Returning to 1Password for Mac after many years

skitch

I've been a 1Password user for many, many years (you can see that this forum account was created in 2009, last active in 2011!). I've used it on iOS without interruption and with great satisfaction during that time. I purchased a lifetime license when it was offered which, at the time, enabled it to work on all my devices, including 1Password for Mac. However, my company moved away from Mac to Windows some years ago and mandated a different password vault solution, so I haven't used 1Password for Mac for some time. My iOS devices are currently using v7.6.2 with a Dropbox vault as recommended by AgileBits when I began using it long ago. This solution has worked great for me and I have no need or desire to switch to the 1Password account service. After leaving my company, I have returned to Mac for my personal computing needs and am running macOS Catalina on a new MacBook Pro.

When trying to install a Safari extension I discovered that it is now only available as part of the 1Password Mac app (other browsers seem to have independent extensions available), that AgileBits is now recommending NOT to use a cloud-based Primary vault, and in fact that the 1Password Mac app seems to support only new account-based vaults and not Primary vaults. As mentioned, I have a 1Password lifetime license and no interest in the 1Password account. What are my options to continue using 1Password on my Mac?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: Not Provided

vplewis

@skitch Well, skitch, the bad news is that you have a "lifetime license" for the version of the app you bought in 2009. I bought mine earlier than that and it was version 2.x. So maybe you got version 3.x. You can use that version for as long as you like, but any subsequent version (versions 4, 5, 6, 7 etc.) require a new license purchase, or you can subscribe and get all the versions you need at no extra cost. There are a ton of extra features included with the subscription model, and as you may have noticed, AgileBits indicates that subscriptions are the way forward. hth

skitch

@vplewis Thanks for your response! I'm not sure I understand the point of such a "lifetime license" as you describe. I don't remember at which version they began offering the license, but my first version was actually 1.x (or whatever it was when it first became available on the iOS App Store... I was an immediate adopter). When I bought the license, it remained good through multiple major release versions, allowing me to upgrade as each major version rolled out. In fact, all versions until 6.x(?) or so indicated that all pro features were unlocked as a result of the license, so it was good through at least a majority of the version runs you mention (I may have specific details/timing wrong, but the gist is correct). If this is AgileBits' actual position, I'd like to hear it from them along with an explanation of what "lifetime" means in the context of the multiple major release versions under which it was in place.

ETA: If the "lifetime" of the license is only the major version number under which it was purchased, it would be essentially worthless, since the "pro features" that it unlocks would always be available at that version number anyway... and I paid extra to unlock those "lifetime" pro features.

vplewis

@skitch Ah, I see. I thought you were taking about the MacOS specific version of 1Password. I believe AgileBits offers the iOS version free--including the former pro features-- as a companion to the major (Mac/Windows) versions. In any event, an AgileBits support staffer will be along eventually to fully answer your questions.

ag_ana

@skitch:

That's correct, we decided to make the iOS companion app free, as vplewis said. The pro features were an old add-on to the iOS app, but we tried to simplify things recently and I don't believe those exist anymore. As I said, the iOS companion app (as of version 7) is now free.

skitch

@ag_ana Thanks for your response. As I mentioned, I've not used the full Mac version for some years and my recollection of its evolution back then is certainly hazy. I do recall that I originally obtained it when it was part of the MacHeist offer (and in fact, my vault still contains the MacHeist redemption link with the activating serial number, though it no longer links to anything useful!). I'm sure the initial decision to move to the online model created a great disturbance in the force when it was adopted, and I'm certainly not interested in trying to re-litigate it now! That said, I'd still be interested in an answer to my original question, i.e. what are my options if I wish to run 1Password on macOS Catalina with a Primary vault? Thanks for your help!

ETA: Googling around for an answer, I see there's a standalone license option for 1Password 7 available? What are the tradeoffs there? Is it still possible/advisable to use 1Password 6?

ag_ana

@skitch:

what are my options if I wish to run 1Password on macOS Catalina with a Primary vault?

You can purchase a Membership and avoid using the 1Password vaults: even if you use 1Password with a subscription, you can still create a Primary vault manually.

ETA: Googling around for an answer, I see there's a standalone license option for 1Password 7 available? What are the tradeoffs there?

We don't recommend standalone licenses anymore. Indeed, we have not marketed them for a while now, as Memberships are the way forward. With a license you would also miss out on all the features that you can only get with a 1Password account.

Is it still possible/advisable to use 1Password 6?

It's not advisable anymore: 1Password 6 has been retired two years ago now and has not received any more updates.