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# I tried replacing Photoshop, Lightroom, and Acrobat with free vibe-coded alternatives, and they're surprisingly good

**[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 5 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A developer named Thomas used Claude Opus to vibe-code seven free, open-source alternatives to Adobe's Creative Cloud apps, including PhotoCraft (Photoshop), LightCraft (Lightroom), and PDFCraft (Acrobat), under the project name ArtCraft. The motivation stemmed from frustration with Adobe's cancellation fees. Testing found PDFCraft offers 80+ local-processing PDF tools, PhotoCraft mimics Photoshop's UI with 67 tools and PSD support (but lacks Generative Fill), and LightCraft replicates most Lightroom features nondestructively, though it has some RAW processing and color rendering quirks with certain cameras. All code is available on GitHub, and the apps are still in early alpha.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.xda-developers.com/tried-replacing-photoshop-premiere-pro-lightroom-with-free-vibe-coded-alternatives>

## Questions this post answers

### What is ArtCraft and what Adobe apps does it replace

ArtCraft is a free, open-source suite of seven creative applications built as alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud, including PhotoCraft (Photoshop alternative), LightCraft (Lightroom alternative), and PDFCraft (Acrobat alternative). It was created by a developer named Thomas using Claude Opus, after he grew frustrated with Adobe's subscription cancellation fees. Code is hosted on GitHub.

_daily.dev surfaces grassroots AI-built alternatives like ArtCraft for developers tracking open-source creative tooling._

### Can PhotoCraft open and edit Photoshop PSD files

Yes, PhotoCraft can open, edit, and save layered Photoshop PSD files, letting users migrate existing projects without losing layer data. It packs 67 editing tools covering crop, brush, selection, layers, masks, smart objects, adjustment layers, and filters, though it currently lacks equivalents to Photoshop's Generative Fill and Generative Expand since it remains in early alpha.

_Developers evaluating open-source image editors for PSD compatibility can follow projects like this on daily.dev._

### Does LightCraft support RAW image editing like Adobe Lightroom

Yes, LightCraft supports RAW image editing along with selective masking, lens corrections, HDR and panorama merging, and batch editing, plus nondestructive adjustments. However, testing found compatibility issues with RAW files from an older Panasonic camera, and color rendering differed from Lightroom, meaning presets don't always produce identical results without manual tweaking.

_Photographers weighing open-source RAW editors against Lightroom can track real-world compatibility reports on daily.dev._

## Similar posts on daily.dev

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- [Someone Vibe-Coded Lightroom CC onto Linux, and I am Not Touching It](https://daily.dev/posts/someone-vibe-coded-lightroom-cc-onto-linux-and-i-am-not-touching-it-aegd5hfve) · It's Foss · 1 upvotes · 0 comments
- [I replaced Lightroom with an open-source alternative, and Adobe's subscription suddenly felt pointless](https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-lightroom-with-an-open-source-alternative-and-adobe-s-subscription-suddenly-felt-pointle-d5pwnrc5k) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

---

Tags: [#open-source](https://daily.dev/tags/open-source), [#claude](https://daily.dev/tags/claude), [#vibe-coding](https://daily.dev/tags/vibe-coding), [#adobe](https://daily.dev/tags/adobe)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/i-tried-replacing-photoshop-lightroom-and-acrobat-with-free-vibe-coded-alternatives-and-they-re-s-1reeeglht)

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