Subscription model is fine; It might actually make it easier to convert from Evernote. I always want the top tier of function but that looks prohibitive; A subscription doesn’t look so scary.
Looking at DT on the mac, which is a good app but certainly not great, I’d have to see the app first.
Not really impressed with the outdated look and feel, or usability of the mac software.
I have most of my docs in DT on the mac, and occasionally look at something on the iPad, but that’s very rare. The current DTTG app is basically useless, and it would have to be a lot better for me to subscribe to it.
I sure hope if it does move to a subscription model it comes with some promise of more frequent updates.
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Where is this understanding based on? Could you point out some sources for this?
As in the Devontechnologies discourse I haven’t seen yet any discussions pointing towards a subscription model.
The developers have stated not to have made info about any pricing available:
Let me see if I got this straight as I have tried DT in the past and basically had the most base interest in it, although I do 
love apps, particularly ones that help organize me. I’m a firm believer in that sort of lateral, any shape goes, if that makes sense.
I read a number of reviews of it from the iPad App Store. People use it for a wide array of things and take from it what they like about it. Is that’s what’s going on and they are moving to a largely unavoidable subscription model (one of two perchance I can stomach). Terrific way to generate creativity.
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This info is from TestFlight. The dev at DT almost never says anything about plans publicly so I guess you won’t get anything from their forum.
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That would be in line with their recent version which severely restricted the number of Macs that you could use DevonThink on. They just announced it when it came out, and basically shrugged at people who complained about the drastic restriction.
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I’m surprised devs can get away with this. I think this should have been illegal. I’m no legal expert but It’s exactly like taking away what customers have bought. It would be a similar situation if the subscription based DTTG replaces the previous app and forces old users to pay again for access.
It was a completely new version, after supporting and maintaining the previous version for 9 years with no upgrade fee. The new version came with an upgrade fee and new limits on the number of seats included in the base price. The upgrade was not mandatory. The customers had absolutely nothing they had already bought taken away from them.
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Thanks for the clarification. I thought it’s changing limits on the current version. If it’s a new version without mandatory update, I guess it’s really their decision to make.
Same goes with DTTG: if they release a new separate app, I think it’s okay. I’ll just not upgrade if I’m not happy. But if they update the existing app and demand subscription for old users to access the app, then it’s a completely different story.
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I believe @tjluoma was referring to DEVONthink 3.0 for macOS, which was introduced in 2019. There has been no change in pricing/number of seats since its introduction. Which would be a challenge if a developer ever did that with a product that users had already purchased.
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Apple App Store Review Guidelines §3.1.2(a)
If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers.
I believe what’s happening is that the old v2.x app is being discontinued and a new app v3.x is put on offer in the App Store.
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Unfortunately customers don’t really have a say. Developers own the IP & development and do what they want. DTTG V2.7.7 bugs been there for more than 8 months without any fix. Kept saying on forum those bugs will be addressed and looks like fixes are only done in v3.0. Keep bugs ridden v2.x or upgrade to subscription (assuming that’s the route they’re insisting on) v3.x.
I must disagree here. Customers do have a say. They can choose to pay or not to pay. Customers also don’t have a right to unlimited free updates and if the dev work necessary to maintain backwards compatibility between potentially infinite versions is too high, I don’t think it’s even reasonable to expect a developer to offer that (e.g. the “Agenda model”).
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Agree with you on that 
. Will see what DEVONtechnologies will do with DTTG licensing and decide from there. Pure principal of hating to be held hostage by developers and will gladly switch if forced to subscribe for a product that has a constant record of very slow upgrades. No worries about subscription but developers need to show constant releases like Greg did with Drafts.
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Agreed on the need for devs to show they will use the subscription model well. For my part, if they end up going this direction, I will give DEVONtechnologies a chance for sure to show me they can update regularly with a new model. Seems fair!
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The most telling comment is from one of the main developers who said:
There are no current plans to move to subscriptions for DEVONthink on the Mac.
Those last three words loom fairly large.
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I have DTTG and use it more for capture. I would like it to have more features on par with the Mac App.
I prefer not paying for subscriptions. I wish they would release bug fixes along the way to better fix the current version and hope that I’m not forced to switch over to a possible subscription model.
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There was a fair bit of consternation at launch time for the new version I think at least partially because of the macOS release cadence, and the presumption that you pretty much have to upgrade DT or risk not being able to upgrade your OS. For an app that’s as expensive as DT, I could see how that could be rather frustrating.
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