ArtCraft Excel: a practical guide to GridCraft

Looking for “ArtCraft Excel”? The spreadsheet app is called GridCraft: ArtCraft's free, open-source, Rust-based take on an Excel-style workflow. This guide explains where to get it, what to check before moving a workbook, and how to turn a small table into a separate chart.

Independent guide, checked October 12, 2026. Charttoolbox is not affiliated with ArtCraft or Microsoft. We reviewed the official documentation and release listings; this is not a hands-on benchmark or a guarantee that your Excel files will work unchanged.

Visit the official GridCraft download page →

What is GridCraft, and how does it relate to ArtCraft?

GridCraft is the spreadsheet member of ArtCraft's Crafting Apps. The official product page describes a familiar ribbon and formula bar, XLSX reading and writing, more than 500 calculation functions, dynamic arrays, PivotTables, and charts. Those are the project's stated capabilities, not results from an independent compatibility test.

The project repository also documents CSV/TSV support, desktop and WebAssembly builds, and automation through a CLI and MCP. Its current roadmap labels the project alpha and identifies file fidelity and larger-workbook behavior as ongoing work. A feature appearing in the interface does not establish that every edge case matches Excel.

For a first evaluation, choose a task you can check without trusting the application: a four-row budget, a short sales table, or a worksheet with a known total. Leave your only copy of an important workbook out of the experiment.

Where to download ArtCraft's Excel alternative

Start on the official product page or the GridCraft GitHub releases page. At the time of this check, the latest listed release is 0.5.0. Use the release page for current files and notes rather than an unofficial download mirror.

1. Choose a route. The official product page offers ArtCraft Launcher or a standalone GridCraft download. Follow that page's current instructions for the route you choose.
2. Check the file. Confirm the repository is storytold/gridcraft, the operating system is correct, and the package matches your processor. The release includes a SHA256SUMS.txt file for checksum comparisons.
3. Install or unpack. Run the matching installer, or extract the portable package before opening the app. If the operating system raises a security warning, verify the source and consult the maintainers rather than disabling protections.
4. Begin with sample data. Try the table below before opening a copy of a real workbook. Keep notes on the version you tested so later results are comparable.

For developers: build from source

The official product page specifies Rust 1.90 or newer and documents these commands. You will also need Git and the platform's build prerequisites; consult the repository if compilation fails.

git clone https://github.com/storytold/gridcraft.git
cd gridcraft
cargo run --release -p gridcraft

These commands build the upstream project. Charttoolbox does not host an installer or provide a modified GridCraft distribution.

GridCraft vs Excel: compare the work, not just the feature names

An Excel alternative is useful only if it handles the parts of your workbook you rely on. Evaluate a representative file, not just an empty spreadsheet. The questions below make that comparison concrete without treating similar-looking interfaces as proof of identical behavior.

Microsoft's file-format guidance explains what is lost when saving a workbook as text. Preserve the workbook separately even when CSV is enough for your chart.

For a migration test, list your actual dependencies: macros, external data connections, named ranges, formulas, pivot layouts, or print settings. Mark each as checked, failed, or not tested. Do not turn “not tested” into “supported.” If a required workflow fails, keep that task in Excel while you investigate.

Try a small sample before moving an Excel workbook

Use this fictional regional revenue table for an evaluation with an answer you can verify by hand. Both numeric columns use the same arbitrary currency unit.

Region,Planned revenue,Actual revenue
North,120,132
South,100,94
East,90,106
West,110,101

Download the fictional sample CSV. Open it in the spreadsheet app you are evaluating and confirm that it forms three columns and five rows, including the header. If all values appear in one column, check the comma delimiter in the import settings.

1. Check the inputs. North should show 120 planned and 132 actual; West should show 110 and 101. A successful file open is not enough if values have moved columns.
2. Check a calculation. In B6, enter =SUM(B2:B5); in C6, enter =SUM(C2:C5). The expected totals are 420 and 433. These are the arithmetic targets, not a claim that we ran this workbook in GridCraft.
3. Check a change. Temporarily change North's actual value from 132 to 142. The actual total should become 443. Undo the change and confirm it returns to 433.
4. Check a round trip. Save a separate XLSX copy, close it, reopen it, and compare the values and formulas. If Excel is part of your workflow, open that copy there too.

This small test cannot establish compatibility with complex workbooks. It gives you a repeatable starting point and makes it easier to describe an import or calculation problem to the project's maintainers.

Turn the table into a separate chart

GridCraft and Excel are spreadsheet applications. Charttoolbox has a narrower job: making a chart from a table for an image export. You do not need GridCraft to use Charttoolbox, and this is not a direct integration or a live workbook connection.

1. Open the bar chart generator and import the sample CSV, or paste the headers and four data rows. Leave out the total row from the calculation exercise.
2. Set Region as the category field and Planned revenue and Actual revenue as the two value series.
3. Use grouped bars to compare plan and actual for each region. Give the chart a descriptive title and check each pair against the source table.
4. Export PNG or SVG for your report. Keep the workbook separately, and regenerate the image when the source data changes.

For a walkthrough in Microsoft's app, see how to make a bar graph in Excel. If your rows represent months instead of regions, a line chart may better communicate change over time. The question you want to answer should determine the chart—not the spreadsheet app you use.

Common questions

Is “ArtCraft Excel” the official product name?

No. The official spreadsheet app is GridCraft. “ArtCraft Excel” is a way people may search for ArtCraft's Excel-style application; it is not a Microsoft edition or an Excel add-in.

Is GridCraft free?

The official GridCraft page lists the app as free and open source. That statement refers to GridCraft, not to every separate service offered under the ArtCraft brand.

Can it replace Excel for all my work?

Do not assume that. Check the current roadmap and test copies of the files you actually use. A basic table passing the exercise above does not validate macros, external connections, or complex financial models.

Can I use Charttoolbox without installing GridCraft?

Yes. Open a Charttoolbox tool directly and import a supported table or paste data. Charttoolbox is for chart creation and export, not general spreadsheet editing.