Dropbox Announces Sync API for Third-Party Developers

Dropbox has announced a new advanced syncing API for developers that uses Dropbox technology to sync app data across devices.

The Datastore API is an extension of the existing Dropbox Sync API that allows developers to save files on Dropbox. With Datastore, developers can sync databases -- game saves or custom levels, for example -- across multiple devices and platforms, saving developers from needing to develop their own sync platforms.

Today, we're excited for you try out the beta release of the Datastore API — simple databases for your apps with Dropbox sync built-in! Use datastores to save your app's data — settings, contacts, or any other content that users create — and Dropbox will take care of all the syncing for you. People who use your Datastore-enabled app can be sure their information will always be up-to-date and available, no matter what device or platform they use.

Dropbox CEO Drew Houston said during a Q&A with reporters that there is no plan to change its business model, and it doesn't want to charge developers to use its sync platform.

“We’ve never taken money from developers and we don’t have any plans to,” Houston said. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Dropbox will never, ever do it (“It’s conceivable that there would be services in the future where there would be some cost associated with the developer”), but he added, “Because we have a strong core business model, I don’t think that monetizing developers will be an important thing for us for the foreseeable future.”