Unofficial · Independent guide
Open-source Adobe alternatives for your creative work
Open-source Adobe alternatives are worth choosing by the job you need to finish: retouching a photo, drawing an illustration, editing video or preparing a layout. This Australian English guide maps the 13 ArtCraft tools to their main uses, Adobe counterparts where relevant and development status.
OpenSourceAdobe is independent of both Adobe and ArtCraft. We distinguish the developer’s published features from the checks you should carry out with your own files. A downloadable build or familiar interface does not establish that an early application is ready for your production workflow.
Updated:
Early 23 October check: published versions unchanged
This limited check found no newer published release. Development docs clarify missing JPEG options in PhotoCraft and hidden-information removal in PdfCraft; they do not establish changes in the installers. Both notes belong to 23 October in Beijing time; PhotoCraft uses the official PR merge time rather than the earlier internal commit time. Direct access to X, YouTube and Google search pages was limited.
22 October check: published releases and community reports
Verified releases include PhotoCraft 0.12.0, VectorCraft 0.14.0, PdfCraft 0.11.0, FigCraft 0.9.0, Launcher 0.6.1 and new packages for the remaining Crafting Apps. They were published on 21 October UTC; some fall on 22 October in Beijing. Higher versions do not change the development labels. These releases have no FreeBSD ARM64 packages. The briefs are split by Beijing time: six releases on 21 October and eight on 22 October.
PhotoCraft 0.12.0’s official documentation still lists Generative Fill and Expand as missing. Content-aware editing and the separate AI studio are different workflows. The community browser workspace is an independent alpha, and print PR 5456 remains unmerged. These are not our own hands-on tests. Direct access to X, YouTube and Google search pages was limited.
20 October check: published releases and community reports
Verified releases include PhotoCraft 0.10.0, VectorCraft 0.13.1, PdfCraft 0.9.0, FigCraft 0.7.0 and Launcher 0.5.1. Download records for all 13 apps were checked against published packages. The original publication dates are 17–18 October UTC; these are not new releases today. FigCraft 0.7.0’s tagged documentation now includes optional agent read/write folders, which do not provide a complete operating-system sandbox.
Two reports today concern PhotoCraft brush and cursor lag and VectorCraft Pencil drawing new paths instead of editing. Build and environment details are incomplete; we have not reproduced the reports or verified a fix. Direct access to X, YouTube and Google was limited, so coverage is incomplete.
17 October snapshot: development notes and community reports
The 17 October update separated development documentation from distributed releases. FigCraft’s development documentation described optional agent read and write limits, while the installer recorded in that snapshot was 0.6.0. That did not establish that the installer included those settings or provided a complete operating-system sandbox.
The same dated update recorded a PhotoCraft brush report involving the Spacing setting. Individual reports may omit the application version or hardware. This is historical context, rather than a claim that these are today’s latest releases or that we reproduced the reported behaviour.
Start with the task, then choose a tool
PhotoCraft targets layered image editing and retouching; LightCraft concerns photo libraries and RAW development. VectorCraft covers vector illustration and DesignCraft page layout. FilmCraft, EffectCraft and SoundCraft address video editing, visual effects and audio respectively.
For PDF documents, look at PdfCraft; for interface design, FigCraft. WordCraft, DeckCraft, GridCraft and CADCraft cover writing, presentations, spreadsheets and technical drawing. These categories help you organise a shortlist. They do not mean each tool has a direct Adobe equivalent or can exchange every file without changes.
Compare all 13 ArtCraft tools
The shared catalogue below shows each tool’s intended use and development status. Platform names describe project targets: check the selected release for an installer matching your operating system and processor. An alpha or in-development label remains relevant even when an installer is available.
| Tool | Adobe counterpart | Main use | Target platforms | Development status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhotoCraft | Photoshop | Photo editing and retouching | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | Early alpha |
| VectorCraft | Illustrator | Vector illustration | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| FilmCraft | Premiere Pro | Video editing | macOS · Windows · Linux | In development |
| LightCraft | Lightroom | Photo organisation and RAW development | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| PdfCraft | Acrobat | PDF editing and organisation | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | Early alpha |
| EffectCraft | After Effects | Motion graphics and visual effects | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| DesignCraft | InDesign | Page layout and publishing | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| FigCraft | No direct counterpart | Interface design and prototyping | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | Early alpha |
| WordCraft | No direct counterpart | Word processing | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| SoundCraft | Pro Tools | Audio recording and mixing | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| DeckCraft | No direct counterpart | Presentations | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| CADCraft | No direct counterpart | CAD and technical drawing | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
| GridCraft | No direct counterpart | Spreadsheets and data analysis | macOS · Windows · Linux · Web | In development |
Check compatibility before changing your workflow
Begin with a copy of a small, representative project. Open it, edit it, save under a new name, close it, reopen it and export the intended deliverable. Keep a visual reference so that changes to type, colour, transparency or effects are easier to spot.
Client work brings further requirements: supplied fonts, linked assets, colour profiles, print specifications and collaboration formats. Test the complete handover with the person receiving the file. Keep your established workflow available until those requirements have been met.
The software licence is separate from the rights attached to fonts, images, templates or external services. Open-source software does not automatically give you permission to reuse every asset you open in it. Read the terms for the actual application and materials you use.
From the overview to a practical installation guide
If photo editing is your priority, use the Photoshop alternative comparison first. The PhotoCraft guide then explains installation choices and a careful first run. The ArtCraft download guide clarifies the Launcher, individual Craft Apps and other products with similar names.
This Australian English selection currently contains four guides. Links to other apps lead to official product pages when no regional guide has been published. We do not create links to imagined local pages or imply that this site provides Australian customer support.
Track releases separately from announcements
Product pages, source-code documentation and release files can change at different times. For an installation, use the files and notes attached to the release you choose. Record its version, package format and platform so you can repeat a check or describe a problem accurately.
After an update, repeat your checks using the same test documents. A new version number alone does not establish that a particular issue has been fixed or every format is fully compatible. The site’s dated updates distinguish official releases, development information and community observations.
Frequently asked questions
Are the ArtCraft tools free to use in Australia?
The official catalogue describes the Craft Apps as free and open source. This guide does not quote an Australian price or a local offer. Other ArtCraft products, including AI services, may have separate terms, so check which product you are using.
Can ArtCraft replace the whole Adobe suite?
That depends on your files, essential features and delivery requirements. Early alpha and in-development tools need careful assessment. Published features do not establish complete compatibility with Adobe formats, plug-ins or print workflows.
Does choosing Australian English change the applications?
No. It changes the language and regional wording of this guide. It does not install a special Australian build or establish which interface languages an individual app supports.
What does ArtCraft Launcher do?
It provides a central place to install, update and launch Craft Apps. Individual apps also offer official downloads, so the Launcher is an option rather than a requirement.
Can I install every app on Windows, macOS and Linux?
Check the files for each application and release. A target-platform list does not guarantee that every processor architecture or package format has an installer. Dependencies may differ between apps.