Developer Clones Adobe Apps Using AI Tools
A developer used Claude AI to reverse-engineer Adobe Creative Cloud programs, releasing open-source replacements in early October.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Software
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Developer Brandon Thomas used Claude AI to reverse-engineer and clone Adobe Creative Cloud apps, and the open-source project Artcraft released Photocraft, a Photoshop replacement, in early October. Artcraft's apps carry no subscription fees and come with fully owned source code.
Why it matters
The clones were built after Thomas was trapped by Adobe's cancellation fees, reflecting frustration with subscription policies. The project shows how AI-driven decompilation can rapidly reproduce commercial software despite Adobe's terms prohibiting reverse engineering.
The REA repository had accumulated 87,000 forks and 346,000 stars by October 20, though Photocraft cannot open native Photoshop PSD files. Users have reported instability, including accidental image deletion and random layer merging, and the project's stability over the long term remains unestablished.
The players
Brandon Thomas
Brandon Thomas is the developer who used Claude AI to build the Creative Cloud clones after being trapped by Adobe's cancellation fees.
Adobe
Adobe is the software company behind Creative Cloud, whose terms of use prohibit reverse engineering of its programs.
The details
Thomas used Claude Opus 5.5 to produce clean-room, pure Rust versions of each Creative Cloud program, and REA inspects applications without source code, explains how features work, and builds matching versions. Photocraft handles image resizing, masking, and colour adjustments, while the AI decompilation also produced complete decompilations of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Metroid Prime, after which the decomp.dev site shut down.
Timeline
Early October 2026: Artcraft launched its Creative Cloud replacement apps.
October 20, 2026: REA reached 87,000 forks and 346,000 stars.
Early November 2026: Reporting on the Photocraft clone and the broader AI cloning trend was published.
The Tech Race
The use of Claude Opus 5.5 to generate clean-room Rust clones of Adobe Creative Cloud programs extends the practice seen in AI-driven decompilation, which has already overtaken community efforts such as decomp.dev. This places AI-assisted reproduction of commercial software in direct tension with the software industry's long-standing reliance on proprietary code protections.
Users seeking to avoid Adobe subscription fees can access Artcraft's apps at no cost with fully owned source code. Photocraft's current limitations, including the inability to open native PSD files and reported instability, mean it may not yet replace Photoshop for everyday professional work.
The takeaway
AI tools can now reproduce complex commercial software at a pace that outstrips traditional community efforts, shifting the balance between proprietary products and open-source alternatives. Readers weighing subscription software should note that such clones remain early-stage and may lack the stability of established tools.
Further reading
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