ArtCraft Launcher — Install and Update the Whole Suite in One Place
ArtCraft Launcher is the official companion app for the ArtCraft family — a small native program that installs, updates and opens all thirteen Craft apps from one menu-bar or tray icon. It is the project's answer to "where do I download the apps, and how do I keep them current?" This page covers what it does, where to get it, and how to verify the download.
Quick answer: The ArtCraft Launcher (storytold/craft-launcher on GitHub) is the official installer and updater for the Craft App Suite: it picks the right build for your OS and CPU, verifies it against SHA-256 checksums, installs it, and later updates each app from its GitHub releases. Native pure-Rust UI (egui — no Electron, no web view), MIT/Apache-2.0, early alpha. Download it only from the storytold GitHub releases.
| What it is | Official installer / updater / launcher for the Craft App Suite |
|---|---|
| Developer | storytold (the ArtCraft org) |
| Manages | Thirteen Craft apps — PhotoCraft, LightCraft, FilmCraft and the rest |
| Platforms | macOS · Windows · Linux · FreeBSD · Web (WebAssembly) |
| UI stack | Native egui in pure Rust — no Electron, no web view |
| Install formats | DMG · MSI · AppImage · .deb · .rpm · Flatpak · tar.gz · portable zip |
| License | MIT / Apache-2.0 |
| Download from | github.com/storytold/craft-launcher (Releases) — official only |
What the ArtCraft Launcher is
The project describes it in one line: "One place to install, update and open every app in the Craft App Suite, rebuilt in pure Rust." Instead of hunting through thirteen separate GitHub repositories for the right installer, you download the launcher once and it manages the family for you — the apps install, update and open from a single small app that sits in your menu bar (macOS) or system tray (Windows/Linux).
It is made by the same org as the apps themselves (storytold on GitHub — the ArtCraft team), which is what makes it the official route rather than a community convenience.
What it does
The launcher's job is the boring plumbing, done properly:
- One-click install — it detects your OS and CPU and picks the matching build (DMG, MSI, AppImage, .deb, .rpm, Flatpak, tar.gz or portable zip).
- Checksum verification — every download is checked against the release's SHA-256 checksums before it is installed.
- Auto-updates — it checks each app's GitHub releases and updates the apps you already have.
- Self-update — the launcher updates itself the same way: download, verify, replace in place.
- Open apps — launch any installed Craft app from the tray without leaving the menu.
Platforms and install formats
Native builds cover macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows (x64, arm64 and x86), Linux (including ARM64) and FreeBSD; a web build compiled to WebAssembly also exists for trying the family without installing. macOS ships a signed, notarized DMG you drag into Applications; Windows installs through the MSI; Linux packages come as AppImage, .deb or .rpm, with Flatpak, tar.gz and portable zips alongside. Release pages carry a SHA256SUMS.txt for every artifact.
Native, not Electron
The launcher is built in pure Rust on egui — no Electron, no embedded browser, no web view — the same engineering stance as the apps it manages. It is small, starts instantly and follows your system light/dark theme. The interface speaks English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Spanish, following the system language by default. Licensed MIT/Apache-2.0, like the rest of the family.
How to get it (and how to verify it)
One official source: the storytold/craft-launcher repository on GitHub — its Releases page. Download the build for your computer and keep the SHA256SUMS.txt alongside it; the launcher verifies itself and every app it installs. The README credits the community launchers that came before it (ArtCraft Suite Updater, craftcenter, CRAFTSPACE, GetCraft, CraftHub and others) — the team's own words are that the official launcher "learned a lot from them" — but installs should come from the storytold repository, published by the ArtCraft org.
Do you need the launcher?
Not strictly — every app also ships installers from its own GitHub releases and from getartcraft.com, and the browser builds need no install at all. The launcher earns its place when you use several apps: one download, one update flow, one place to open them. If you are trying a single app, grab that app directly; if you are running the family, the launcher is the intended way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ArtCraft Launcher?
Is the launcher free?
Which apps can it manage?
Where should I download it from?
Does it run on my system?
Is it affiliated with Adobe?
More about ArtCraft
The suite explained: free, open-source apps in pure Rust that reimplement the Adobe workflow — what each replaces, what is actually ready, and the official downloads.
"Seven apps. One craft." — the launch tagline for ArtCraft: seven free open-source apps replacing seven Adobe classics. What the seven were, why the line traveled, and how the lineup has grown since.
More ArtCraft apps
Open-source Photoshop replacement in pure Rust: layers, masks, adjustment layers, layer styles, text, vectors, brushes and real PSD files — free, no subscription required.
Open-source non-destructive photo editor in pure Rust — a free Lightroom-style workflow: edit without destroying the original, agent-native.
Open-source Illustrator replacement in pure Rust: Pen, Pathfinder, smart guides, appearance, layers — fast, scriptable, free.
More tutorials
Download, install and first-launch PhotoCraft on Windows, macOS or in the browser — with the exact official sources.
More honest comparisons
ArtCraft is the open-source Adobe-alternative family: free, pure-Rust, no subscription required, agent-native. Honest comparison — what it covers today and where it still lags.