Small businesses pay for a lot of software they open twice a month: a PDF editor for one contract, an image editor for a flyer, a spreadsheet licence for the person who only checks the stock list. ArtCraft, the team behind an open source AI studio for images and video, now offers a set of free, open source desktop apps that aim at exactly those jobs. We looked at what the apps page and the product pages actually promise. The short verdict: a strong option worth testing now, with clear limits you should respect while the apps mature.

What ArtCraft offers

The Crafting Apps page lists twelve apps: image editing, vector illustration, video, a photo library and raw developer, PDFs, motion graphics, page layout, word processing, audio, presentations, CAD and spreadsheets. They are native apps written in Rust and free to use, for macOS, Windows and Linux.

ArtCraft states a set of principles shared by every app (ArtCraft, Crafting Apps):

  • Open source on GitHub under permissive licences.
  • Native desktop apps, without Electron or web views.
  • Layouts, tools and shortcuts that professionals already know.
  • Everything runs locally on your own files, without cloud round trips.
  • Every app can be driven from a command line tool, a JSON control channel or an MCP server.
  • Eleven of the apps also run in a browser tab through WebAssembly; the video editor is the exception.

A launcher installs all apps and keeps them updated; each app also has standalone installers. The download section of each app page listed the launcher as version 0.2.1 when we checked (ArtCraft, PhotoCraft). The two GitHub repositories we checked, the main ArtCraft project and the launcher, use the Apache 2.0 licence (GitHub, storytold/artcraft; GitHub, storytold/craft-launcher).

What stands out for a small business

The office basics are covered. WordCraft opens and saves .docx and exports PDF with selectable text, with track changes, comments and offline spelling and grammar (ArtCraft, WordCraft). GridCraft reads and writes .xlsx and lists more than 500 functions, PivotTables and seventeen chart types (ArtCraft, GridCraft). DeckCraft opens and saves .pptx and has presenter view (ArtCraft, DeckCraft). For a team that exchanges files with clients in Microsoft formats, that compatibility is the first thing to test.

PDF work without an account. PdfCraft reads, organises, combines, splits and secures PDFs. Its page says it needs no account and sends no telemetry and nothing to the cloud (ArtCraft, PdfCraft). For contracts and invoices that contain client data, local processing is a real advantage.

An image editor that opens your existing files. PhotoCraft opens and saves layered PSD and PSB documents. ArtCraft reports that 134 of 135 real-world test files round-trip byte for byte, and lists adjustment layers, smart objects, CMYK and ICC colour management (ArtCraft, PhotoCraft). That is the vendor's own test, so run yours too, but it is a precise claim.

Ready for AI agents. WordCraft alone exposes 389 commands through its ribbon, shortcuts, command line tool, JSON control channel and MCP server (ArtCraft, WordCraft). If you already use an AI agent, it can fill a document template or update a spreadsheet locally instead of in a cloud service. Our article on letting an AI agent run your website explains the guardrails that apply to any MCP connection.

Familiar screens lower the training cost. ArtCraft promises the menus, shortcuts and panels people already know, and WordCraft's page shows a ribbon with tabs, groups and a live Styles gallery (ArtCraft, WordCraft). In a small team, the hidden cost of new software is the afternoon everyone loses learning it. A familiar layout keeps that cost low.

Broad platform support. The product pages list installers for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM Windows, and several Linux formats, plus portable versions that run without installation (ArtCraft, PhotoCraft). Older office laptops are not left out.

The drawbacks you should know

Most apps are still in development. On the apps page, PhotoCraft and PdfCraft are marked early alpha and the other ten are marked in development (ArtCraft, Crafting Apps). Version numbers tell the same story: the standalone builds listed were 0.7.0 for PhotoCraft, 0.6.0 for PdfCraft and 0.5.0 for WordCraft, GridCraft and DeckCraft. Expect missing features and bugs.

Support is a community. The apps page points to Discord for early builds, roadmaps and feedback (ArtCraft, Crafting Apps). We found no support agreement for the free apps. For a business, that means you solve your own problems or wait.

Compatibility is a claim until you test it. Round-trip results and format lists come from ArtCraft's pages. A client's complex Excel model or a contract with tracked changes from three people is the real test.

Two products under one name. ArtCraft's main product is an AI studio for images and video, with paid plans based on credits (ArtCraft, Pricing). The Crafting Apps are separate and free. Don't let the pricing page confuse your decision about the apps.

What the paid plans are, if you want the AI studio

The regular prices on the pricing page are $10 a month for Basic with 1,000 credits a month, $35 for Pro with 3,750 credits and $60 for Max with 6,600 credits. Enterprise is priced on request (ArtCraft, Pricing).

The same page says ArtCraft can be used without a subscription by bringing your own compute and third-party subscriptions, that credits are refunded if a generation fails and that one-time credit packs never expire (ArtCraft, Pricing). Prices are in US dollars, so check the final amount in euros or złoty at checkout.

Who should start now, and who should wait

Businesses that edit PDFs and images for their own use, write internal documents and want fewer paid licences on computers used now and then can start now. Businesses whose client work depends on complex spreadsheets, macros or shared editing of documents in the cloud should wait, because these apps focus on local work with files. If your team edits one document at the same time, check whether you really need that before you drop your current suite.

How we would test it

  • Install the launcher on one computer that isn't critical for daily work.
  • Pick the three files that matter most to you: a client contract PDF, the quote template and the spreadsheet you update every week.
  • Open, edit, save and send each one back to a colleague using the usual software. Check layout, fonts, formulas and tracked changes.
  • Use the apps for real for two weeks on internal work only.
  • Keep your current tools for anything a client receives until the files come back clean.
  • Decide per app. PdfCraft may be ready for you long before GridCraft is.

If you plan to connect an AI agent through MCP, start with read-only tasks and local test files.

Verdict

ArtCraft's Crafting Apps are an ambitious and honest project. The licences are permissive, the apps run locally, the formats match what small businesses exchange every day and the agent support is ahead of most office software. The early status is stated openly on the apps page.

For a small business, the net effect is positive: test them now, adopt the apps that pass your file test and keep a paid tool only where you still need it. The savings come from the licences you no longer renew, so review your subscriptions once your pilot ends. Our article on finding your ideal customer in last year's invoices shows the kind of spreadsheet work worth trying in GridCraft first.

If you want help choosing a tool set that fits your marketing and content work without paying for features you never use, that is part of our marketing strategy and systems work.