Look ma, no Java!
Bundled Java runtime: The demo and full versions of DocFetcher Pro come bundled with their own internal Java runtime, so running them does not require installing Java on your system.
Java security misconception: Contrary to popular belief, using an internal or installed Java runtime is no more dangerous than using the .NET framework or any other runtime. The internal Java runtime of DocFetcher Pro won’t update itself, and this is perfectly safe too. The only serious security threat you need to worry about when it comes to Java is the Java plugin running in your browser, and that has nothing to do with the internal Java runtime of DocFetcher Pro.
Free Demo
There’s a free demo of DocFetcher Pro to help you make up your mind about whether to purchase the full version.
Result limitation: The demo contains all features of the full version and can even be used without time limit. The only functional limitation is that it will never display more than 5 results per search. Thus, the demo gives you an accurate idea of what the full version has to offer, minus the quality of search results. For the latter, check out DocFetcher. The quality of search results in DocFetcher and DocFetcher Pro is mostly the same.
Donations: While you can get the demo for free, you can also “buy” it for an arbitrary price greater than zero. This is equivalent to making a donation.
Download: Click one of the following links to get the free demo:
Purchasing the Full Version
Warning 1: Check out the demo first. It is recommended that you check out the demo before buying the full version, as this will ensure that the program will actually run on your system. This applies in particular to old Windows or macOS systems and exotic Linux distros. Also be sure to check out the demo first if you intend to use the program with unusual file systems like network drives or cloud drives.
Warning 2: Create a Gumroad account before purchasing. Gumroad, the distribution platform where DocFetcher Pro can be purchased, is a little weird in that you can purchase stuff there without creating a permanent Gumroad account. Make sure you do create an account before purchasing DocFetcher Pro, as you will need this account to access future bugfixes.
Warning 3: Removed functionality. If you’ve been using the free DocFetcher before, please note that some functionality from DocFetcher is not present in DocFetcher Pro. In particular, the latter does not support multiple users, a limitation that will be addressed by the upcoming DocFetcher Pro Server. For details, see this page.
Disclaimer: Like other search software, DocFetcher Pro supports the various file formats listed on the Features page on a best-effort basis. This means (1) it will likely not achieve a 100% success rate when it comes to the total number of files indexed, and (2) it will likely not be able to extract 100% of the text in any given file, especially when dealing with old file formats like “doc” or “xls”. If you see a particularly high failure rate during indexing, by all means report the issue, with some test files attached. However, there’s no guarantee that the issue can be resolved.
| Package | Runs on | Price | Purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| DocFetcher Pro 1.x for Windows | Windows 7 SP1 or later, 64-bit only | $40 | Link |
| DocFetcher Pro 1.x for Linux | Linux with GTK 3, 64-bit only | $40 | Link |
| DocFetcher Pro 1.x for macOS | macOS 10.10 or later | $40 | Link |
| DocFetcher Pro 1.x Windows + Linux bundle (Save 25% = $20) | Windows 7 SP1 or later, Linux with GTK 3, 64-bit only | $60 | Link |
| DocFetcher Pro 1.x Windows + macOS bundle (Save 25% = $20) | Windows 7 SP1 or later, macOS 10.10 or later, 64-bit only | $60 | Link |
| DocFetcher Pro 1.x Linux + macOS bundle (Save 25% = $20) | Linux with GTK 3, macOS 10.10 or later, 64-bit only | $60 | Link |
| DocFetcher Pro 1.x Windows + Linux + macOS bundle (Save 25% = $30) | Windows 7 SP1 or later, Linux with GTK 3, macOS 10.10 or later, 64-bit only | $90 | Link |
General remarks:
- For the time being, the software is English only.
- Each purchase option includes both portable and non-portable versions of the software.
- To verify downloaded release files, use these SHA-256 hashes.
Remarks on bugfixes and support:
- What you get: The purchase is a perpetual (i.e., “lifetime”) license for the current major version of the software and 1+ year of bugfixes and support. The addition of new features is not included.
- Version numbers: The current major version is “1.x”, and the specific program versions belonging to this major version are numbered “1.0”, “1.1”, “1.2”, and so on. The next major version will be “2.x”, with specific program versions being “2.0”, “2.1”, “2.2”, etc.
- Bugfixing and support period: “1+ year of bugfixes and support” means the bugfixing and support period will end one year after the release of the next major version, whenever that happens. For example, if you purchase DocFetcher Pro 1.x today and it just so happens that DocFetcher Pro 2.0 gets released today several hours later, then you will get bugfixes and support for DocFetcher Pro 1.x for exactly one year. If DocFetcher Pro 2.0 gets released two weeks after today, you will get bugfixes and support for 2 weeks + 1 year. In any case, you will get at least one year of bugfixes and support.
- Gumroad account: Bugfix releases will be made available through the Gumroad account with which you purchased DocFetcher Pro.
- Best-effort bugfixing: Bugfixes are provided on a best-effort basis. In other words, not all bugs can be fixed. For instance, there’s a known issue with text highlighting in the preview pane in combination with proximity search. This issue was inherited from DocFetcher and is just a limitation of the underlying search engine.
- Support: To get support, please go to the Support page.
Remarks on scope of use:
- Personal license: The purchased software is tied to a single person, the person who owns the Gumroad account with which the purchase was made. The software can be used by the purchaser on an unlimited number of machines.
- Redistribution not permitted: In contrast to DocFetcher, DocFetcher Pro cannot be bundled and freely redistributed to other users. They would each have to purchase their own copy of the software.