DEVONthink’s developers released its next generation sync technology this week. The sync technology is baked into the latest DEVONthink 2.9 update, and will be included in the upcoming new version of DEVONthink to Go, the iOS app. After being a weakness for years, DEVONthink’s sync is now a strength.
If you’ve been one of the many Evernote users looking for another option, and if you use a Mac, DEVONthink is now a real contender. You’ll probably want to wait for the iOS app, to make sure that it is up to snuff, but the Mac app now makes sync between multiple Macs easy, fast, seamless, and secure. For the first time, you can work on DEVONthink on different Macs without really thinking about it.
As a disclaimer, I should say that I’ve only been using the new sync technology for a couple of days. It’s been rock solid so far, though. There are several sync options, including the use of Dropbox, Box, iCloud, direct connection, or through a WebDAV capable server.
I’ve set up all but one of my permanent databases to sync via my Synology NAS, using WebDAV. This works by use of a sync store1 that DEVONthink set up on the NAS, after I input some settings (URL, username, etc.) in the app. My Macs sync with that sync store.
I sync one database, my personal records, by direct connection between my MacBook Pro and iMac over my local network. I also have a few databases that I use for short periods that I don’t bother to sync.
This isn’t meant as a full review, but a few observations:
Speed
The speed of the sync process is jaw dropping. I don’t think I’m prone to fits of hyperbole, but I was stunned by how quick the whole process was. Once your database is in place on each machine, changes happen very quickly.
Automatic Sync
Sync is automatic, happening in the background if you want it to. You can also choose to sync manually, or for sync to occur at set intervals.
Simultaneous Sync
Multiple Macs can sync simultaneously. I’m already thinking of ways I can put this to use, by keeping DEVONthink running on a home Mac, and feeding documents into it via Dropbox and a Hazel rule. UPDATE: Simultaneous Sync is for non-Bonjour (Direct) Connections at this point (see comments, below).
Encryption
Unlike your Evernote data, your DEVONthink data is encrypted at rest, wherever you store it. [Clarification: your data is encrypted in the sync store, wherever you store it. Your local data on your Mac isn’t encrypted, although you could use FileVault.] UPDATE: With a non-Bonjour Sync (Dropbox, etc.), encryption is only applied when an encryption key is specified at the time you set up the Sync Location. It does not encrypt by default (see comments, below).
Indexed Folders
The new sync technology also supports the synchronization of indexed files and folders. I haven’t tried this yet, as none of my permanent databases use indexed files or folders. According to a DEVONtechnologies blog post, with the syncing of indexed files and folders, “you can use DEVONthink 2.9 to synchronize any number of folders in the file system with another computer.”
From a business perspective, this release couldn’t have come at a better time for DEVONtechnologies, assuming they can get the iOS app out soon. Many people seem unhappy with Evernote right now, and DEVONthink is now a strong choice for Mac users who want their data on all their Apple devices. Personally, I’m thrilled.
- Think of a sync store as a folder on a server somewhere, that holds a form of your DEVONthink data. As explained in the DEVONtechnology forums by Jim Neumann, a customer relations specialist for DEVONtechnologies, a “syncStore holds DEVONthink-specific, raw file data to reproduce a file or database on a machine running DEVONthink.” ↩
DEVONtech-Jim says:
Thanks for the generous comments, Evan. A few notes…
1. Simultaneous Sync is for non-Bonjour (Direct) Connections at this point. This may (or may not) change in the future.
2. With a non-Bonjour Sync (Dropbox, etc.), encryption is only applied when an encryption key is specified at the time you set up the Sync Location. It does not encrypt by default.
3. With ANY remote connection, there are inherent weaknesses due to the nature of networking. However, I’m glad you are seeing the appreciable speed gains over Sync 1. Sometimes it’s so fast, I had to wonder if it actually did anything! Haha
Thanks again for your continued support and honest reviews.
July 23, 2016 — 9:59 pm
Evan Kline says:
Thanks for the clarification, Jim. I’m really enjoying the new sync.
July 25, 2016 — 1:16 pm
James says:
I have downloaded this – looks quite good although I lost 50 hours just importing from Evernote. I think you are right, I would want to see the mobile version before paying for it.
Are you still enjoying it as an Evernote replacement?
August 2, 2016 — 9:45 am
Evan Kline says:
James,
I’ve been really pleased with DEVONthink, especially now that the new mobile version is out. I now carry my data with me on my iOS devices, and can sort and file there. Even the clipping has improved greatly. I realized I still have Evernote installed on my devices, but I think I’ll be deleting it.
August 17, 2016 — 9:00 pm
James says:
thanks for the update. I trialled DEVONthink/DEVONthink to go (as an alternative to Evernote) but the new sync still does not use iCloud on DEVONthink to go (it does on DEVONthion) and as I don’t use dropbox or have a Webdav server it is no use to me :-(
August 18, 2016 — 4:36 am
Michael Carroll says:
Are you missing Evernote at all?
November 28, 2016 — 5:56 pm
Evan Kline says:
I can’t say I am. Evernote might have stronger sync (still), but I like the feel/navigation of DTPO. It’s just quicker/easier for me to move around and find things. I guess Evernote does have more integration with 3rd party services, but I haven’t noticed anything I miss.
November 28, 2016 — 7:45 pm
ssangam says:
Thanks for sharing about DEVONthink’s sync.
August 9, 2016 — 5:26 am
Tim says:
Hi, I am testing out DEVONthink and really like it. However, I am wondering for the iOS version, does it store everything on the iOS device or can it just read the info from the syncing serivce database (Dropbox or whatever)? I will have a fairly large database containing hi-res images and wouldn’t want all that space being used up on an iOS device if it doesn’t need to be.
November 19, 2016 — 7:53 pm
Evan Kline says:
You can choose, Tim. For each database and group within the database (and I think maybe each item) you can set it to download to the device, or only pull it down when you review that item. Great way to save space.
November 19, 2016 — 8:51 pm
Tim says:
Thanks for the quick reply!
November 19, 2016 — 9:50 pm
James says:
Hi – does it now sync to iOS via iCloud? …this was the one thing holding me off (I did not want to sync via Dropbox etc)
November 21, 2016 — 12:50 pm
Evan Kline says:
Only on the Mac. The developer has explained that it isn’t currently possible on iOS, since Apple’s iCloud implementation on iOS allows only Document Picker style access to single documents. The developer has said that as soon as it finds a way, iCloud support will be added.
November 21, 2016 — 9:00 pm
James says:
Thanks!
November 22, 2016 — 10:33 am
paulkunitzer says:
at the moment I am doing a trial of devonthink (mac&iOS) because of the 25% blackfriday sale,
since you are also using notebooks, whats your reason to use both in parallel?
November 25, 2016 — 12:53 pm
Evan Kline says:
Paul, I’m no longer using Notebooks. I used it prior to the new version of DEVONthink To Go, since the old version had some major shortcomings (sync being one, and note taking another). With the new version, I’ve moved everything in DEVONthink.
November 25, 2016 — 2:28 pm
paulkunitzer says:
Thank you Evan. I will do a deep dive into devonthink this weekend… at the moment I see some main advantages of devonthink over notebooks:
– the encrypted sync
– the possibility to define different rules for syncing (full/metadata) at database level
– the possibility to use different sync services in parallel for work / for home
….
November 26, 2016 — 2:54 am
Michael says:
Evan,
If I store my DB on dropbox instead of a local HD, do I still need to use the sync function in order to access the DB on both an iMac and MacBook?
November 26, 2016 — 3:02 pm
Evan Kline says:
Michael,
The developer strongly recommends not storing the database itself in Dropbox. They say you are inviting corruption issues if you do so. It’s OK to use Dropbox for sync (i.e., put your Sync Store there), but not to store the database.
November 26, 2016 — 4:45 pm
Michael Carroll says:
I have reconsidered and now store the database in my documents folder and use dropbox for my Sync Store only. Thanks.
November 28, 2016 — 5:49 pm