ArtCraft and PhotoCraft are related open-source tools, but they are not interchangeable. ArtCraft is the directing and generation side: composites, scenes, poses, image-to-3D and image-to-video. PhotoCraft is the local editing side: layers, masks, adjustment layers, PSD/PSB, GPU compositing and CLI/MCP automation. Whether you search “ArtCraft PhotoCraft” or “PhotoCraft ArtCraft”, the practical answer is to choose by the stage of the job.
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Written against the build verified on 2026-10-14.
Use ArtCraft when the problem is directing an image or clip: what is in the shot, where it sits, how a camera moves and which model provider generates the next result. Use PhotoCraft when the problem is editing the pixels and the document: masks, layers, colour, type, PSD handoff or a repeatable batch operation. A real workflow can use both. ArtCraft gets a rough or generated shot into shape; PhotoCraft makes the deliverable editable and repeatable.
| Aspect | ArtCraft v0.41.0 | PhotoCraft v0.9.0 | Choose by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary job | AI image and video direction, compositing and scene work | Layered raster editing and document finishing | Whether the next step is generation or editing |
| Core objects | 2D composites, 3D scene layout, poses, references and model steps | Layers, masks, adjustment layers, text, vectors and brushes | The object you need to keep editable |
| Generation | Calls model providers for selected steps | No generative AI inside the editor | Whether a provider account and run cost are acceptable |
| PSD/PSB | Not the centre of the documented workflow | Working format with read/write and compatibility tests | Layered file handoff |
| Motion | Image-to-video workflow is a core use case | Photo editor; no claim of video generation | A still or a moving shot |
| Automation | Workflow and model selection across creative steps | CLI, JSON actions and MCP for editing/batch work | Directing a shot or processing a folder |
| Current desktop reach | macOS and Windows release assets | Linux, Windows, macOS and FreeBSD releases plus WebAssembly | The machine that must run the app |
| Licence | MIT or Apache-2.0 | MIT or Apache-2.0 | Read the upstream licence and asset notices |
ArtCraft starts where a prompt-only workflow becomes too vague. A generated shot is easier to control when you can place elements, set depth, direct a pose and choose the model for a particular step. The local work is the planning and composition around the generation request. Once a model call happens, an account, network connection and provider pricing enter the picture. This distinction matters when estimating a job: arranging a plate is not the same cost as rendering a video, and an engine that organises the work is not the provider that supplies the model.
PhotoCraft begins with pixels or an existing layered file. Its value is the document that remains editable after the creative decision: a mask instead of an erased edge, an adjustment layer instead of a baked grade, and a PSD that can be opened, changed and saved again. It also has the automation surface that ArtCraft does not claim as its centre: run one operation from the CLI, describe a sequence in JSON and expose the editor to an MCP client. That makes it a useful final stage for generated stills, product images and batch exports.
ArtCraft currently publishes macOS and Windows desktop assets and also exposes an official browser entry, while PhotoCraft publishes a wider local editing matrix and a WebAssembly build. Those browser surfaces are not automatically equivalent: PhotoCraft documents a self-hostable WebAssembly build, while ArtCraft points users to its upstream web application. Write the platform and privacy boundary into the workflow before a team chooses a standard, especially when an unattended pipeline is involved.
Start with ArtCraft if your search begins with AI image generation, image-to-video, camera direction or scene control. Start with PhotoCraft if it begins with Photoshop-shaped layers, PSD, masks, local privacy, Linux editing or batch automation. If the goal is simply to explore the ecosystem, open the product pages in sequence: ArtCraft explains the shot, PhotoCraft explains the file, and VectorCraft covers the vector assets that often surround both.
Neither tool should be marketed as a universal replacement for every mature commercial application. ArtCraft depends on the selected model provider for generated output. PhotoCraft is early alpha and does not include generative AI or full plugin compatibility. Both are moving open-source projects, so save the release tag with important work and repeat a file-based test after an upgrade.
No. ArtCraft focuses on directing and generating images, video and scenes; PhotoCraft focuses on local layered image editing, PSD and automation. They are complementary tools rather than two names for one editor.
PhotoCraft is the closer fit for a Photoshop-shaped layered editing workflow, but it is early alpha and not a full parity replacement. ArtCraft is a different category: an AI scene and image-to-video workflow rather than a pixel editor.
Yes. Use ArtCraft to direct or generate a shot, then use PhotoCraft to finish stills, masks, grades, type and PSD handoff. Keep the source and release versions so the workflow can be reproduced.
PhotoCraft publishes Linux builds and a WebAssembly build. ArtCraft has no Linux desktop asset in the current release, although its official site exposes a separate browser entry; a Linux workflow may still use separate machines for generation and editing.
No generative AI is included in the editor itself. PhotoCraft edits the pixels you bring; ArtCraft is the project in this pair that organises model-provider generation steps.
