ArtCraft AI is the free, Rust-built creative suite that exploded in October 2026. GIMP is the established choice. Here is how they actually stack up — no fanboying either way.
| ArtCraft | GIMP | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Interface | Modern, Photoshop-like | Functional but dated |
| PSD support | Native layered PSD/PSB | Import only, imperfect |
| AI features | Suite-wide AI generation (credits) | Via third-party plugins |
| Codebase | New, Rust, GPU-native | Mature, GTK-based |
| Plugin library | Small, young | Huge, 25+ years of community |
| Sibling apps | 7-app creative suite | Standalone (+ community tools) |
The good news: ArtCraft costs nothing to try. Download it, run it next to GIMP for a week, and let your own workflow decide.
Different tools for different people. Pick GIMP if you need its enormous plugin library or a battle-tested tool today. Pick PhotoCraft if you want a modern Photoshop-like interface, native PSD support and a suite that is being built at AI-era speed.
No — GIMP is far more battle-tested. PhotoCraft is early alpha: impressive but expect rough edges. Many users run both side by side.
Yes — the app and its seven Crafting Apps are free. Only hosted AI generation costs credits, and you can bring your own API keys instead.