Vibe-coded apps go mainstream as Google streamlines distribution

Vibe-coded apps are programs built mostly by describing what you want to an AI model, which then writes the code. You steer it with plain-language requests rather than typing every line yourself. The approach has spread fast among developers and AI fans, and the Apple and Google app stores are filling up with AI-made apps as a result.

That flood has a downside. There are serious open questions about how useful, secure and long-lasting these apps are. Apple pulled some apps that help people vibe code from its store this year because they broke its developer rules.

The project that grabbed attention is ArtCraft, from software engineer Brandon Thomas, who first shared the tools on Reddit. The lineup now stands at 13 free, open-source desktop apps, built mostly with Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 model. The first batch copied Adobe’s creative tools, including a Photoshop stand-in called PhotoCraft.

Less than two weeks later came three Office clones, apparently because people kept asking: WordCraft for documents, DeckCraft for slides and GridCraft for spreadsheets. They open and save the same .docx, .pptx and .xlsx files that Microsoft’s apps use, so you can pass files back and forth. WordCraft even includes tracked changes, comments and a compare tool, and its developers say it covers 97% of the commands in their own list of Word features.

The apps also run on Windows, Mac and Linux, and their code is free to inspect or change under open-source licenses. They are independent projects with no endorsement from Microsoft.

Not close enough for most people yet, and the developers say so themselves. All three Office clones are labeled alpha, meaning early test software. The team rates WordCraft at about 60% ready for real work, DeckCraft at around 55% and GridCraft at about 50%.

The gaps are practical ones. WordCraft still needs more testing on real-world Word files, page breaks that match Word more closely and proper printing. GridCraft opens older .xls spreadsheets with their numbers and formulas but drops their formatting for now. Those are exactly the details that matter when you send a report to your boss or a school.

The best advice from people who have tried them: make copies of a few real files, such as a document with tracked changes or a spreadsheet with your actual formulas, open them in the clone, save them, then reopen them in the original app to see what survived.

Google has made the other half of the story easier. Since May, people have been able to vibe-code personal Android apps with Google’s AI Studio. Now, in the US, those apps can be launched directly from the Google Play Store, instead of being installed by plugging your phone into a computer.

Google says these personal apps stay secure, private and separate from the public store catalog, and you only need a standard Google account. The company also plans to let you share an app with a small group of people soon. Sam Bright, who runs Google Play, described it as a path to a full developer account for anyone who wants to share an app with the world, with the same safety reviews professional developers face.

The pull is obvious when software keeps getting pricier. The Microsoft 365 Personal plan costs $100 a year in the US, and many people pay for bundles full of apps they barely open. Adobe, meanwhile, agreed in March to a $150 million settlement with the US government over claims it trapped customers in subscriptions with hidden fees and hard cancellations, which it still denies. That deal splits into a $75 million penalty and $75 million in free services for affected users.

Open-source apps that run on your own computer can also give you more control over your data than a cloud subscription. But the catch is responsibility. Before installing any vibe-coded app, read its privacy and safety notes and stick with projects whose code and documentation are public. One vibe coding expert warns that building a quick fix for yourself is one thing, while sharing a home-made clone of a famous product can quickly raise legal trouble.

Businesses and professional creators will likely stay with Adobe and Microsoft for now, for their support and safety promises. For everyone else, these tools are worth a careful look rather than a full switch.