PhotoCraft is a free, Open Source image editor. It is built as a clean-room reimplementation and alternative to Adobe Photoshop. This image editing tool offers an impressive array of features, including layers, masks, adjustment layers, layer styles, vectors, brushes, and support for real PSD files.

Automate Tasks with Scripts or AI agents

PhotoCraft offers automation through a command-line interface (photocraft-cli) and supports JSON control channels and MCP servers, enabling users to automate tasks with scripts or AI agents. As a native application built entirely in Rust, PhotoCraft prioritizes high performance and safety. It works offline, giving users complete control over their editing experience. PhotoCraft offers an innovative, accessible alternative for those seeking a powerful photo editing tool.

Every action within the application is a command, giving you the flexibility to drive the same engine through the user interface, the command line interface (CLI), a JSON control channel, or an MCP server.

Familiar Tools Make Usage Easy

The menus, shortcuts, panels, and tools in PhotoCraft are designed to feel familiar, placed exactly where your hands expect them—from ⌘J to ⇧⌘D. If you have Photoshop experience, you'll find PhotoCraft intuitive and comfortable to use.

The interface mirrors Photoshop's layout, menus, tool names, keyboard shortcuts, and layer system, making it easy for users to transition without a steep learning curve. Core tools are also robust, supporting layers, masks, adjustment layers (like curves and levels), layer styles, text, vector paths, and brushes.

Performance is Key

PhotoCraft uses a GPU compositor built on wgpu (supporting Metal, Vulkan, DX12, and WebGPU), along with copy-on-write tiles and multithreaded filters. This eliminates reliance on Electron or web views, delivering a fast, responsive experience with no waiting.

Real PSD Files Supported

PhotoCraft supports real PSD files, enabling you to open, edit, and save layered Photoshop documents seamlessly. When you resave, it maintains the render of 307 of the 309 PSD-Tools test files, ensuring compatibility with your existing work.

Geek Verdict

PhotoCraft is a fantastic, lightweight alternative to Adobe Photoshop, perfect for casual users seeking straightforward photo editing and thumbnail creation without the cost. With an impressive blend of ease of use and essential features, PhotoCraft stands out as the ideal choice for those who want quality editing without the complexity.