DEVONthink vs Tinderbox

DEVONthink

• Researchers, lawyers and writers with large document archives on a Mac
• People who want their documents stored locally rather than on a vendor's servers
• Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription

Tinderbox

• Writers, researchers and analysts working through large sets of notes
• People who want several visual views of the same material
• Mac users who prefer files kept on their own computer

DEVONthink

• The desktop app is Mac only and requires macOS Ventura or later; the vendor develops solely for macOS and iOS.
• A license includes 1 year of updates. The app keeps working afterwards, but more updates cost $49 to $149 a year depending on the edition.
• The web interface is part of the $499 Server edition only, and generative AI, OCR and email archiving start at Pro.
• Standard does not include DEVONthink To Go, which needs a $2.99 monthly or $19 yearly subscription for full use.

Tinderbox

• Mac only: it requires macOS 12 or later, and iPhone and iPad use relies on sharing notes with other apps.
• The license includes one year of free updates; upgrading later from any previous version is listed at $98 and adds another year.
• The free demo does everything the full version does but can only make about thirty notes.

DEVONthink

Document databases

Stores texts, PDFs, web pages, images, emails and spreadsheets in databases on your Mac, organized with groups, tags and smart groups.

Notes, annotations and links

Write notes as Markdown, plain text or rich text and attach annotations to documents. Cross-references and item links connect items into a personal wiki.

Built-in and generative AI

Built-in AI suggests related documents and filing locations. Pro and Server connect online or local chat models for summaries, tagging and chat.

Automation

Smart rules run actions on documents when their conditions are met, and AppleScript or JavaScript for Automation scripts can extend them.

Encrypted sync

Databases sync between Macs, iPhones and iPads over the local network or a cloud service of your choice, with the synced data encrypted.

Scanning, OCR and email archiving

Pro and Server make scanned documents searchable, archive email independently of the mail app and imprint PDFs with stamps or Bates numbers.

Tinderbox

Maps, outlines, timelines and charts

The same notes can be shown as a spatial map, an outline, a timeline or a chart, so structure emerges as notes are arranged, colored and linked.

Agents

Agents scan the document continuously and collect notes that meet your criteria, such as overdue tasks or a topic, and can feed project dashboards.

Prototypes and the attribute browser

A note inherits from its prototype unless you say otherwise, so one change updates every note based on it. The attribute browser breaks notes down by a chosen category.

AI connections

Built-in recognition finds addresses, names and organizations in notes, and a bridge to AI models can supply them with resources and prompts kept in a Hints folder.

Open files and flexible export

Documents are XML files stored on your Mac rather than on a server, and export produces HTML, XML, RSS, OPML and other formats.

Works with other note apps

Notes can be shared with Apple Notes, Simplenote, Evernote and DEVONthink for use on iPhone and iPad, and files sync through Dropbox or iCloud Drive.

DEVONthink

• Standard$99

  one-time license with 2 Mac seats and 1 year of updates

  Importing, indexing, sync, encrypted databases, versioning, tagging, annotations, smart groups and rules, and scripting. Extra seats cost $49.

• Pro$199

  one-time license with 2 Mac seats and 1 year of updates

  Adds generative AI integration, OCR, email archiving, custom metadata and DEVONthink To Go with 5 mobile seats. Extra seats cost $99.

• Server$499

  one-time license with 2 Mac seats and 1 year of updates

  Adds a web interface and granular access management for teams, plus 25 mobile seats for DEVONthink To Go. Extra seats cost $99.

• DEVONthink To Go$2.99

  per month, or $19 per year, as an App Store subscription

  The iPhone and iPad app. It works with restrictions without a license and is included with Pro and Server licenses that still receive updates.

Tinderbox

• Tinderbox$289

  one-time license, with a year of free updates

  Tinderbox 11.8 for Mac. The order page also showed a $217 SummerFest sale price, but the checkout listed no discount when checked.

• Household$325

  one-time license for up to five people

  Family pack for up to five people living in the same household, for use on any of their computers.

• Ten Pack$645

  one-time ten-user license

  Aimed at schools, libraries and work teams. 50- and 100-workstation licenses are listed at $1,595 and $2,695.

DEVONthink

• Education

  20% off for students and educators

  Full-time students and teachers get 20% off new licenses, extra seats and update extensions once their status is approved in their customer account.

• Nonprofit

  20% off for volunteer-run charities

  Charities working in children's aid, human aid, ecology, wildlife protection or renewable energy get 20% off. Educational institutes and religious organizations are excluded.

• Other savings

  Lower price for extending updates early

  Extending before the update year ends costs $44, $89 or $134 for one more year instead of $49, $99 or $149, with two- and three-year options.

Tinderbox

• Other savings

  Household and multi-user licenses

  A Household license covers up to five people living together for $325, and a ten-user license costs $645, against $289 for a single license.

• Other savings

  Update subscription with a cheaper first year

  An update subscription renews the yearly updates automatically. Its first year is listed at $83, with later years at the regular upgrade price, currently $98.