Free & Open Source Software Clones vs Alternatives: The Complete Guide (2026)

PhotoCraft

Free image editor that matches Photoshop menus, shortcuts, and tools, with full PSD file support.

• Uses the same menus, keyboard shortcuts, tools, and panels as Photoshop.
• Opens, edits, and saves layered PSD and PSB files.

Patchy

Free image editor built to feel familiar to Photoshop users, with accurate support for layered PSD files.

• Works with PSD and PSB files and keeps text, masks, blend modes and layer styles editable.
• Adjustment layers, Smart Objects and editable Smart Filters.

Compositor

Free image editor for Mac, built around the Photoshop workflow, that opens PSD files.

• Layers and folders with Photoshop’s full set of blend modes, in the same order.
• Layer masks, clipping masks and adjustment layers like Levels and Curves.

Slojka

Free Photoshop-style image editor with layers, masks, selections and brushes, plus optional AI tools.

• Layers, smart layers, layer masks and clipping masks.
• Selections with rectangle, ellipse, lasso and magic wand.

LightCraft

Free photo library and raw photo developer, rebuilt from scratch to work like Adobe Lightroom. Your originals are never changed.

• The same Light sliders: Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites and Blacks.
• A Color Mixer and Color Grading wheels to adjust each color and tone.

RAWmakase

Free raw photo developer with Lightroom-style controls. It can import your Lightroom Classic catalog with its ratings and edits.

• Lightroom-style controls: white balance, exposure, curves, HSL color mixer and color grading.
• Imports Lightroom Classic catalogs (.lrcat) and your Lightroom XMP presets.

Redlamp

Free raw photo editor for Mac that Lightroom users will find familiar: same panel layout, slider names and shortcuts.

• The Develop module’s layout, panel order, slider names and ranges.
• Lightroom Classic’s keyboard shortcuts.

Zenliro

Free photo editor for Mac with a Lightroom Classic-style Develop module: Basic, Tone Curve, HSL and Color Grading, plus an AI helper.

• A Develop module with the Lightroom Classic panels: Basic, Tone Curve, HSL, Color Grading and Detail.
• A photo library with folders, EXIF data and a histogram.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

The foundational open-source raster graphics editor powered by the high-bit-depth GEGL engine, customizable interface, and vast community plugin library [3].

Krita

Industry-standard open-source studio for concept artists and digital illustrators, featuring pop-up palettes, brush stabilizers, and full HDR color painting [4].

Darktable

Open-source photography workflow application and raw developer managing digital negatives in an advanced color-managed pipeline.

RawTherapee

High-precision 32-bit floating-point raw processing system featuring advanced demosaicing and wavelets detail control.

VectorCraft

Free vector drawing program rebuilt from scratch to work like Adobe Illustrator, with the same tools, menus, panels and shortcuts.

• The same Pen, Direct Selection, Pathfinder, Swatches and Layers.
• Shape Builder, gradients, transparency and type with styles.

Puter Vector Studio

Tarayıcıda çalışan vektör illüstrasyon editörü.

TraceDraw

Free vector drawing program that works like CorelDRAW: property bar, toolbox, Objects panel and color palette, and it opens your .cdr files.

• The CorelDRAW workspace: menu bar, property bar, toolbox with flyouts, dockable panels and a color palette.
• Opens .cdr files from versions 1 to 25 and saves versions 7 to 22.

DesignCraft

Free page layout program rebuilt from scratch to work like Adobe InDesign. If you know InDesign, you already know how to use it.

• Spreads and parent pages, frames and threaded stories.
• The Control panel, paragraph and character styles, swatches and text wrap.

Recto Studio

Free page layout app like InDesign that runs in your browser, for books, magazines and zines, with print-ready PDF export.

• InDesign shortcuts, including the ones for fitting images into frames.
• Imports InDesign IDML files.

FigCraft

Free interface design program rebuilt from scratch to work like Figma. If you know Figma, you already know FigCraft.

• The toolbar, layers panel, Design panel, menus and shortcuts are where you expect them.
• Components with variants, and auto layout.

DESIGN:OS Studio

Free Figma-style design app for your computer that opens and saves real Figma .fig files, even very large ones, without going online.

• The Figma layout: pages and layers on the left, properties on the right.
• Opens and saves Figma .fig files on your computer.

OpenPencil

Free design editor that opens and saves Figma files, with components, auto layout and live collaboration.

• Opens and saves native Figma (.fig) files.
• Components and variants.

Rovar

Free Figma-like design editor for your computer, with artboards, auto layout, components and interactive previews.

• Auto layout with wrapping, padding, gaps and hug or fill sizing.
• Reusable components with variants.

LocalStudio

Free Canva-style presentation editor that runs in your browser, with editable slides, AI images and translation.

• Imports PowerPoint (.pptx) files as editable decks.
• Produces slides and images from a written description.

Wishwa

Free Canva-style design editor that runs in your browser, with templates, text effects, image tools and layers. No account needed.

• Templates, Elements, Text, Uploads, Brand and Layers on the side, with the design in the middle.
• Ready-made templates for thumbnails, banners, social posts and posters.

ProCraft

Free raster painting studio that works like Procreate: gesture controls, brush engine, color drop, animation assist and layers, on desktop, iPad and Android.

• The Procreate layout: canvas with brush size and opacity sliders on the left, top-bar tool pills, and floating brush and color panels.
• Gestures and shortcuts: two-finger tap to undo, three-finger tap to redo, pinch to zoom, canvas twist rotate, and tap-and-drag ColorDrop fill.

JS Paint

Free MS Paint remake that runs in your browser, with every tool and menu of classic Paint, plus unlimited undo and themes.

• Every tool and menu of classic MS Paint, down to little-known features.
• The tool box and color box, with a foreground and a background color.

TS Paint

Free rewrite of the Windows 95 Paint that runs in your browser, works offline once installed and opens your image files.

• The Windows 95 Paint look, kept sharp on high-resolution screens.
• Opens .png, .jpg, .gif, .bmp and .webp files and saves them back in place.

Paint (Christian Liebel)

Free remake of the Windows 95 Paint that runs in your browser, works offline and installs like an app.

• Sticks as closely as possible to the original Paint for Windows 95.
• Works offline and installs like an app.

Inkscape

Professional vector graphics editor built natively on W3C SVG standards, featuring live path effects and precise node editing [5].

Penpot

The first open-source web-based prototyping and interface platform built natively on CSS Grid and Flexbox standards [7].

FilmCraft

Free video editor rebuilt from scratch to work like Adobe Premiere Pro, with the same panels, workspaces, tools and shortcuts.

• Source and Program monitors, bins with thumbnails and a multi-track timeline.
• The Editing, Assembly, Color, Effects and Audio workspaces.

Magnetic

Free Final Cut Pro-style video editor for Windows: a magnetic timeline, cutting by deleting words from the transcript, and automatic silence removal.

• A magnetic timeline: clips never overlap, and when you cut one out the gap closes itself.
• The same keys: E to append, W to insert, Q to connect, D to overwrite, and J, K, L to play.

Concat

Free CapCut replacement for your computer. Edit video on several tracks with no watermark, no account, and no uploads.

• Adds captions to your video automatically.
• Produces animated titles, text-to-speech voiceovers, and automatic background removal.

Drift

Free video editor for your computer, made for Reels, Shorts and game clips: effects, captions, stickers and music, with no watermark or account.

• One-click looks: 150+ transitions and 40+ effects, previewed on your footage.
• Automatic captions and 33 title styles, such as karaoke and neon.

OpenCut

Free video editor in your browser, made because most basic CapCut features now require payment.

• Keeps the basic editing features of CapCut free and on your device.
• Built to be simple to use, like CapCut.

OpenReel Video

Free video editor that runs in your browser, with no watermark. Cut clips, add captions and mix audio.

• Trim, split, crop and change playback speed.
• Video, audio, text and graphics on several tracks, with transitions and keyframes.

ReaCut

Free video editor for Mac rebuilt after CapCut, with its familiar layout: media, player, inspector and multitrack timeline.

• CapCut’s layout: media library, player, inspector and a multitrack timeline.
• Trim, split, snap, keyframes, masks, chroma key and speed changes.

DaVinci Resolve

Hollywood’s standard post-production solution combining professional 8K editing, color grading, visual effects, and audio post in one tool [8].

Kdenlive

Powerful open-source multi-track video editor built on the MLT Framework, supporting almost any audio/video format with hardware acceleration.

EffectCraft

Free motion graphics and effects program rebuilt from scratch to work like Adobe After Effects, with the same panels and keyframes.

• The same panels: Project, Composition, Timeline, Effect Controls, and Effects & Presets.
• Keyframes that behave the same, with a Graph Editor.

Lumit

Free motion graphics and compositing editor that combines After Effects’ depth with Vegas-style retiming.

• Time remapping like After Effects, or Vegas-style velocity.
• Built-in glow, motion blur, camera shake and lens flare.

Premation

Free motion graphics editor modelled on After Effects: if you know it, the tools, panels and shortcuts are where you expect.

• Compositions, layers, keyframes and a graph editor.
• 3D space with cameras and lights.

Natron

Powerful node-based visual effects and compositing software with full OpenFX plugin compliance and 32-bit floating point color pipeline.

CADCraft

Free drafting program rebuilt from scratch to work like Autodesk AutoCAD, with the command line, snaps, layers and DWG and DXF files.

• The command line, with history, AutoComplete and aliases.
• The same drawing commands: LINE, PLINE, CIRCLE, ARC, RECTANG, POLYGON and more.

IngeCAD

Free 2D drafting program in the spirit of classic AutoCAD, with a real command line, the usual aliases and DWG files.

• The usual command aliases, like M to move and TR to trim.
• The classic interface before the ribbon: menus, toolbars and a real command line.

BIMCraft

Free building design program that works like Revit: walls, doors, rooms, plans, sections and sheets from one model, with Revit’s ribbon and shortcuts.

• Revit’s layout: a ribbon with a green Modify tab, the Options Bar, Properties and the Project Browser.
• Revit’s shortcuts, like WA for walls, DR for doors and WN for windows.

SolidCraft

Free 3D CAD app with familiar Fusion 360 workflows: sketch, set dimensions and build solid parts on an editable timeline. Works on desktop or browser.

• Workflows you know from Fusion 360: constrained sketches, solid features, an editable timeline, parameters and assemblies.
• Change a dimension and the whole model rebuilds.

IngeTrazo

Free push/pull 3D modeler for architecture and design that opens your SketchUp .skp files, from 2013 to 2026.

• Push/pull modeling: draw a shape and pull it into 3D.
• Opens .skp files from 2013 to 2026.

RustGIS

Free mapping and GIS app with an ArcGIS Pro-style ribbon: make maps, analyze data and print layouts. On Windows, Mac, Linux or in your browser.

• The ArcGIS Pro layout: a ribbon with Home, Data, Style, Edit, Analyze, View and Publish tabs, and a Layers pane beside the map.
• Opens Shapefile, GeoPackage, GeoJSON, KML, CSV and GeoTIFF, and connects to ArcGIS map servers.

OpenRevu

Free PDF markup and takeoff tool that follows the Bluebeam Revu workflow: markups list, tool chest, calibrated measurements and drawing comparison.

• The Revu layout: thumbnails and bookmarks on the left, Properties and Tool Chest on the right, and the Markups List below the page.
• Calibrate a drawing, then measure lengths and areas.

FreeCAD

OpenCASCADE-based parametric 3D modeler with dedicated PartDesign, Sketcher, and CAM workbenches for mechanical engineering [6].

LibreCAD

Lightweight, mature open-source 2D CAD application for cross-platform technical drawings, architectural schematics, and DXF files.

SubCraft

Free 3D texture painting program in the spirit of Substance Painter: paint on models with layers, masks and smart materials, then export textures.

• Paint directly on 3D models with layered materials, masks and smart materials.
• Paint layers, fill layers and folders, with 32 blend modes.

SubstanceCraft

Free program for painting colors and materials directly onto 3D models, in the style of Substance 3D Painter.

• Paint materials straight onto a 3D model, layer by layer, without destroying earlier work.
• Fill, paint and mask layers, with 26 blend modes.

Nerthus

Free node-based terrain generator that works like Gaea: build mountains, erosion and rivers from nodes, and open your Gaea .terrain projects.

• Build a terrain as a graph of nodes, with a 3D preview as it builds.
• Opens and saves Gaea 2 .terrain projects, and Gaea opens what it saves.

ArmorPaint

Stand-alone software designed for physically-based texture painting on 3D models with instant GPU viewport rendering.

SoundCraft

Free audio recording and mixing program rebuilt from scratch to work like Avid Pro Tools, with its Edit and Mix windows.

• An Edit window for arranging and editing, and a Mix window for balancing.
• Edit modes, tools, playlists and memory locations.

Honeydew

Free music maker that copies FL Studio Mobile: build songs with drums, synths and samples, in your browser or on your computer.

• Opens FL Studio Mobile song files (.flm).
• The same screens: playlist, piano roll, drum editor, mixer and effects rack.

Lemon Studio

Free music maker that works like FL Studio: channel rack, piano roll, playlist and mixer, and it opens your .flp projects.

• Build patterns in a step sequencer and piano roll, then arrange them on a playlist.
• A channel rack with steps and mini piano rolls, swing and per-channel loops.

LYNX

Free music maker for Windows that works like FL Studio: Channel Rack, Piano Roll, Playlist and Mixer, and it opens your FL Studio projects.

• Step-sequencer Channel Rack, Piano Roll, Playlist and Mixer, with the same shortcuts.
• Opens FL Studio projects with their samples, patterns, automation and mixer.

ClubCraft

Free DJ app with VirtualDJ-style decks and automatic stem separation: it finds beats, keys and cues, plans mixes and plays them live.

• Two decks with cue logic, eight hot cues, loops, sync and keylock.
• Splits any track into vocals, melody, bass and drums.

Ardour

Full-featured professional digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing, and mastering multi-track projects.

Audacity

The world’s most accessible open-source multi-track audio editor and recorder for podcasting and rapid sound mastering.

WordCraft

Free word processor rebuilt from scratch to work like Microsoft Word, with the ribbon, styles, tables and track changes you know.

• Word’s ribbon tabs, groups and keyboard shortcuts.
• Opens and saves .docx files, and opens old .doc files.

GridCraft

Free spreadsheet program rebuilt from scratch to work like Microsoft Excel. If you know Excel, you already know GridCraft.

• Excel’s ribbon, formula bar, Name Box, sheet tabs and keyboard shortcuts.
• 513 of Excel’s 523 worksheet functions.

DeckCraft

Free presentation program rebuilt from scratch to work like Microsoft PowerPoint. It opens and saves .pptx files.

• Slide masters and layouts, themes, sections and notes.
• Over 150 shapes, connectors that stay glued, and merge shapes.

OpenSheet

Free spreadsheet program that looks and works like Microsoft Excel, with its ribbon, formulas and charts, and opens your Excel files.

• Excel’s ribbon and tabs, dialogs, side panes, status bar and keyboard shortcuts.
• 337 functions, dynamic arrays and structured references.

ReflexGrid

Free spreadsheet that runs in the browser like Excel, opens your Excel files, runs their macros and lets people edit together live.

• The Excel way of working: ribbon, name box, formula bar and the familiar shortcuts.
• Opens and saves .xlsx and .xlsm files that move to and from Excel without conversion.

Morrow

Free local workspace that works like Notion: page tree, slash commands, callouts, covers and databases, saved as Markdown files on your computer.

• The Notion layout: sidebar tree with pages, favourites, custom icons, page covers, breadcrumbs and trash.
• A block-based rich editor with headings, checklists, callouts with folding, toggles, tables, columns and media embeds.

NoteCraft

Free note-taking app that works like OneNote: colored notebooks, sections and pages, a ribbon, tags and to-do boxes, with notes saved as plain files.

• An Office-style ribbon with Home, Insert and View tabs, and a File screen for your notebooks.
• Notebooks, section groups, sections and pages in a tree, each notebook and section in its own color.

PdfCraft

Free PDF program rebuilt from scratch to work like Adobe Acrobat. Read, organize, combine, split and secure PDFs.

• Organize pages: rotate, delete, insert and reorder them.
• Fill in and produce forms.

Lookout

Free email, calendar and contacts app for Linux that works like Outlook, with folders, a reading pane, categories and follow-up flags.

• Mail, calendar, contacts and tasks in one window, like Outlook.
• Categories in Outlook’s 25 colors and follow-up flags with due dates.

MailCraft

Free email program modelled on the classic Outlook: ribbon, folder pane, reading pane, calendar, people and tasks.

• The ribbon, folder pane, message list and reading pane, the way you already work.
• Rules with the Rules Wizard, quick steps and color categories.

MailCraft (UCS Care Group)

Free mail, calendar and contacts program with Outlook’s layout, for Microsoft 365, Outlook.com and other mail accounts.

• Outlook’s layout: side rail, folder pane, ribbon, message list and reading pane.
• Flags, colour categories, rules, conversations and search.

MailCraft (ZIDAN44)

Free mail program built like Outlook, with three panes, the everyday ribbon buttons and the same shortcuts. Your mail stays on your computer.

• Three panes, the everyday ribbon buttons and the usual shortcuts, like Ctrl+R to reply.
• Opens Outlook data files (.pst) with their contacts and calendar.

OpenMailClient

Free email program that works like classic Outlook: ribbon, folder pane, message list and reading pane, and it opens your .pst files.

• Outlook’s classic window: ribbon, folder pane, message list grouped by date and reading pane.
• Opens .pst and .ost data files, and the .pst files it saves open in Outlook.

ScriptCraft

Free screenwriting program that works like Final Draft: industry-standard pages, SmartType and index cards, and it opens your .fdx scripts.

• The same element flow: Enter and Tab move between scene heading, action, character and dialogue.
• Industry-standard pages in 12-point Courier, with (MORE) and (CONT’D) when dialogue breaks.

DataCraft

Free DataGrip-style database client for Mac: browse PostgreSQL, SQL Server and SQLite, write SQL with autocompletion and edit tables in place.

• A Database Explorer with every database, schema, table and view on the server.
• SQL consoles with highlighting and autocompletion.

LocalLeaf

Free LaTeX editor that works like Overleaf: file tree, code editor, PDF preview and a green Recompile button, all on your own computer.

• The Overleaf layout: file tree and outline on the left, code editor in the middle, PDF preview on the right.
• A green Recompile button and clickable logs that open the file at the line with the error.

VoiceStudio

Free voice studio for your computer: clone a voice, design a new one, dub videos and make audiobooks in 646 languages.

• Clone a voice from a clean recording, type your text and generate speech.
• Design a new voice by describing it.

LibreOffice

The world’s premier open-source office suite, featuring Writer, Calc, and Impress with complete OpenDocument and Microsoft formats support [10].

Obsidian

Powerful knowledge base that works on local plain-text Markdown files, featuring interactive graph views and extensive plugins [9].