Hey Google, what is "Vibe Coding?" — Vibe Coding is a software development approach where you use natural language prompts or voice commands to tell an AI what to build, and the AI writes, tests, and fixes the code for you.

I had a problem when Adobe went to their package subscription model instead of allowing me to purchase the programs I wanted to use and upgrade them when I wanted to. If all I use is Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Light Room, and Adobe InDesign, why does it cost more to subscribe to them alone rather than a price subscription to everything you make?

I also have a very big problem when Adobe started treating their subscribers like pirate criminals with their idiotic licensing restrictions. I fucking loathe having to log in and out of my apps because I have a laptop, desktop, work computer, and travel laptop.

And don't get me started with Adobe shitting their unethical AI shit all over everything.

So when Affinity released apps which were inexpensive and could do many of the things I need to do with the Adobe apps, I was thrilled. Finally I could go back to the purchase model that I enjoyed, and I started using them at home while continuing to use Adobe for work. THEN the Affinity apps were made free and the only thing you have to pay for is if you want to use their AI tools. Which I do not. Nice!

And then ArtCraft used AI to "vibe code" Adobe app equivalents using the amazing Rust coding environment.

Hey Google, what is Rust? — Rust is a multi-paradigm, general-purpose programming language designed for performance, type safety, and concurrency. It is widely recognized for delivering the blazing speed and low-level hardware control of C and C++, but with a crucial advantage: it enforces strict memory safety at compile time without needing a conventional garbage collector. Rust is well-suited for AI infrastructure and production systems, though it is rarely used for early-stage exploratory model research.

Oh the irony of Adobe slapping AI on their apps which made it so that people without graphic talent could fake what graphic artists do... only to have somebody use AI to turn around and make apps that fake what Adobe does.

As you can imagine, ArtCraft has been slammed with people trying to make accounts, so you can't activate a studio account just now, but you can still go to their site and download their individual apps, which do not require registration of any kind...

• PhotoCraft: An image editor in the vein of Photoshop.
• VectorCraft: A vector illustration app in the vein of Illustrator.
• FilmCraft: A video editing app in the vein of Premiere.
• LightCraft: A photo cataloging app in the vein of Lightroom.
• PdfCraft: A PDF tool in the vein of Acrobat.
• EffectCraft: A motion graphics tool in the vein of After Effects.
• DesignCraft: A page layout app in the vein of InDesign.

The only thing really missing is a website development app in the vein of DreamWeaver, a 2D animation app in the vein of Animate, and a 3D package like Substance. I'm sure they're coming.

I've been playing around with the apps and, yep, there it is. Vibe-coded alternatives to Adobe's bullshit and greed. They are distinct from Adobe and definitely aren't clones... but the way they operate is similar enough that I wasn't immediately lost. I was able to pick them up fairly quickly. They are a bit raw in places to start, but it's very easy to see where they are going. And the fact that they are open-source just means they're going to get there quicker because, theoretically, every coder on earth can contribute. It's pretty great.

Between Affinity Studio and now ArtCraft providing alternatives which will likely doom Adobe over something they fully brought upon themselves, I find myself thinking BWAH HA HA HA HAAAAAAA! in my head, because it's just so deserved. Few companies have worked so hard to make people loathe them than Adobe has. If I had to guess, I'd think that eventually Affinity Studio and ArtCraft will merge. Their business model is the same... free with a paid side of AI, so it could follow the path of Adobe, who bought out a bunch of their competitors to fold them into their lineup.

I remember long ago when I thought the world of Adobe. I thrilled to every new release and was excited at the prospect of giving them my money because they unleashed my creativity anew in the computer age. They earned my patronage and devotion. Then things went terribly wrong. Now I spend more time cursing them than appreciating them, and it's just sad. Maybe this latest salvo across their bow will force them to take a step back and return to who they used to be rather than the collection of customer-abusing decisions they became.

Because...

This is not about having to pay for the tools I use. I have never complained about that. I want to pay people for their hard work on my behalf.

No. This is entirely about not wanting to support companies that hate me.