Brandon Thomas releases AI-powered open-source alternatives to Microsoft Office

Software developer Brandon Thomas has released a suite of open-source applications called ArtCraft, designed to serve as free alternatives to major proprietary software from Adobe and Microsoft. Using Anthropic’s Claude AI to assist in development, Thomas has already produced clones of Adobe Creative Cloud tools and is now introducing WordCraft, GridCraft, and DeckCraft as replacements for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The applications are written in the Rust programming language to ensure high performance and cross-platform compatibility, running on Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD. The project utilizes a clean-room implementation approach, meaning the code is built from public file specifications and visual observation rather than copying proprietary source code.

While the tools are currently in alpha stages and vary in feature completeness—with DeckCraft replicating approximately 79% of PowerPoint's functions and WordCraft reaching about 62%—they aim to provide a subscription-free, local-first experience. The release has sparked debate regarding the role of AI in software development, specifically the concept of ‘vibe-coding,’ and whether a single developer can maintain such a vast ecosystem of tools.