1Password8 — Time to day goodbye 😢
This post has become a bit longer. I describe here why I will not use 1Password version 8 in the future.
I've been working with 1Password since version 3. One or two Macs, one iPhone, one iPad. No Windows, no Unix. I love 1Password! I really appreciate Agilebits, I like the honest way info is communicated on the website, blog and forum. This has built the trust you need for such a sensitive software, to which you entrust your biggest secrets after all.
Over the course of these years, this impression has strengthened. I can feel the heart and soul that you put into the further development of 1Password. The current release notes for each update read impressively and were almost prose. You can tell the creators of Agilebits are real flesh and blood people who love their job and their product. So when updates were available, I didn't hesitate for a second to buy and have encouraged many friends to try and use 1Password.
Cloud syncing
Something I have internalized and always kept in mind throughout my computing career:
The cloud is just a computer that belongs to someone else.
And of course I don't store my data on someone else's computer, certainly not if it's sensitive data. I store my data on my computer and only on my computer. And consistently: I don't use iCloud, Dropbox or similar services. (This is already forbidden by the DSGVO - General Data Protection Regulation GDPR). Now you will say: Our servers are safe, the data is safe. Yes, of course! That's what the admins of Facebook, LinkedIn, T-Mobile US and (insert further company names here) said before millions of user data were stolen. Even servers of governments and high-security companies are hacked. Because it can be done.
That's why my data stays on my LAN, that's why I think syncing over WLAN is awesome, and that's why I don't use Agilebits servers. And I will not use them in the future.
License model
1Password 7 had the feature to buy a single license and not have to subscribe very well hidden: it appeared only once when the app was first launched (if I remember correctly). Moreover, the possibility to buy a single license was not only not offered on the website, but on the contrary, it was really hidden. You almost needed insider information on how to get such a license. Therefore, the statement that 95% of all users would have opted for a subscription - i.e. voted with their wallets, so to speak - is absolutely misleading. The opposite is the case: The decision making was not fair. I have often read and answered the questions in many forums outside Agilebits, how to buy a permanent license, or if there is no single license to buy anymore. The need was there, but you did not want to serve it.
A subscription is a cash cow for the company, it automatically flushes money into the coffers, regardless of whether a lot or little work is done. If Agilebits also had the well-being of its customers in mind and was not just out for its own benefit, you would offer lifetime licenses - not for all future versions, but for version 8, for example - so a classic business model with single licenses.
When I look at other companies that also offer their licenses on a subscription basis, for example:
- Plex media management: monthly or annual subscription fees or (very high) one-time payment for a lifetime license.
- Mailbutler mail plugin: monthly or yearly subscription - but very rarely also offers for lifetime license
- Enpass Password Manager: half yearly or yearly plan, but also one-time payment possible (and, watch out: Offers sync via WLAN or WEBdav e.g. on your own NAS)
- DEVONthink** To Go 3 Mobile Document Management on iOS: monthly and yearly plan. On time payment available
All these examples are calculated in such a way that the one-time payment is roughly equivalent to a three-year subscription period. A steep price - but I'm looking at my costs in the long run.
You say that subscriptions are the best for users. This may be true for many users, but it is certainly not true for all. You can see that from the many forum posts here. And other companies show how it works - if you want.
I as a user find subscription models for software terrible, I will not support this license model. For me, there have already been breaks in completely different dimensions for this reason. Ask Adobe - I'm out of here.
I would never use Setapp's offer either - but I have been using many tools from their collection for years with single licenses.
A big disadvantage of subscription licenses based on membership where you have to be logged in to the vendor for the software or service to work: If these businesses leave the market, be it because of financial turmoil, catastrophes with destruction of the required hardware, illness, or because the developers simply don't want to anymore: The servers are shut down, the software is worthless. This cannot happen with registered individual licenses.
Conclusion
For me, two factors come together with version 8, each of which is a no-go in itself:
- Subscription and
- server constraint
As sorry as I am: It seems the time has come to say goodbye 😢 and look for an alternative. There is no hurry, version 7 runs stable on my systems so far. But someday I will get a new Mac, a new OS, on which v7 won't run anymore. Version 8 won't be it. Enpass seems to me to be a suitable candidate.
Who knows - maybe you will rethink your business model until then. Although I honestly do not believe in it.
I'm not complaining, you will have thought about it and discussed these decisions in detail internally and maybe also with your friends. But I wanted to give you some wistful and slightly frustrated feedback as to why I am making this decision and why Agilebits has lost a loyal customer.
Live long and prosper 🖖
1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Comments
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@Holgerr You make a very strong case why 1PW8 does not suit your situation. I would just like to make a couple of points that might be relevant to someone like you.
You say subscription software is useless if the business is shut down. But 1PW can be used if one has subscribed but let the subscription lapse. It has limited functionality (can't add passwords), but existing passwords can be viewed and copied, and the database can be exported for import into another manager. I don't know if AgileBits has ever stated what would happen if one's account has expired and there is no connection to any licence server, but I expect it would still work.
And AgileBits are beginning to consider the possibility of self-hosting a server (which presumably, would mean, not needing to use 1password.com servers except for account facilities). This is one of the advantages of 1PW8. They had looked at WEBdav a long time ago, and concluded that they could not make it work well enough. Now they can think of the options that people like you need, though of course this may come to nothing as at the moment they have not decided to do anything.
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Looks like I am on the same boat.
My critical item is not having a stand alone version.
I avoid software subscriptions as much as I can since eventually you will pay more than with stand alone versions and I really hate being in a position were I have access to my data as long as I keep paying. This last one is the critical one, at this point I have V07 as a backup but from V08 onwards I only have access as long as I am a customer and I hate the feeling of having my data hostage for something I consider critical, even if the sub is "cheaper".
- I used Autodesk's Autocad, 3D Studio (Viz, Max), Maya from 1992-2015 and dropped them when they went subscription only
- I started with Photoshop, Illustrator and Pagemaker (eventually InDesign) in the late 80's early 90's and 20 years later I spent almost three years stretching my stand alone versions until Pixelmator and Affinity released good enough versions to remove them.
- Bought SketchUp when it came out (±2002) and bought every single update (even though it was not critical to my workflows) until they went subscription only.
All of these "are" critical and considered "best of class" for architects and I spent months doing research and retraining to avoid paying for access to my data. I also have removed or "downgraded" them from the curriculum at the University where I teach.
I can see the argument that being subscription only means that all users are always on the same version and thus easy to roll updates or changes but that is not my problem, it is Agilebits.
I have bought every single version since Password for iPhone (Jul 29, 2008), have tried almost every beta and participated on the forums on and off since 2009. I was offered a "good" deal to upgrade to V08 and I was tempted to take it based on perceived value and being an user since the beginning but it is time to look at alternatives and switch while V07 still works.
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@danco The problem with letting your subscription lapse and then exporting or using in read only mode is that you are trusting a company to do a good job in a feature that is not aligned with the incentive of keeping all users paying yearly. Right now I have a fully functional stand alone version that I can use to export, edit and copy/paste as necessary and it was developed when Agilebits incentive was to make its users pay for an upgrade not lock them in.
I know that this is not how Agilebits currently works but there is no guarantee that the company will be like that in the future, they already hid the standalone version of 07 and removed it completely for 08 and all their price points are aligned with family or business use. As a single user I don't see any benefit of staying with 1PW in the future.0
