Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Jodoc and how it works.

General

Is Jodoc free?

Some components are completely free to use. Others have a small one-time cost to support development and unlock extra features. There are no subscriptions or recurring fees.

Where is my data stored?

That's entirely up to you. Most users run the server on their own hardware — a NAS, home server, or regular PC. If you prefer, you can also host it on a cloud VM. Either way, you control where your data lives.

How does sync work?

The server is the hub of your Jodoc network. It maintains the document index, handles OCR processing, and makes sure every device has the same documents. Your clients connect to it and sync automatically — run it on your local network only, for maximum privacy, or expose it over the internet to sync from anywhere. If the server is off, your clients keep working and sync the next time it starts.

What file formats are supported?

Full functionality for PDF and common image formats (JPG, PNG, TIFF), including OCR text extraction. You can upload most other document types too — they'll be stored and synced, just without OCR processing.

What are the system requirements?

It depends on how you want to run Jodoc. On a single computer, the desktop client is all you need — it works on its own, no server involved. To sync between several devices, you add the server and each device gets a client.

Clients: Windows 10 and later, Linux (AppImage for x64, tested on Ubuntu 26.04), and Android. An iOS app is coming soon. The desktop client is self-contained, with no external dependencies to install.

Server: the server is a full component in its own right — it maintains the document index, handles OCR processing, and keeps every device in sync. It runs on Windows, or as a Docker container on a NAS (Synology, TrueNAS, Unraid), a home server, a spare PC, or a cloud VM, and can be reached over your local network or the internet.

Can I use Jodoc with my NAS?

Yes, if your NAS supports Docker containers. Synology, TrueNAS, Unraid, and similar systems work great. Connect your clients over the local network or the internet.

Can multiple family members use it?

Yes. Each family member can have their own vault, or you can share vaults across your computers. Everyone accesses the same documents through the server, whether it runs on your local network or over the internet.

Is there a mobile app?

Yes, the Android app is available on Google Play. An iOS app is coming soon.

Technical questions about the desktop client

Where does the desktop client save my documents?

Your documents go into your Documents folder, in a subfolder per vault: Documents\Jodoc\<VaultName> on Windows and ~/Documents/Jodoc/<VaultName> on Linux. On Linux, Jodoc follows your configured Documents folder, so the location follows suit if you have relocated it.

Inside the vault folder there are two subfolders: Inbox, where you drop files for automatic import, and Processed (your library), which holds your imported documents.

You can open and browse them directly in your file manager, even with Jodoc closed.

Why do files in the library (Processed) have odd names with a long code in front?

Each imported document gets a unique id as a prefix, e.g. a1b2c3…_invoice.pdf. This guarantees that two files with the same name never collide.

The original name remains after the underscore, and inside Jodoc you always see the clean name.

Are my files stored in the cloud?

No, not by Jodoc itself — everything is stored locally on your computer.

If you use a Jodoc sync server, documents are sent encrypted between your own devices via the server, but they are not uploaded to any third-party cloud service.

Can I use OneDrive, Dropbox or similar for backup?

Yes. Because your documents live in your Documents folder, they are backed up automatically if you already sync Documents to e.g. OneDrive. It is a good way to get an extra copy.

Jodoc's own database and settings, however, live in a location that cloud services deliberately leave alone — this protects the database from corruption.

Can I choose a different location for my documents?

Yes. Under Settings → Vaults you can point each vault to its own library folder.

Where are the desktop client's database and settings?

It depends on your operating system. On Windows they live in C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\Jodoc, and on Linux in ~/.local/share/Jodoc.

You normally never need to touch this folder — it lives there precisely so it is not cloud-synced, which protects the database from corruption.