What Is PhotoCraft? The Open-Source Editor and the Free Web Version

The short answer

PhotoCraft is two things that share a name and a goal. The original is an open-source desktop image editor written in Rust — a clean-room, Photoshop-comparable tool with layers, masks, adjustments and smart objects, developed in the open on GitHub. And PhotoCraft Web (the site you are reading) is an independent, unofficial web editor that brings the same layer-based workflow to your browser: no download, no account, nothing uploaded.

The open-source desktop project

The desktop PhotoCraft is built entirely in Rust — no JavaScript, no webview shell — with a native interface and a GPU-accelerated pipeline. Its goal is stated plainly in its own documentation: 1:1 feature parity with the classic pro editors, with better performance, and every action drivable by automation. It is in active early development, and because it is open source, you can read every line, file issues, or build it yourself.

• Repository: github.com/storytold/photocraft
• Platform: Windows, macOS and Linux desktop builds
• Status: active development, moving fast

PhotoCraft Web — the independent web version

PhotoCraft Web is not the desktop application in a browser wrapper. It is a separate editor with its own browser engine, built around one promise: open the page and you are editing. You get a real layer system with blend modes, live adjustments and film presets, text and shape tools, precise crops and selections, and one-click export to PNG, JPEG or WebP — at full resolution, entirely on your device.

Because nothing is uploaded, there is nothing to sign up for and nothing to install. That makes PhotoCraft online the fastest way to try layer-based editing, on any machine with a browser.

Desktop vs web, side by side

| | PhotoCraft (desktop) | PhotoCraft Web | | --- | --- | --- | | Install | Clone and build (Rust) | None — opens in a browser | | Engine | Native Rust + GPU pipeline | JavaScript + Canvas, runs locally | | Layers, masks, adjustments | Yes, expanding fast | Layers, 10 blend modes, 10 adjustments, 10 film presets | | Account / uploads | None | None — files never leave your device | | Price | Free, open source | Free |

Which one should you use?

If you want to edit right now — a quick banner, a product shot, a portrait retouch — use PhotoCraft Web. If you are interested in a native, open-source desktop editor and want to follow or contribute to its development, watch the GitHub repository. Many people will end up using both; they are siblings, not competitors.

FAQ

Is PhotoCraft free? Yes, both of them. The desktop project is open source, and PhotoCraft Web is free to use with no account.

Is PhotoCraft Web the official PhotoCraft app? No. This site is an independent web editor and is not affiliated with the desktop project's maintainers. We share a name and a philosophy, not a codebase.

Do I need to download anything for the web version? No. If a page asks you to download something to "use PhotoCraft online", that is not us. The editor on this site runs entirely in your browser.