"Software is over": Developer uses AI to build free Adobe clones after frustration with cancellation fees
As Ars Technica reports, developer Brandon Thomas is taking on seven of Adobe's best-known applications through Artcraft. The project extend beyond Adobe's famous photo editing program to video production, vector graphics, page layouts, and PDF tools. Read Entire Article
Adobe, a company once sued by the US government over cancellation fees, is facing a new challenge from a developer named Brandon Thomas. Using AI-powered reverse engineering, Thomas has created a suite of tools to replicate Adobe's well-known applications, proclaiming, "software is over." These tools, developed for free and open source, aim to replicate Adobe's seven best-known apps: Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro.
The open-source applications, which include Photocraft, Vectorcraft, Filmcraft, Lightcraft, Effectcraft, Designcraft, and Printcraft, are free to download, modify, and contribute to. Adobe's cancellation fees, which Thomas claims contributed to his project, led to a $150 million settlement in March 2026. The software remains at an early stage, with some basic functionality issues reported.
Thomas believes other developers will follow suit, creating similar open-source versions, potentially leading to a future where free, near-identical alternatives to popular paid apps are widely available.
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