Vibe coding has entered a new era. Earlier this month, a developer driven by dissatisfaction with Adobe's subscription model reverse-engineered Photoshop, Lightroom, and other Creative Cloud applications using Claude. The team subsequently used this information to create functionally similar open-source clone applications that anyone can download and modify for free. Individual programmers are also creating their own applications through reverse engineering and even adding new features to existing applications.
This has sparked intense debate. Some believe that application developers who abuse subscription models are finally facing the consequences they deserve, while others view it simply as piracy. The rapid spread of artificial intelligence is bringing new legal implications regarding patents and copyrights that still need further exploration.
The Rise of Open Source Clone Applications
For years, free or open-source software like GIMP replacing Photoshop, Darktable replacing Lightroom, or DaVinci Resolve replacing Premiere has existed, capable of performing many of the same functions as Adobe's corresponding applications (if not more). However, most users are reluctant to bear the "switching costs" of learning entirely new software after years of building muscle memory. Artcraft was born. Software developer Brandon Thomas and his team launched these Adobe suite clone applications in early October.
Their pitch is that these applications are one-to-one replacements for Creative Cloud applications, featuring similar user interfaces but "free and subscription-free, you own the source code," the team stated on Reddit.
Thomas revealed on Hacker News that he decided to reverse-engineer Creative Cloud applications after multiple encounters with Adobe's "dark patterns" of cancellation fees. To this end, he created a "clean room... pure Rust" version using Claude Opus 5.5 and claims its performance surpasses that of the original application. I was initially skeptical when I first heard about Artcraft, but I was surprised after trying the developer's Photoshop alternative, Photocraft.
Although it lacks AI and other advanced features, Photocraft meets almost all of my needs, such as resizing, masking, and color adjustments. Better yet, all menus and controls closely match Photoshop one-to-one, allowing me to use the application immediately without a steep learning curve. It may not be a replacement for heavy users, but it might be sufficient for many Adobe subscribers.
Legal Challenges and Future Outlook
However, several issues remain. Users have reported critical bugs in Photocraft, including the application deleting images, randomly merging layers, and stability issues. I also noticed it cannot open native PSD Photoshop files, which is a significant problem for existing users. Adobe's applications are not the endpoint of Thomas's ambitions. "Software is outdated... AI allows us to reclaim technology and turn the clock back to a time when it wasn't so bad." The Photocraft team members are experienced programmers, but that does not mean ordinary people cannot participate in this trend.
An application called REA (Reverse Engineer Anything) has rapidly gained popularity in recent weeks, boasting 87K branches and 346,000 stars as of October 20. "As its name suggests," it allows users to deconstruct software and rebuild it with clean code. "It can inspect applications without needing source code, explain how functions work, show evidence, and build a version for your project," according to REA's GitHub description. In other words, DEA (along with similar technologies and AI repositories) provides a way to deconstruct and rebuild applications or websites, much like what the ArtCraft team has done, but in a more automated fashion.
It can be used not only for software running on smartphones or computers but also for firmware in consumer devices like TVs, refrigerators, instruments, and smart frames. This work also involves deep dives into multi-platform games. Recent achievements include complete reverse engineering of titles like "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004," "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance," and "Doom Raider."
A website called decomp.dev, focused on (human) game reverse engineering, recently announced its closure as AI-driven decompilation has surpassed the community, as reported by 404 Media. The phenomenon of using AI for Vibe coding has been around for a while, but reverse engineering software and cloning it is a relatively new trend. A Reddit commenter remarked about Artcraft: "I built a Photoshop read/write tool in the past, so I know the challenges of dealing with file formats."
“Then you also need to implement a lot of UI/UX, and that seems to be executed very well.” Not everyone is impressed. “What nonsense, this codebase will be unmaintainable in a few months,” one commenter said on X about Photocraft, pointing out a lack of understanding of the concept behind the application.
Another user who tried the application referred to it as "completely AI-driven garbage" and "blatantly infringing" Adobe's trademarks and copyrights. This legal aspect could become another obstacle. While the Artcraft team claims they have never used Adobe's code, they may have violated trademarks and patents related to Photoshop and other applications. Adobe's terms of use also explicitly prohibit reverse engineering its software to determine how it works. Nevertheless, Artcraft, REA, and other applications have clearly opened Pandora's box.
With just one person skilled in AI, it is now possible to accomplish work that previously required an entire team of engineers. This could lead to a flood of low-quality, subpar applications, but it may also force companies like Adobe to rethink the business models that many people despise.
Item Specification Developer Brandon Thomas Application Name Photocraft Reverse Engineering Tool Claude Opus 5.5