PhotoCraft

1. What is PhotoCraft?

PhotoCraft is a free image editor for your computer (Windows, macOS, Linux) that deliberately looks and feels like Adobe Photoshop: layers, masks, adjustment layers, drop shadows, text, shapes, brushes, and it can open real Photoshop PSD files. The project calls itself an open-source, clean-room rebuild of Photoshop written from scratch in Rust. It runs on your own machine with no sign-in, and according to the project even the smart selection tools run locally, so your pictures are not sent anywhere. It is licensed MIT or Apache-2.0, your choice.

A good fit if:

• You need everyday-to-intermediate photo editing (cropping, layering, fixing brightness and colour, adding text, cutting out subjects, exporting PNG or JPG) and do not want a monthly subscription.
• You already know Photoshop and want a free alternative, because the menus, panels and shortcuts sit where you expect them.
• You need to open or tweak a PSD file on a computer that has no Photoshop.

Not a good fit if:

• You need a Photoshop replacement for daily professional work. The project says plainly that PhotoCraft is in early alpha and "not yet a Photoshop replacement for daily professional work".
• You rely on AI image features (generative fill, AI object removal). The project lists these as missing, along with about twenty tools, advanced typography and Photoshop plug-in support.
• You want a Vietnamese interface. According to the 0.3.0 release notes, the app ships in Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Russian and Czech, and not Vietnamese. English is the default.

2. What do you need?

• A computer running Windows 10 or later (x64 for most PCs; ARM and 32-bit builds also exist), macOS (one build covers Apple chips and Intel) or Linux. A browser (WebAssembly) build exists too, but this guide covers the installed app.
• A reasonably modern graphics card (GPU). The canvas is drawn on the GPU through DirectX 12, Metal or Vulkan. The project does not publish exact minimum specs, so a very old machine may run slowly or fail to start.
• Disk space: the Windows .msi installer is about 51 MB and the macOS .dmg about 67 MB (measured 8 Oct 2026). The space needed after installation is not documented.
• Internet only to download the installer.
• No account, no API key, no cost.
• You do not need Git, Rust or any developer tools if you use the ready-made installers below.

3. Step-by-step install

The easiest route is the prebuilt installer from the official releases page: https://github.com/storytold/photocraft/releases. The latest version at the time of writing is 0.3.0 (published 7 Oct 2026). File names include the version, for example photocraft-0.3.0-windows-x64.msi.

Note: Always download from the storytold/photocraft repository above. Look-alike sites that repackage popular software are a common way to spread malware.

On Windows

Step 1: Download the installer

Open the releases page and scroll to Assets under the newest version. For a normal Windows PC (Intel or AMD) choose the file ending in windows-x64.msi. For an ARM laptop (some Snapdragon models) choose windows-arm64.msi. If unsure, use x64.

If you prefer not to install anything, there is a portable build (windows-x64-portable.zip): unzip and run. According to the docs, its settings are kept next to the program.

Step 2: Run the installer

Double-click the .msi and follow the screens. It installs for the whole machine (into Program Files), so Windows may ask for administrator permission; click Yes. If a blue "Windows protected your PC" screen appears, click More info, then Run anyway (only for a file you downloaded from the releases page above).

Step 3: Open PhotoCraft

Find PhotoCraft in the Start menu and open it. Seeing the image editor window with the toolbar on the left means it worked.

On macOS

Step 1: Download the disk image

Pick macos-universal.dmg. One file runs on both Apple-chip Macs (M1, M2, M3…) and older Intel Macs.

Step 2: Drag it to Applications

Double-click the .dmg and drag PhotoCraft into the Applications folder. According to the project, the disk image is signed with a Developer ID and checked by Apple (notarized), so it normally opens without fuss. If macOS still blocks it, open System Settings › Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway for PhotoCraft.

On Linux

The project ships several package types for x86_64 and ARM. The simplest is the AppImage, which runs without installing:

1. Download photocraft-0.3.0-linux-x86_64.AppImage from the releases page.
2. Make it executable, then run it:

chmod +x photocraft-*.AppImage
./photocraft-0.3.0-linux-x86_64.AppImage

.deb, .rpm and Flatpak packages are available too. For Flatpak, these commands come from the project's documentation (use the exact file name you downloaded):

flatpak install --user photocraft-0.3.0-linux-x86_64.flatpak
flatpak run ai.storyteller.photocraft

Another way: in the browser

Each release also contains photocraft-web-0.3.0.zip, a build that runs in a web page. Using it means hosting the files on a web server, so beginners should pick one of the installers above.

Note: Each release includes a SHA256SUMS.txt file (checksums that prove your download was not altered). If you want to be sure, compare the checksum of your file with the one listed.

4. Your first run

Menu names may shift a little between versions because the project is changing fast. Try this sequence:

1. Open a picture. Use the File menu, choose open, and pick a photo from your computer. The image appears in the middle and the Layers panel is on the right.
2. Fix colour without damaging the original. Add an adjustment layer such as Vibrance or Curves from the Layer menu and drag the sliders. The colours change instantly, but the original pixels are untouched: switch the layer off and you are back where you started.
3. Add text. Pick the Type tool in the left toolbar, click on the picture and type. Font, size and colour are in the Character panel.
4. Try a drop shadow. Select the text layer, open Layer Style and turn on Drop Shadow. Text with a shadow behind it means it worked.
5. Undo. Press Ctrl+Z (Mac: ⌘Z). The project says every step can be undone and a History panel lists them.
6. Export. Use Export As to choose a format (PNG, JPG, WebP…), quality and size, see the estimated file size, then save. Quick Export saves a PNG in one click. Open the saved file in your normal image viewer to check it.

Tip: if you know Photoshop, try the command palette with Ctrl+K (Mac: ⌘K) to find a feature by name.

5. Common problems and fixes

What you see	Why	Fix
Windows shows a blue "Windows protected your PC" screen	SmartScreen warns about new or less common files	Click More info then Run anyway, only for a file from the official releases page
macOS says the app cannot be opened because the developer is unidentified	macOS protection for downloaded apps	Open System Settings › Privacy & Security, click Open Anyway for PhotoCraft, then open it again
Linux: double-clicking the AppImage does nothing	The file is not marked executable	Run chmod +x photocraft-*.AppImage, then open it again
The app will not open, shows a blank window or is unusually slow	An old graphics card or driver that cannot use DirectX 12, Metal or Vulkan	Update your graphics driver and operating system. On a very old machine, try the portable build elsewhere
A PSD opens with layers or effects slightly different from Photoshop	The project states PSD support is not complete (it re-saves 307 of 309 test files faithfully, and it is still alpha)	Keep the original file, save a copy and work on the copy. Report anything odd to the project
The app closes suddenly	It is alpha software and still has bugs	Reopen it: per the 0.3.0 notes, unsaved documents can be recovered. Save often
Any other odd error	Alpha software with many open reports	Report it at https://github.com/storytold/photocraft/issues with your OS, image size, layer count and a screenshot

6. Uninstall and update

Update: the docs do not mention a built-in updater. The reliable way is to download the newest installer from https://github.com/storytold/photocraft/releases and install over the old one. New versions appear often, so it is worth updating regularly.

Uninstall:

• Windows (.msi): open Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find PhotoCraft and uninstall. For the portable build, delete the unzipped folder.
• macOS: drag PhotoCraft from Applications to the Trash.
• Linux: delete the AppImage file; for .deb or .rpm use your package manager; for Flatpak run flatpak uninstall ai.storyteller.photocraft.

Your images and project files live wherever you saved them, so removing the app does not delete them.

7. Frequently asked questions

Is PhotoCraft really free? According to the repository it is open source under MIT or Apache-2.0, and the documentation mentions no paid tier.

Can it replace Photoshop? Not yet. The project says it is in early alpha and lacks AI image features, about twenty tools and many professional details. It suits everyday editing and learning; keep a backup plan for important work.

Are my pictures sent online? According to the project the app works offline on your computer, and its smart selection runs locally with no cloud or account.

Is it an Adobe product? No. The project states it is independent, unaffiliated with Adobe, and written from public specifications.

Will it run on a weak computer? No minimum specs are published and performance work is ongoing. A GPU that supports DirectX 12, Metal or Vulkan helps a lot. Try a small image first.