Forced subscription model coming?

Mork

I recall that AB is not forcing a subscription model on users of 1Password as many companies now are. I was shocked to learn that another of my favorites, TextExpander, decided to go that forced route, which doesn't fit how I work. (Fortunately, in this case, I found aText at $4.99 and, and for me at least, seems to work even better.)

---

So I'm just checking/re-confirming that 1P will remain a standalone, non-forced subscription model, for those of us who do not (or ever will) rent software

Thanks,

Ben

Hi @Mork!

Thanks for taking the time to write in with this concern.

I was shocked to learn that another of my favorites, TextExpander, decided to go that forced route, which doesn't fit how I work.

As for TextExpander, there has been some (spirited) discussion on that front in our Lounge:

Subscription services - AgileBits Support Forum

So I'm just checking/re-confirming that 1P will remain a standalone, non-forced subscription model, for those of us who do not (or ever will) rent software

The plan, at present, is to sell 1Password in three different ways: 1Password for Families (subscription), 1Password for Teams (subscription, currently free while in beta), or as a license for 1Password (the more traditional route you are used to). Of course there are features that we're only able to offer with the subscription services (where we host your data), but we do plan to continue to offer our standalone apps to license, without a subscription.

Please do note that our "1Password license" has changed. The license that we now sell is valid for one individual to use all of our 1Password standalone apps (non-Pro versions of the mobile apps). This contrasts with the previous model where we were selling licenses on a per-person, per-platform basis. Also: as before, these licenses do not include upgrades. Major upgrades (e.x. v3 -> v4) may require an upgrade purchase. Updates within a major version are of course still included (e.x. v3.5 -> v3.6).

Obviously we're very excited about our new services and the possibilities they open up, but our standalone apps are still very much a key component of these new offerings. They will continue to evolve along with and also independently from the subscription offerings.

I hope that helps. Should you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to ask.

Ben

Mork

Please read this story from today's Macworld. There may be some information in this article that makes it clear why the forced subscription model (including price, forced cloud storage which puts you at the mercy of the companies, etc.) is not a good idea:

http://www.macworld.com/article/3052870/software/textexpander-6-review-a-snippets-subscription-service-thats-priced-too-high.html

AGAlumB

@Mork: That's why it seems to me like they're targeting businesses. Either this will work for them, or perhaps they may offer other options in the future that are more appealing to individuals. If it wasn't something I used daily I'd be hesitant to pay a subscription for it, but given its place in my workflow for getting things done, I just can't live without it. But I do think that "forced" is a bit hyperbolic, even as someone who'd have a difficult time giving it up. Nobody forces an addict to get their fix, and I can quit using TextExpander whenever I want — I swear! :lol:

rlgleason51

Re your new license policy. I understand it to mean that a licensed user can now use 1P on all platforms (iOS, Mac OS, Windows, etc.). is this correct?

If so, what about users who purchased thru the Mac/app stores?

Mork

You're only "forced" if you want to use their current version (6). Take it or leave it. Subscription model is the only option. (That's the forced part, as in "no option").

I'm quite happy with aText I installed. It actually works better for me. Dates are much more intuitive and there's a nice interface for doing date math. I no longer need to refer to the TE Web site to "recall" how to do date math between snippets. aText was also reviewed as the best by LifeHacker (over TE, and others).

As a business myself, I still have to watch the good 'ol cash flow.

aText = $5. Period. Done. Upgrade later? Maybe. And, it's easier (for me, at least) to use.

TE= drip, drip, drip ($, $, $) and I no longer have control over my snippets: also forced cloud model.

If that works for folks, cool!

It's great to have choices. :)

ag_kevin

Hi @rlgleason51 ,

If you purchase through the AgileBits store, you get a single-user license for 1Password on Mac and Windows. You, personally, can use it on all of your Mac and Windows machines.

iOS (and Android) are still sold separately, through their respective App Stores. This is due to App Store selling rules. We are not able to sell a universal license across desktop and mobile.

If you purchase the Mac version through the Mac App Store, you (and those in your iTunes Family sharing) can use it on any Mac with your (or your iTunes Family members') AppleID. That does not come with a Windows license.

And of course, if you subscribe to 1Password for Families or 1Password for Teams, all clients are included, free of charge.

I hope that clears it up. If not, please reply.

Cheers,
Kevin

rlgleason51

Okay. Thanks.

Megan

Hi @rlgleason51,

I’m glad to hear that Kevin’s answer helped. Have a great weekend! :)

Vee_AG

Hey there @rlgleason51,

I just want to clarify something from @ag_kevin's post. 1Password is the same price in the Mac App Store and the AgileBits Store, and both entitle you to use it on Mac and Windows. If you buy 1Password from the Mac App Store and you need to use 1Password on Windows as well, you can email us your MAS receipt and we'll provide you with a Windows license. Of course, we prefer you buy from the AgileBits Store if it's all the same to you, and we're also able to offer upgrade discounts for paid upgrades in our store, which we are not able to offer for MAS purchases.

Thanks, and do let us know if you have any other questions. :)

AGAlumB

TE= drip, drip, drip ($, $, $) and I no longer have control over my snippets: also forced cloud model. If that works for folks, cool! It's great to have choices. :)

@Mork: Ah. Thanks for clarifying! And I agree completely: choices are most welcome...so long as there aren't too many. :lol:

rlgleason51

Thanks Vee. I guess I could go the the Mac store and get a copy of the receipt if needed but I'm still figuring out what's best. I love 1P as a standalone but my issue is with my wife. She has it on her iOS devices via her Apple ID but not on her PC as she has Windows. She got it as a backup in case something happened to me but she really does not use it. Every item she has I populated for her. I don't like subscription services on general principles.

Oh well, I'll keep my thinking hat on.

Vee_AG

Hi @rlgleason51,

If you haven't seen our new Pricing page, I think it may help, as it's got a nice chart comparing the features of a standalone license and a Families subscription.

It sounds like Families would be the best tool for you and your wife because it's the easiest way to manage shared 1Password items, but of course the choice is yours.

I will mention that if you choose to go with Families, I recommend you take advantage of the perks offered in our Special Launch Special that ends on April 14.

Let us know if there's anything else we can help you with as you weigh this decision. Cheers!

rlgleason51

How would I go about switching from the iOS (and in my case Mac OS) platforms purchased via the apple stores to the family plan?

Vee_AG

Hi @rlgleason51,

You just sign up for an account and then add your account info the the app you already have. This guide walks you through the process:

Migrate to a Family or Team account

We're not able to process refunds for any Pro Features or Mac apps purchased via App Stores, though, as that's handled by Apple.

rlgleason51

Thanks Vee. I'll have to think about some more.

AGAlumB

Take your time, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions. Cheers! :)

mia

Hi all,

I own the following 1PW versions:
1. Mac (latest)
2. PC (latest)
3 iOS (Pro pack- $10)

Like many people I am fanatically against any subscription model. It's why I left LastPass and refuse to do business with them. With the advent of families and teams, I am seeing the pattern of moving to subscription models.

I realize you've answered above with "at present", but as a loyal customer who has helped on these forums for a long time and an advertiser of your product to hundreds of people, I would like a solid answer. Is it yes or now? If we're eventually going to subscription, it's best to just cut ties and look for an alternative product. It's better to "rip the bandaid", so to speak.

Please just be truthful and let us know. The whole incident with 1Password switching to IAP the day before family sharing was announced left a bad taste already, but having to pay monthly (even for a brilliant app as this one!) would turn my tongue black.

Mork

In a recent email, Dave sent, he stated: "I’m happy to say we will continue selling licenses and updating 1Password for both licensed and subscribed users. Our new subscription services are not mandatory so you’re free to pick whichever suits your needs best."

---

Now, when I followed up with him, this promise seemed dependent, as I read his reply, on the standalone versions selling "adequately". Not sure what that arbitrary measure might mean, but I'm taking him at his word that 1P will be offered standalone (perpetual license).

Just in case, however, I've already copied my passwords to an open source password manager (Keepass -- http://keepass.info/) and could switch, albeit with less functionality than 1P, at any time.

Should 1P go back on its promise to sell perpetual licenses, which I'll buy if there are improvements I need in the new version, I'll, very sadly, ditch it in a heartbeat.

I could care less about the cloud and the "cloud business models" (which really just mean to the cloud companies: constant cash flow) companies are trying to cash in on. No value for me.

I've already ditched several programs like TextExpander due to the FORCED SUBSCRIPTION MODEL (Keyboard Maestro is an excellent alternative as is aText).

I'm not happy with the "Back to the Mainframe" (aka, the cloud) model companies are trying to force. The cloud as an "option" is fine for those who want it (or don't remember the problems with the Mainframe "overlords" who had control over your programs and data), but not as a replacement.

For me, the cloud is a non-starter.

AGAlumB

@Mork: Thanks for your feedback! Just remember that regardless of what you decide about any future versions of 1Password, your existing license will never expire, so you will never be "forced" into either a subscription or even an upgrade you decide don't want. You can keep using the app you love. :)

I realize you've answered above with "at present", but as a loyal customer who has helped on these forums for a long time and an advertiser of your product to hundreds of people, I would like a solid answer. Is it yes or now? If we're eventually going to subscription, it's best to just cut ties and look for an alternative product. It's better to "rip the bandaid", so to speak. Please just be truthful and let us know.

@mia: The truth is twofold: we don't know the future, and it depends on what our customers collectively decide. If people stop buying licenses, it will no longer make much business sense to offer them. So far this hasn't happened, and therefore we have, at present, no plans to offer only subscriptions. 1Password works with either, and so long as folks buy them, we're happy to sell them.

The whole incident with 1Password switching to IAP the day before family sharing was announced left a bad taste already, but having to pay monthly (even for a brilliant app as this one!) would turn my tongue black.

That's not one of my fondest memories either, but ultimately it's Apple's call on what is allowed with their Family Sharing. Originally there were no such stipulations, but I can only imagine that they went with this because they had their best interests in mind. Perhaps in the future they can allow different "classes" of in-app purchases (one-time, consumable, recurring) to be treated differently. Here's hoping.

I think it's kind of a shame that some folks seem to oppose choice, but I'm glad that someone else choosing something that goes against my own preferences doesn't affect my own ability to choose what suits me best. :chuffed:

Mork

The problem with your reply's logic is that if, for some reason 1P stops working in some new release of Mac OS, I'm then stuck, assuming you no longer offer perpetual subscriptions or support previous versions. As long as you offer good software with useful upgrades, people will buy it. How does a FORCED SUBSCRIPTION MODEL benefit the consumer if no useful software upgrades are added? Ans: Not at all.

Let's face it, the FORCED SUBSCRIPTION MODEL is all about cash flow, the companies. It would be naive to think otherwise.

However, that's just my opinion and, yes, choice is good. ** But ** experience has shown me that often companies offer two things and then remove one of them stranding the customer with a single choice.

(So far, I've ditched all Adobe products, anything Microsoft, TextExpander, ....)

:(

AGAlumB

@Mork: Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think you're missing something important about choice: No matter what we do, you always have one. 1Password isn't the only game in town. We know this, and frankly we have a strong incentive to offer people not only quality software but also compelling choices when it comes to how you give us your hard-earned money. Otherwise, this discussion is meaningless, if we drive ourselves out of business by not delivering on what our customers want. :scream:

It fascinates me that often the assumption seems to be that subscriptions incentivize apathy and stagnation. I guess that's one way of looking at it, but it seems to me that companies who take that view are only hurting themselves in the long run.

In my view, when someone subscribes to 1Password, we have another person who is reminded each month that 1Password is costing them money. With a license, this doesn't come up nearly as often, so there's much more of a sense (and rightly so) of "What have you done for me lately?" We don't want to (nor do we plan to) churn out updates just for the sake of updates, but it's important to us — and to our customers, I think — that we continue delivering value over time, regardless of the way they choose to pay. Anyway, just some thoughts. :)

Mork

Don't get me wrong either. I'm a huge 1P fan.

But, there's only one reason, really, to have a subscription model. Cash flow. For the company, Period.

And, the reason that some folks think that subscriptions lead to stagnation is that they often .... do. However, knowing 1P, I doubt stagnation would be the case as AB is an excellent company (and they know, as you said, choices exist).

Thanks for your reply.

AGAlumB

You're totally welcome! And while I understand and appreciate (perhaps admire is the word!) your skepticism, we've really got our hearts and minds set on making 1Password better and better over time. If after 10 years we're not tired of this yet, I think that bodes well for the future. We really love what we do, and we're determined to keep on doing it, with the support of you and the rest of our awesome customers driving us onward. Cheers! :)