PhotoCraft at a glance
| Made by | The ArtCraft team (storytold on GitHub) |
|---|---|
| Price | Free |
| License | MIT or Apache-2.0, your choice |
| Latest version | v0.12.0, released October 21, 2026 |
| Runs on | Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and the web browser (WebAssembly) |
| Status | Early alpha |
| Official links | getartcraft.com/apps/photocraft · github.com/storytold/photocraft |
PhotoCraft download: which file do you need?
The official README says the easiest way to install PhotoCraft is the PhotoCraft page on getartcraft.com. If you want a specific build, open the latest GitHub release. Pick your system below to see the exact file name to look for.
Look for: photocraft-0.12.0-windows-x64.msi (installer) or photocraft-0.12.0-windows-x64-portable.zip (no install).
| System | File in v0.12.0 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows x64 | photocraft-0.12.0-windows-x64.msi | Portable .zip also available. Code-signed. |
| Windows ARM | photocraft-0.12.0-windows-arm64.msi | For Snapdragon and other ARM PCs. |
| macOS | photocraft-0.12.0-macos-universal.dmg | One file for Apple silicon and Intel. Signed and notarized. |
| Linux | .AppImage, .deb, .rpm, .flatpak, .tar.gz | x86_64 and aarch64; riscv64 as .deb, .rpm and .tar.gz. |
| FreeBSD | photocraft-0.12.0-freebsd-x86_64.tar.gz | FreeBSD aarch64 was left out of v0.12.0. |
| Web | photocraft-web-0.12.0.zip | A static site you host yourself. |
PhotoCraft updates fast: v0.8.2 shipped on October 12, v0.9.0 on October 14, v0.10.0 on October 18, v0.11.1 on October 20 and v0.12.0 on October 21, 2026. If the version number above is older than the one on GitHub, trust GitHub.
Is PhotoCraft safe?
The official builds come with several safety signals you can check yourself:
- Open source. All of the code is public on GitHub under MIT or Apache-2.0, and the repository publishes a security policy and security documentation.
- Signed installers. According to the README, Windows installers and executables are code-signed, and the macOS app and command-line tool are signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.
- Checksums. Every release includes
SHA256SUMS.txtwith a SHA-256 checksum for each file.
The real risk is where you download it. PhotoCraft became popular within days, and several unofficial sites with similar names have appeared. Only download from getartcraft.com or github.com/storytold/photocraft. Sites like this one should link you there, never serve the file themselves.
Check your download (SHA-256)
Pick the file you downloaded. Your browser calculates its SHA-256 locally; the file is not uploaded anywhere. Then paste the matching line from SHA256SUMS.txt on the release page.
PhotoCraft vs Photoshop
PhotoCraft copies Photoshop's layout on purpose: the menus, panels and shortcuts are where Photoshop users expect them. But the developers are clear that it is not yet a Photoshop replacement for daily professional work. Here is how the two compare on the points people ask about.
| PhotoCraft (v0.12.0) | Adobe Photoshop | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, open source | Paid subscription |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, web | Windows, macOS, iPad, web |
| PSD files | Opens and saves layered PSD and PSB. Re-saving keeps the render of 307 of 309 files in the psd-tools test set. | Native format |
| Layers, masks, adjustment layers, layer styles | Yes, including 16 adjustment layers and smart objects with smart filters | Yes |
| AI / generative features | Missing (the project rates this area at 10%) | Generative Fill, Neural Filters and more |
| Third-party plug-ins | Photoshop .8BF and UXP plug-ins are not supported yet | Large plug-in ecosystem |
| Works offline, no account | Yes | Requires an Adobe account |
Who should try PhotoCraft now: people who need to open or lightly edit PSD files without a subscription, Linux users, and anyone curious about a fast native editor. Who should wait: professionals who depend on Photoshop's AI tools, plug-ins or advanced typography. The project's own roadmap names AI features, 15 missing tools, typography depth and plug-in compatibility as its biggest gaps.
Does PhotoCraft have Generative Fill?
No, not as of v0.12.0 (October 21, 2026). The project's gap list (docs/gaps.md, item G15) lists Generative Fill and Expand, Generative Upscale, Neural Filters, Sky Replacement, Super Zoom and machine-learning subject selection as missing, and says there is no ML runtime yet. Adding it is estimated at 300–600 hours of work and waits on an owner decision about model licenses and whether models run locally or remotely.
What PhotoCraft has instead are classic, non-AI tools that cover some of the same jobs:
- Remove tool, which fills an area by patching it from nearby pixels.
- Content-Aware Move, finished in v0.12.0.
- Select Subject, Object Selection and Quick Selection, which use classic segmentation (GrabCut/max-flow) and run on your machine with no cloud and no account.
If you need AI fills today, you will still need another tool. Watch the GitHub releases page for changes.
PhotoCraft updates and community
New versions appear on the GitHub releases page, often several times a week, each with a scorecard of what moved from missing to done. The official community is the ArtCraft Discord linked from the README. Bug reports go to the GitHub issue tracker; the developers ask you to include your OS, document size, layer count and a screenshot.
PhotoCraft is one of the ArtCraft team's "Crafting Apps", alongside VectorCraft (vector illustration), FilmCraft (video editing) and LightCraft (photo library and raw development), all written from scratch in Rust.
FAQ
Is this the official PhotoCraft website?
No. This is an independent, unofficial guide. The official page is getartcraft.com/apps/photocraft.
Is PhotoCraft free?
Yes. It is open source under MIT or Apache-2.0, and official builds are free.
Is PhotoCraft safe to download?
Official builds are signed and come with SHA-256 checksums. Download only from the official site or GitHub, then check the file with the tool above.
Does PhotoCraft have Generative Fill?
Not as of v0.12.0. See the section above for the non-AI alternatives it does have.
Can PhotoCraft replace Photoshop?
Not yet for professional daily work, in the developers' own words. It is early alpha.
Can I run PhotoCraft in a browser?
Yes. The whole engine compiles to WebAssembly, and each release ships a web build you can host on any static server.
Sources
Checked on October 22, 2026: the PhotoCraft README, ROADMAP.md, docs/gaps.md and the v0.8.2–v0.12.0 release pages at github.com/storytold/photocraft, and the official page at getartcraft.com. Adobe and Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Inc. PhotoCraft and ArtCraft names belong to their owners and are used here only to describe the software.