ArtCraft Launcher (v0.14.0): what it does, and whether you need it
The ArtCraft Launcher is a small app (21 MB on macOS, 10 MB on Windows, 13 MB on Linux) that lists every Craft app, installs the right build for your computer, checks the download against the release checksums and tells you when an update is out. The project calls it "early alpha". It is optional: every Craft app also ships its own installers.
Last checked 3 Nov 2026. Independent site; not affiliated with ArtCraft or Adobe.
What the launcher does
- Lists all 16 apps on the official apps page (PhotoCraft, LightCraft, FilmCraft, DesignCraft, VectorCraft, PdfCraft, EffectCraft, WordCraft, DeckCraft, GridCraft, CADCraft, SoundCraft, FigCraft, Craft Anything, TextureCraft, MaterialCraft) plus SolidCraft, a community-built app that is not from the ArtCraft team. It shows which ones you have and at which version.
- Picks the right package for your operating system and processor (DMG, MSI, AppImage, .deb, .rpm and more), verifies it against the release's SHA-256 checksums and installs it.
- Checks each app's GitHub releases and updates the ones you have; a notification tells you when something is new. A running app is never replaced mid-session.
- Updates itself with an "Update and restart" button.
- Opens any Craft app from one window or from the menu bar or system tray icon. Native Rust UI (egui), no Electron, no web view. 13 interface languages, including Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
- No account, no sign-in. MIT or Apache-2.0 licence; the ArtCraft name and logo are excluded from the licence.
- An app installed by the launcher is the same official release package you would download by hand, and the launcher also finds apps you installed yourself.
Download the launcher (v0.14.0, released 3 Nov 2026)
| Platform | File | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| macOS 11 Big Sur or newer | artcraft-launcher-0.14.0-macos-universal.dmg | 21.3 MB | Apple silicon and Intel in one file. |
| Windows 10/11 | artcraft-launcher-0.14.0-windows-x64.msi | 10.0 MB | Installs for the current user, no admin rights. Also arm64 and x86 MSIs and portable zips. There is no .exe installer. |
| Linux (glibc 2.35 or newer) | artcraft-launcher-0.14.0-linux-x86_64.AppImage | 13.3 MB | See the Linux section below for the other packages. |
| FreeBSD 14 | …-freebsd-x86_64.tar.gz | 13.3 MB | Also aarch64. |
| Browser | artcraft-launcher-web-0.14.0.zip | 4.5 MB | WebAssembly build. |
Get it from the official apps page or GitHub releases. Every release includes SHA256SUMS.txt. We never host installers.
ArtCraft Launcher on Linux (AppImage, deb, rpm, Flatpak)
- x86_64: AppImage, .deb, .rpm, .flatpak, .tar.gz and an Arch
.pkg.tar.zst. aarch64 has the same set. riscv64 has .deb, .rpm and .tar.gz and needs glibc 2.39 or newer. - Flatpak: the launcher runs inside the sandbox and can only reach the host as far as its permissions allow. The project recommends the AppImage, .deb or .rpm instead.
- GNOME: install the AppIndicator extension or the tray icon will not show.
- Nix on a non-NixOS system: the window may fail to open because a Nix-built program cannot load the host's GPU drivers; the README points to nixGL.
ArtCraft Launcher won't open: the three known problems
From the project's own issue tracker, read 3 Nov 2026 (512 open issues on that date; the GitHub counter shows 705 because it includes pull requests).
- macOS on OpenCore Legacy Patcher (older Macs running a newer macOS than Apple supports): the launcher crashes on start with
invalid value 'metal3.2'. Issue #38, 22 comments, has a workaround in the thread. - macOS with Gatekeeper disabled: installing fails with "didn't return an affirmative policy assessment". Issue #1078.
- Windows 11 25H2: some users cannot open the launcher at all. Issues #165 and #46.
Also expected, not a bug: on Windows each app install into C:\Program Files\ArtCraft\ asks for administrator permission, because the apps install for all users.
When to skip the launcher
- You only want one app: download that app's own installer from its GitHub releases page (file names on our download page).
- The launcher will not open on your machine: the apps do not depend on it.
- You install software through a package manager: the apps publish .deb, .rpm, Flatpak and Arch packages themselves.
Questions
Is the ArtCraft Launcher free?
Yes. Open source under MIT or Apache-2.0, no account needed.
Does the launcher run in the background?
It can sit in the menu bar or system tray and notifies you about updates. The README does not state how often it checks.
Do I need the launcher to update the apps?
No. Each app's Linux AppImage updates itself, and every app has its own releases page. The launcher just does it for all of them at once.
Which Mac does the launcher need?
macOS 11 Big Sur or newer. Macs patched with OpenCore Legacy Patcher have a known crash (issue #38).
Is the ArtCraft Launcher the same as the ArtCraft studio app?
No. The studio app (image and video generation, v0.41.0) is a separate download and needs an account. The launcher only manages the Craft apps.