Welcome to DEVONthink 4

As with every new product generations, some things stay, others change. With DEVONthink 4 we have not only updated the app itself, but also modernized the license model. To guide you through the upgrade, here are the key points:

The three editions and the seats model stay the same.
When you upgrade from DEVONthink 3, you keep your license code.
You can find your individual upgrade price in the license details in your customer account.
When you upgrade while DEVONthink 4 is still in public beta, your one year of updates will start at the release of the final version. You don’t loose part of your year as early adopter.
If you have just purchased DEVONthink 3 — within one year before the release of DEVONthink 4 — you don’t have to pay for the upgrade.
The upgrade or extension price is independent from the number of seats. It does not increase with each seat.

One Year of Updates

Starting with DEVONthink 4 we switch from a slow product cycle with large, feature-laden upgrades to a more flexible model. With the purchase of a software license you receive the app itself including one year of updates. When the year is up, you can extend your license to continue receiving updates — but you don’t have to.

Should you choose to not extend the license, you can continue to use DEVONthink; the app just no longer downloads and installs newer updates. The license will neither become deactivated nor restricted in any way. You own the app, we will never take it away from you.

Extend the updates for your license at your convenience. Before the period for included updates is over, we will remind you in good time, and if you extend directly, you will receive a discount. You can also choose to pause a while and extend the updates again later; the price for the extension will always remain the same. You’ll receive another year of updates including all past updates up to that date.

FAQ

Can I downgrade to a lower edition before upgrading?

Does the public beta count toward my year of updates?

Does the student and NPO discount also apply to extensions?

Do I have to extend my license every year?

Do I have to pay more if I extend my license later?

Do I need to extend also additional seats?

Is it possible to upgrade from DEVONthink 1?

Is it possible to upgrade from DEVONthink 2?

Isn't the license model a subscription?

What are the benefit of extending my license regularly?

When I upgrade to DEVONthink 4, do I trade-in my license?

When I upgrade to DEVONthink 4, do keep my seats?

Where do I find my licenses?

Will my license get deactivated, when I don't pay regularly?

Just Purchased DEVONthink 3?

If you purchased a license for DEVONthink 3 within one year before the release of DEVONthink 4 the upgrade to DEVONthink 4 is free of cost for you including updates until one year after the purchase. E.g., if you purchased a license for DEVONthink 3 on September 1st, 2024, you receive the upgrade to DEVONthink 4 including updates until August 31st, 2025.

Log into your customer account to check until when your licenses get updates. Click the license you want to check. You’ll find the date in the field Receives updates up to in the first part of the license details.

Upgrade Your License

Log into your customer account and select your DEVONthink license.
Check for which versions your license is valid.
If your license is not valid for version 4 (3.0 – 4.x.y), purchase an extension for your license in the section Updates & Upgrades below the license details.

The extension gets you the upgrade to version 4 including one year of updates from the release of the final version. You don’t receive a new license code.

If you want to use an educational discount for the upgrade, check your discount status in your customer account, section Status and Services, and renew it before you purchase the extension, if necessary.

As soon as your license includes the versions of DEVONthink 4 you can download it and unlock it with your license code.

Switch to DEVONthink 4

Switching from DEVONthink 3 to DEVONthink 4 is done in just a few steps.

In your customer account choose your license valid for DEVONthink 4.
Download the latest version available for DEVONthink 4 from the right-hand sidebar.
Open DEVONthink 4 and enter your license code.

Now you can open your databases in DEVONthink 4. The database format is compatible. You can switch back to version 3 at any time. You might only lose changes to elements based on functionality of the new generation.

Some notes:

Your global inbox (Inbox.dtBase2) and the folder containing sync data (Cloudy) will be moved to ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink and at their original location replaced by aliases. Should you have both app generations installed, don’t delete DEVONthink 4’s Application Support subfolder as it contains the actual data files.
Your configuration — reading list, custom metadata, smart groups, smart rules, etc. — are retained if possible.
The Spotlight caches of older app generations will be removed.
With DEVONthink 4 we have switched to a new scripting architecture. The majority of well-written AppleScript script should continue to work. In JXA scripts you need to change the application name to DEVONthink and the property type to record type.

One Mac, One Seat

Many of you use DEVONthink on more than one computer, e.g., on a desktop Mac and a MacBook, some maybe even in a team. Our seats concept honors this common scenario.

Every DEVONthink license comes with two seats included, each one valid for one computer.
If you need more seats you can add them to an existing license. For example when you’re working in a team of six people you’ll need one license and four additional seats.
Seats always extend an existing, personalized license but can, of course, also be used by other persons.

When you enter a DEVONthink license code, the app registers itself with our backend. You can check which computers are using your license in your customer account. Here you can also remove computers from a license to free up their seats.

Upgrade from DEVONthink 2

We are pleased that DEVONthink 2 has served you well for so many years. You can also use your existing DEVONthink 2 license to upgrade at a discounted rate to DEVONthink 4.

Log into your customer account. If you have not yet set a password, set one here.
Select the license you’d like to use for purchasing the upgrade.
You’ll find your individual upgrade options including prices in section Updates & Upgrades.

Some notes:

When you upgrade from DEVONthink 2, you trade in your old license for a new one. It will become deactivated eventually.
Licenses purchased from third parties can no longer be used for the upgrade if they are not already in our system.
With DEVONthink 3, we overhauled the product line and have since offered DEVONthink in three newly designed editions: DEVONthink, DEVONthink Pro, and DEVONthink Server. You can find an overview of their feature sets on our Editions page.