ArtCraft Review: Is PhotoCraft Safe? I Tested the Free Photoshop Clone

ArtCraft review: is PhotoCraft safe to download and install? I tested the free AI-built Photoshop clone (PhotoCraft) and the Word clone (WordCraft) on my own Mac with 6 security checks: download source, SHA-256 fingerprint, VirusTotal, Apple notarisation, firewall, and the GitHub code. The app itself came back clean. But when I searched "PhotoCraft download", the official GitHub page was only the 5th result, and the biggest risk isn't a virus. Also covered: how to install PhotoCraft safely (official GitHub vs mirror sites), ArtCraft vs the free Crafting Apps (why people think it's a subscription), and whether PhotoCraft can replace Photoshop for real work yet. ✅ The 6 checks (use them on any free AI app) 1. Official source only: getartcraft.com or github.com/storytold 2. Fingerprint: compare the SHA-256 on the GitHub release page with your file 3. VirusTotal: 0 / 58 engines flagged PhotoCraft 0.8.2 (macOS .dmg) 4. Apple's check: spctl -a -vv /Applications/PhotoCraft.app → "accepted, Notarized Developer ID" 5. Firewall + leftovers: LuLu showed no connection alerts; nothing new in LaunchAgents 6. The code: 2,151 commits, 278 contributors, a security policy, and 935 open issues 🗑️ Uninstall PhotoCraft (Mac) Delete the app, then: ~/Library/Application Support/Photocraft ~/Library/Preferences/ai.storyteller.photocraft.plist ⚠️ "ArtCraft" is two things: ArtCraft (the AI image app, paid credits) and the free Crafting Apps (PhotoCraft, WordCraft, GridCraft, CADCraft…). Free + stable today: Photopea, GIMP, Krita, LibreOffice. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 PhotoCraft download: the real one was 5th 0:32 What ArtCraft is 0:57 Check 1: where you download it 1:51 Check 2: the fingerprint (SHA-256) 2:14 Check 3: VirusTotal 2:33 Check 4: did Apple check it? 3:03 Check 5: does it phone home? 3:40 Check 6: the code (and the catch) 4:04 I tested a PSD and a Word file 4:30 5 rules for using it 4:55 Light use or heavy use? 5:14 The bigger story 📚 Sources (as of 13 Oct 2026) github.com/storytold/photocraft (README, releases, SECURITY.md, issues) getartcraft.com/download and getartcraft.com/apps VirusTotal file report d31fe9f86b521319e412515c5313a56dfa7ca015203e2cbaf49a5b1ddb59a601 Gizmodo, Phoronix, Licenseware coverage (7–8 Oct 2026) ⚠️ Not affiliated with Adobe, Microsoft or ArtCraft. All tests were run on my own Mac on 13 Oct 2026, on PhotoCraft 0.8.2 and WordCraft 0.6.1. Results can change with new versions. Personal details in the recordings are blurred. Test files are sample files. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🔐 About Overprivileged The security side of AI, explained properly: what AI tools can actually access, what can go wrong, and what to do about it. ▶ iOS 27: the AI & privacy settings to change 📱 Shorts on Instagram @over.privileged · TikTok @overprivileged.ai 💼 Business enquiries: overprivileged.lab@gmail.com #ArtCraft #PhotoCraft #PhotoshopAlternative