Archive · 12 Oct 2026
Developer Releases Open-Source Alternatives to Microsoft Office
Brandon Thomas has made three free programs called Grid Craft, Deck Craft and Word Craft.
They are meant to do jobs similar to Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
People can download them from GitHub.
The programs are designed to work on Windows, Mac computers and Linux.
Thomas has also made other open-source tools that imitate commercial software.
Some people want alternatives because many popular programs now use subscriptions.
The article says these new programs may not do everything the original programs can do yet.
They could still be useful for people who only need basic features sometimes.
Software developer Brandon Thomas has released Grid Craft, Deck Craft and Word Craft as alternatives to Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
The applications are available for free through Art Craft’s GitHub repository.
Thomas says the applications are designed for macOS, Windows and Linux, with a similar experience across operating systems.
The projects extend Thomas’s effort to create open-source alternatives to commercial software, including Adobe applications.
The article says the new tools may not yet fully replace their commercial counterparts but could serve occasional users.
- Who
- Software developer Brandon Thomas released the applications.
- What
- He introduced free, open-source alternatives to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Where
- The applications are shared on Art Craft’s GitHub repository and are designed for macOS, Windows and Linux.
- Why
- They offer alternatives to commercial software, which the article says has increasingly moved from one-time purchases to subscriptions.
Case for alternatives
Limits of alternatives
Subscription software
Case for alternatives
The article says Thomas’s replicas offer users alternatives to commercial software increasingly sold through subscription packages, including tools they may not need.
Limits of alternatives
The article does not present a defense of subscriptions; it notes that the new applications may not yet fully replace the commercial products.
Readiness to replace established tools
Case for alternatives
The growing range of replicas sends a message that major software products could be replaceable, and the tools may suit occasional users.
Limits of alternatives
The applications may not yet match the full capabilities of the software they imitate.
- Applications
- Grid Craft, Deck Craft and Word Craft
- Comparable products
- Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word
- Developer
- Brandon Thomas
- Cost and access
- Free downloads from Art Craft’s GitHub repository
- Supported operating systems
- macOS, Windows and Linux
- License approach
- Open-source