I’ve really enjoyed discovering DEVONthink over the past few months. It’s clear that an immense amount of care and effort has gone into both the product and the support ecosystem. The responsiveness of the team, the documentation, the scripting resources — it’s all very impressive and deeply appreciated.
I want to be clear: I don’t object to DEVONtechnologies raising prices. Software needs to evolve, and I understand that sustainable development requires sustainable income. Pricing models do change, and that’s completely reasonable.
That said, I’d like to gently raise a concern shared by many long-term and new users alike: the effective increase in long-term cost under the new model.
In the past, one could purchase DEVONthink for around $199 and use it reliably for 5–6 years without feeling forced to upgrade. That gave a predictable and fair value — about $30–40/year over the long term. The new model, however, invites us to pay $99/year to keep up with updates, which brings the total 5-year cost closer to $600.
While users can technically choose not to renew, the new pricing model functions similarly to a “subscription-for-updates” system, as used by software like Tinderbox or Due. And that’s not inherently a bad thing — in fact, this kind of model can be fair and sustainable. The issue is more about clarity than about pricing itself. Newer software products often present their subscription or pricing structure with more transparency — making it easier for users to understand what they’re paying for and what they can expect in return.
In that sense, a clear update policy, a roadmap, or even feature forecasts wouldn’t just help users make better-informed decisions — it would increase user-perceived value, reduce friction, and actually strengthen DEVONthink’s position as a premium long-standing product, not just one protected by an ecosystem moat. Relying primarily on a legacy user base and extracting revenue through uncertainty may work in the short term, but in the long run, trust is built on clarity and expectations, not on lock-in.
I’m not questioning the team’s effort — quite the opposite. I’m simply suggesting that if DEVONtechnologies openly and confidently frames this as a long-term value proposition (e.g., “we are raising the long-term price to $600 because we are investing in X, Y, and Z”), I believe users would be far more receptive. Transparency about goals and expected value makes it easier to align expectations and maintain trust.
Thanks again to the team for the thoughtful work and for remaining so engaged with the community. Looking forward to seeing DEVONthink continue to grow.
), but also recognised that the previous payment structure wasn’t sustainable. Renewing licences is fair to both the customer and the company, and I use a couple of other apps running the same model.
