Free Alternatives Target Popular Software
AI-assisted software development is helping one developer build free alternatives to popular paid applications, raising questions about how established software companies may compete.
Atlanta-based software engineer Brandon Thomas introduced ArtCraft, a set of applications modelled on functions found in Adobe’s Creative Suite. The project includes PhotoCraft and PdfCraft. Thomas later announced WordCraft, DeckCraft and GridCraft, alternatives to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Thomas said he used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 and the Rust programming language to develop the applications. He has described them as “clean-room” replacements built using public specifications rather than Adobe’s proprietary source code.
Copyright Questions Remain
That claim does not settle the legal questions. Intellectual-property specialists cited by Al Jazeera said it remains unclear whether the development process fully meets the standard Thomas describes. The amount of code written by the AI tool versus the developer is also uncertain.
The project illustrates the growing use of AI tools to generate code from written instructions, sometimes called “vibe coding.” Free alternatives could pressure subscription-based software businesses, but analysts do not expect established platforms to disappear immediately. Their long-term impact will depend on reliability, features, legal outcomes and user adoption.
