Are these apps actually free?

Yes. They are offered totally free under MIT/Apache licenses, with funding coming from selling token-based access to the pre-existing Artcraft visual AI model and IDE.

What is the legal risk?

Reverse engineering is generally found legally acceptable, but the apps could face legal trouble if their "trade dress" too closely mimics Adobe's familiar appearance and interface.

How was the software built?

Thomas says he has coded exclusively with AI tools since February and claims to have "one-shotted Photoshop. The whole thing."

AI Coding AssistantsOpen-Source AIAI Business & IndustryArs Technica AI3m agoOct 8, 2026, 10:00 JST

Artcraft dev ships free Adobe clones, says "Software is over"

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3 Key Points

What happened
Developer Thomas released free open source Adobe alternatives under MIT/Apache licenses, funded by selling token-based access to the pre-existing Artcraft visual AI model and IDE, which appears in the apps as an imagery-generation option alongside third-party models.
Why it matters
Thomas says this setup keeps the apps from becoming "some orphaned small-team project," and the clones copy Adobe's look closely enough that lawyers may test whether that crosses into "trade dress" territory.
What to watch
The test is whether Adobe acts on trade dress, since the apps mimic Premiere and Photoshop closely. Thomas says he's coded exclusively with AI tools since February, and the clones are "nowhere near finished."

WHO IT HITSIndependent developers and small studios priced out of Adobe subscriptions get a free alternative, while Adobe's legal and brand teams face a test of how far "trade dress" protection reaches. Watch whether Adobe responds.

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Context & Analysis

Thomas, who says he has about a decade of experience working on large-scale Rust projects, was motivated to build these alternatives after being "bit by the dark pattern 'cancellation fee' one too many times." That frustration connects to a broader practice: he is the latest in a long line of coders using AI tools to speed up reverse engineering, which has generally been found legally acceptable.

The apps are not finished products — the feed notes they are "ambitious, free, and nowhere near finished." Thomas frames them as part of something bigger: he says he has a team building popular software for filmmakers, and he predicts a near future when everyday developers can recreate open source versions of paid software to "take back the internet and own tech forever."

FAQ

Are these apps actually free?: Yes. They are offered totally free under MIT/Apache licenses, with funding coming from selling token-based access to the pre-existing Artcraft visual AI model and IDE.
What is the legal risk?: Reverse engineering is generally found legally acceptable, but the apps could face legal trouble if their "trade dress" too closely mimics Adobe's familiar appearance and interface.
How was the software built?: Thomas says he has coded exclusively with AI tools since February and claims to have "one-shotted Photoshop. The whole thing."

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