I Tested 3 Free, Open-Source Adobe Clones on My Mac. Here Are the Real Numbers.

Description and use

Three free open‑source Adobe clones on a Mac mini M4 perform core tasks in seconds, producing editable PSDs, batch JPEGs, an MP4, and animation, though some features like background removal are imperfect.

Problem

Can free, open‑source Adobe‑style apps replace paid tools for everyday creative tasks on a Mac?

Outcome

The three ArtCraft apps completed tasks in seconds, producing editable PSDs, batch‑edited JPEGs, a 16‑second MP4, and a 4‑second title animation. Performance is comparable to commercial tools, though some features (e.g., background removal quality) lag behind Photoshop.

Workflow

• Install ArtCraft apps on Mac mini M4
• Run PhotoCraft CLI to auto‑tone, remove background, add layers, and drop shadow (0.23 s)
• Batch‑process 20 product photos with CLI actions (1.75 s)
• Create 16‑second travel reel in FilmCraft and export (12.5 s)
• Script a 4‑second animated title in EffectCraft and render (0.99 s)

Evidence

PhotoCraft looks almost exactly like Photoshop: same toolbar, same panels, same layers.

Source

The edit: auto tone, remove background, yellow fill layer behind the subject, two text layers, drop shadow. From the command line (photocraft-cli 0.9.0), the whole thing took 0.23 seconds and saved a real layered PSD with every layer still editable.

Source

Result: 20 succeeded, 0 failed, 1.75 seconds.

Source

FilmCraft doesn’t use FFmpeg; its H.264, HEVC, ProRes and AAC codecs are written from scratch in Rust.

Source