Brandon Thomas releases AI-built open-source clones of Adobe and Microsoft software

Developer Brandon Thomas has released a suite of open-source software clones designed to provide free alternatives to major Adobe and Microsoft applications. Developed using Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 AI model and written in the Rust programming language, the project includes the ArtCraft suite for creative tasks and a new productivity suite for office work.

The ArtCraft suite features tools such as PhotoCraft (Photoshop alternative), VectorCraft (Illustrator alternative), and FilmCraft (Premiere Pro alternative). The productivity expansion includes WordCraft, GridCraft, and DeckCraft, which aim to replicate Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Early reports indicate high functional coverage, with GridCraft reportedly supporting approximately 93 to 98 percent of Excel formulas and WordCraft covering most of the Word ribbon.

While the software is released under permissive open-source licenses, the project raises significant questions regarding intellectual property and patents. Unlike established alternatives like LibreOffice, which focus on file compatibility, these tools aim for direct functional replication of existing software commands. Although the tools currently face limitations in professional workflows, such as file format compatibility and complex project management, they represent a significant shift in how AI can be used to rapidly rebuild commercial software products.