCraft says pre-alpha. Broad feature lists do not guarantee finished workflows.
What is the relationship to ArtCraft?
The Crafting Apps are free tools from the ArtCraft team. The READMEs separately describe ArtCraft itself as an AI image and video studio. This research does not establish its pricing, so this guide does not quote a paid plan.
Start with the source
A little research. A safer download.
Check official sources, published checksums and documented limits before you install.
Is ArtCraft safe and legit? →