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Brandon Thomas, the developer behind ArtCraft, has announced three applications positioned as alternatives to Microsoft Office: GridCraft for Excel, DeckCraft for PowerPoint and WordCraft for Word. Tom’s Hardware reported on October 11, 2026, that Thomas created them with Claude and shared them on ArtCraft’s GitHub for free download. That makes them an announcement worth watching—not established replacements for Microsoft 365.
What are GridCraft, DeckCraft and WordCraft?
They are three reported software projects modeled on familiar Microsoft applications. The names map to the intended counterparts as follows:
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| Project | Intended alternative to |
|---|---|
| GridCraft | Microsoft Excel |
| DeckCraft | Microsoft PowerPoint |
| WordCraft | Microsoft Word |
Tom’s Hardware’s report identifies Thomas as the developer behind ArtCraft, an open-source suite intended to replicate Adobe applications. The Office-related projects extend that effort into spreadsheets, presentations and word processing; the report does not independently evaluate either the earlier suite or the new applications. Read the Tom’s Hardware report, published October 11, 2026.
What is confirmed—and what is not
The report says the applications were created with Claude and shared to ArtCraft’s GitHub for free download. It does not establish specific licenses, supported operating systems, release versions, maintenance plans or whether the projects will remain available. “Open-source” and “free to download” are not enough to answer those questions.
#1 Best Overall
- Classic Office Apps | Includes classic desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with ease.
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- Ideal for One Person | With a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office 2024, you can create, organize, and get things done.
- Consider Upgrading to Microsoft 365 | Get premium benefits with a Microsoft 365 subscription, including ongoing updates, advanced security, and access to premium versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more, plus 1TB cloud storage per person and multi-device support for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Nor does the report provide hands-on test results or a feature-by-feature comparison. It says most of the applications remain far from the software they aim to replace. That is the key context for interpreting the announcement: these are reported alternatives or replications, not proven substitutes with demonstrated feature parity.
Can they replace Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint?
The available reporting does not establish that they can. It gives no evidence about whether they open, edit or preserve Microsoft Office files reliably, or how they handle real-world workflows. A familiar name or interface concept does not establish compatibility.
Rank #2
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- [Ideal for One Person] — With a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024, you can create, organize, and get things done.
- [Classic Office Apps] — Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.
- [Desktop Only & Customer Support] — To install and use on one PC or Mac, on desktop only. Microsoft 365 has your back with readily available technical support through chat or phone.
Important practical details remain unanswered, including spreadsheet formula and macro support; document layout and collaboration; presentation animations and media; offline or cloud behavior; accessibility; privacy and telemetry; and security review. Without those details, it would be premature to rely on the applications for business-critical documents or to migrate existing work to them.
What to check before trying one
Anyone considering a download should verify the project’s current status and documentation directly in its repository. In particular, look for:
Rank #3
- Designed for Your Windows and Apple Devices | Install premium Office apps on your Windows laptop, desktop, MacBook or iMac. Works seamlessly across your devices for home, school, or personal productivity.
- Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook | Get premium versions of the essential Office apps that help you work, study, create, and stay organized.
- 1 TB Secure Cloud Storage | Store and access your documents, photos, and files from your Windows, Mac or mobile devices.
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- Easy Digital Download with Microsoft Account | Product delivered electronically for quick setup. Sign in with your Microsoft account, redeem your code, and download your apps instantly to your Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
- A current release or version and a recent update history.
- The license file and the terms governing use, modification and redistribution.
- Supported operating systems and any installation requirements.
- Documented import and export formats, plus known compatibility limitations.
- Privacy, telemetry and security information.
- Known issues and a way to report bugs or request support.
Test with copies of non-sensitive files rather than the only copy of important work. Check the results after both opening and saving: layout, formulas, formatting, images and other features can be lost or changed during conversion. The announcement report supplies no evidence that these projects preserve Office files, so do not assume they do.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- GREAT ALTERNATIVE - This Open Office Suite is a great alternative to MS Office and enables you to create beautiful and practical Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations.
- VERSITLE - This DVD includes both Windows and Mac installation files, just follow the steps included on installation guide.
- LICENSE - Perpetual License granted and when connected to the internet the Open Office Suite will check for uptades and will give you the option to install them.
- EXTRAS - Enjoy all the Extras- Installation Guides, User Guides, Clipart Library, Template Library are all included on the DVD.
- COMPATIBLE - Extensive compatibility across Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and MacOS 10.7 to 10.15
Rank #4
- Designed for Your Windows and Apple Devices | Install premium Office apps on your Windows laptop, desktop, MacBook or iMac. Works seamlessly across your devices for home, school, or personal productivity.
- Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook | Get premium versions of the essential Office apps that help you work, study, create, and stay organized.
- Up to 2 TB Shared Cloud Storage | Store and access your documents, photos, and files from your Windows, Mac or mobile devices.
- Premium Tools Across Your Devices | Your subscription lets you work across all of your Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices with apps that sync instantly through the cloud.
- Share Your Family Subscription | You can share all of your subscription benefits with up to 6 people for use across all their devices.
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