On this page (9 sections)
What is PhotoCraft?
PhotoCraft (the open-source Photoshop alternative by the ArtCraft team) is a free image editor written from scratch in Rust. It opens and writes real PSD files, it keeps layers, masks and adjustment layers intact, and it costs nothing. It is also one of the fastest-growing open-source projects of 2026: 43,699 GitHub stars in the eleven days after the repository was created on 30 September 2026.
PhotoCraft is in early alpha, which is the honest headline. This guide covers what PhotoCraft does today, how to download it safely, and where it stands next to the tools you already pay for.
One clarification, because the name is crowded. The storytold/photocraft repository and the official product page are the real thing. This site is not the official one, and every download link here points at the official sources.
What PhotoCraft does today
The official feature list is short enough to repeat in full, and it is the list worth judging the project on.
Layers and masks
Layered documents and layer masks, the two fundamentals that decide whether an editor is usable for real work.
Adjustment layers and layer styles
Non-destructive adjustments and reusable layer styles, so a document can be reworked instead of rebuilt.
Type, vectors and brushes
Text layers, vector shapes and a brush tool, which together cover most day-to-day compositing and design work.
Real PSD read and write
It reads and writes actual Photoshop PSD files rather than a lookalike format, which is the feature that makes switching practical.
PhotoCraft is in early alpha (as of October 2026) — features are evolving fast. Anything missing today can arrive next week, and anything present can change shape. The official releases page is the only reliable changelog, and our PhotoCraft tutorial explains how to approach the app while it is still moving.
Inside PhotoCraft
The quickest way to judge an editor is to look at it. These are official screenshots of PhotoCraft, captured in the app.
Screenshots: PhotoCraft, Apache-2.0, from the official repository.
Download and install PhotoCraft
PhotoCraft is free to download for macOS, Windows and Linux, and there is a web entry point as well. Use the official download hub for desktop installers, or go to the repository if you would rather build from source. We host nothing ourselves and never mirror an installer, because a mirror is where a fake build would hide.
Installation is the usual pattern: download, run the installer, launch the app. Platform-specific notes, including what to expect when an early alpha build is unsigned, are on our PhotoCraft download and install guide.
- getartcraft.com/download: the official hub, including the ArtCraft Launcher
- GitHub releases: installers and release notes, maintained daily
- Apache-2.0 licence: the terms you are actually agreeing to
PhotoCraft vs Photoshop, the short version
The long version is on the full comparison page. The short version is five rows.
| Aspect | PhotoCraft | Photoshop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no subscription | Subscription based |
| Licence | Open source, Apache-2.0 | Proprietary, closed source |
| PSD files | Real PSD read and write | The native format |
| Maturity | Early alpha, October 2026 | Decades of development |
| Best for | Free and open-source workflows | Professional production |
If you want the honest one-liner: PhotoCraft is already interesting, and Photoshop is still the safer default for paid client work. Read the honest PhotoCraft vs Photoshop comparison if you are deciding where your own work falls.
Part of the ArtCraft family
PhotoCraft is one app in a larger project. ArtCraft describes itself as controllable AI for artists, and it ships both an AI generation tool and a set of open-source Rust applications called the Crafting Apps. The pitch is deliberately unglamorous: open source tools for artists, with no subscription required.
The suite lists seven apps. PhotoCraft handles image editing, VectorCraft illustration, FilmCraft video, LightCraft photo libraries and RAW, PdfCraft PDFs, EffectCraft motion graphics and VFX, and DesignCraft typography and publishing.
If you install the ArtCraft Launcher you get the whole set in one step and it keeps itself updated. Otherwise every app also has a standalone installer. Our ArtCraft guide explains all seven apps, the AI features, and how the pricing works, which is a short conversation because there is not any.
Is PhotoCraft free?
Yes. PhotoCraft is free to download and free to use, with no subscription, no account requirement and no watermark. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence, which is a real open-source licence: the source code is public, anyone can read it, and commercial use is permitted within the terms of that licence.
That matters more than it sounds. PhotoCraft writes standard PSD files, so your work does not depend on the project surviving.
If price is the main thing you care about, our roundup of the best free Photoshop alternatives compares it with GIMP, Krita, Photopea, Paint.NET and Pixlr on cost, licence, platforms and PSD support.
Latest updates: October 2026
The project moves fast, so here is the state of things as we last checked, on 11 October 2026.
- Momentum: 43,699 stars and 6,674 forks, eleven days after the repository was created on 30 September 2026, with commits landing daily.
- Availability: installers published for macOS, Windows and Linux, plus a web entry point; the full suite also ships through the ArtCraft Launcher.
- Status: early alpha for PhotoCraft, with VectorCraft, FilmCraft, LightCraft, EffectCraft and DesignCraft still in development and PdfCraft in early alpha.
- What changed recently: check the release notes, which are the authoritative list.
How we keep this page honest
Every claim here maps to the official description, the public repository or the official product pages. Where the official material is silent we say nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Try the free Photoshop alternative
Download from the official source, then open one of your own PSD files. That is the fastest honest test there is.
Is PhotoCraft really free?
Yes. PhotoCraft is free to download and free to use under the Apache-2.0 open-source licence, with no subscription and no account. The official ArtCraft site sums the whole suite up as open source tools for artists with no subscription required.
Is this the official PhotoCraft website?
No. photocraft.cloud is an independent, fan-made guide, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the ArtCraft team or the developers of PhotoCraft. The official sites are getartcraft.com and github.com/storytold/photocraft.
Can PhotoCraft open Photoshop PSD files?
Yes. Real PSD file read and write is part of the official feature description, which means PhotoCraft works with genuine Photoshop documents rather than a lookalike format. In practice you can open a layered PSD, edit it, and save it back as a PSD, though alpha software always deserves a backup copy of anything important.
Does PhotoCraft work on Windows, macOS and Linux?
Yes. Installers are published for all three desktop platforms, and there is a web entry point as well. The ArtCraft Launcher installs the whole suite across macOS, Windows and web.
Is PhotoCraft better than Photoshop?
Not yet, and it depends what you mean by better. PhotoCraft wins on price, licence and openness, and it reads real PSD files. Photoshop still wins on maturity, ecosystem and the files the industry exchanges. Our PhotoCraft vs Photoshop comparison works through it case by case.