1Password Introduces $2.99/Month Plan for Individuals, With 6 Months Free at Sign-Up [Updated]

[bwoodruff]

Hi folks!

how about we pay once for things that don't need to be paid for multiple times.

Full disclosure: I work for AgileBits.

We do still offer standalone 1Password licenses for folks who don't want or need the benefits offered by our 1Password.com services. We do think that for most folks the subscription service will be the way to go (better disaster recovery, access to latest versions of all apps, etc) we will still sell licenses to folks who prefer to purchase that way and are comfortable managing their own syncing & storage.

Drop box works well.

No need for a subscription, unless they are planning to kill existing
'Cloud' support.

No plans like that.

Great, another "give us all your data and pay us every month" subscription.

There is absolutely no need to store all my data with you... i can just use iCloud sync for free. The only reason for these subscriptions is the $

You are certainly welcome to continue doing that, but hosting the data allows us to do a number of things that we can't with iCloud... such as sharing, web access, etc.

AgileBits will do the right thing and maintain the traditional one-off payment for version X with usually a free upgrade for version Y. If they don't, I may have to send a strongly worded email to Dave Teare who every couple of months will send me an email updating me about various happenings. I don't want to hit that unsubscribe button Dave! But don't tempt me. Dave, don't you Teare dare Dave!

Major upgrades for the licensed standalone products will typically have a price associated with them (e.x. going from v6 -> v7), but in-version updates are included.

Just lovely. I'm starting to wonder if we actually own anything anymore...

Taking my AgileBits hat off for a moment...

You generally don't "own" any software. Unless you wrote it. Then you might.

Thanks!

Ben

 

[BigMcGuire]

I've used 1Password for over a year now. It's a good product with lots of cool options. Switched to it when I switched to Mac over a year ago. I was less than impressed with iCloud syncing functionality (duplicates (maybe iCloud's fault?)), but I lived with it. The Chrome extension required me to have 1Password installed so if I was on a Windows machine I didn't have access to my passwords (only paid for Mac/iPhone).

That said, this app is nice. I like the company, I like the product, the steep price, though, made it hmmmmm. Recently, I've had it delete passwords I add (I found them on my Mac Mini's trash folder (in the app)) - left me high and dry when I was at a jobsite one day and needed them with my Macbook Air / iPhone. So, I went to LastPass and signed up with them. I realize this could be an iCloud problem not necessarily a 1Password problem - just fyi.

I've switched to LastPass and found it to be better, at least for how I use it - cloud syncing. A job I'm working wants to share a LastPass folder for managing a set of computers we work on and LastPass premium allows this ($12/year). So it's working for me. Slowly moving my 900+ passwords over - using 1Password as a backup.

I like the company and the product but for $35.88/year ... I've gone with LastPass --- the ability to use it on my work computers (Windows) as an extension only (being device independent) is a huge plus for me.

Edit: I see now that they're keeping the standalone version. Kudos! I'm a happy 1Password customer and I wish the best for them.

 

[nateragan]

Recently upgraded my family to the Family plan. Beyond the free app upgrades, the ability to share vaults was a huge benefit for my wife and I, as well as some extended family. The wins from the paid subscription seems to be free software upgrades for as long as you're paying, as well as their cloud-based service that allows you to manage devices from a hosted solution.

After paying for several of their upgrades over the years, and now being able to get free upgrades for all devices and have up to 5 family members on the same cloud-based account for only $5/month, it's completely worth it IMO.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I will still do the 1Payment option as long as they offer it.

 

[BigMcGuire]

After paying for several of their upgrades over the years, and now being able to get free upgrades for all devices and have up to 5 family members on the same cloud-based account for only $5/month, it's completely worth it IMO.

This is cool. I remember them beta-testing this and I almost signed up for it. May still give this a try.

 

[avanpelt]

I've used 1Password for over a year now. It's a good product with lots of cool options. Switched to it when I switched to Mac over a year ago. I was less than impressed with iCloud syncing functionality (duplicates (maybe iCloud's fault?)), but I lived with it. The Chrome extension required me to have 1Password installed so if I was on a Windows machine I didn't have access to my passwords (only paid for Mac/iPhone).

That said, this app is nice. I like the company, I like the product, the steep price, though, made it hmmmmm. Recently, I've had it delete passwords I add (I found them on my Mac Mini's trash folder (in the app)) - left me high and dry when I was at a jobsite one day and needed them with my Macbook Air / iPhone. So, I went to LastPass and signed up with them. I realize this could be an iCloud problem not necessarily a 1Password problem - just fyi.

Try using Dropbox with 1Password. My wife and I both use Dropbox syncing for our separate 1Password keychains (and have for years) and it has been rock solid. No problems across multiple devices. I think iCloud is probably at fault for the issues you were experiencing.

 

[Fall Under Cerulean Kites]

Their FAQ claims you can continue using your existing licensed verison. However, upon looking at the 1password.com web site, they list only “1Password" @ $2.99 / mo and “1Password Families" @ $4.99 / mo. Plus “team” plans are available. Down in the FAQ, it’s noted that single license purchase is available, however they state some features that rely on their hosted service such as "automatic syncing, item history” will not be supported.

I sync with Dropbox, so I have no clue why their “hosted service” would be required in order to continue using features I currently have.

I love 1Password, but they’re going to go the way of Textexpander and piss off a lot of consumers by forcing a subscription model.

 

[bwoodruff]

I will still do the 1Payment option as long as they offer it.

Some folks are just totally adverse to having their data anywhere but on a device they own. Others prefer the licensing model over a subscription. For those and other reasons we'll continue to offer the licensing model in addition to our subscription offerings.

We do feel that for most new customers the service is going to be the way to go, and so our marketing will lean that way, but we'll still offer both. We really believe it is the better option for customers in most (but perhaps not all) cases.

--
Ben Woodruff
Positive Experience Architect
AgileBits
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Their FAQ claims you can continue using your existing licensed verison. However, upon looking at the 1password.com web site, they list only “1Password" @ $2.99 / mo and “1Password Families" @ $4.99 / mo. Plus “team” plans are available. Down in the FAQ, it’s noted that single license purchase is available, however they state some features that rely on their hosted service such as "automatic syncing, item history” will not be supported.

I sync with Dropbox, so I have no clue why their “hosted service” would be required in order to continue using features I currently have.

I love 1Password, but they’re going to go the way of Textexpander and piss off a lot of consumers by forcing a subscription model.

Syncing via Dropbox will continue to work just fine.

Item history is indeed a new feature (more advanced than what the standalone apps offer).

--
Ben Woodruff
Positive Experience Architect
AgileBits

 

[Easttime]

So to summarize I think there are two main options:
1. Buy individual apps for each device and if already done that the carry on. Or
2. Pay subscription once and get apps for each device, plus future upgrades, plus the ability to recover deleted or edited records, which could be handy from time to time. Could have used that this morning.

Given the utility of this OS-independent service for securely storing a lot more than just passwords, there is something to be said about subscription, especially for professionals and businesses.

 

[Max Portakabin]

Time for find a new password manager. What was the MAS price before, $34.99? Now $64.99.

Nah. No, thanks.

 

[spacemanspifff]

I really don't like the subscription model that seems to be getting attached to everything these days - I understand that once they get to a critical mass of sales it's difficult for them to keep making steady money off the same software but here's an idea, how about writing something new? I do use 1-Password and it's great - but I will not be paying AgileBits every month for the same software that I already paid for. I have also written and use my own password storage app called Bank-Notes. Bank-Notes is not as comprehensive and does not do any of the auto-browser filling and syncing stuff that 1-Password does but it's fast, secure and includes free updates, oh and it's only £3!

 

[BigMcGuire]

I love 1Password, but they’re going to go the way of Textexpander and piss off a lot of consumers by forcing a subscription model.

I'm one of those people who spends way too much on apps on Mac and iPhone. I probably spend hundreds just trying stuff out. Subscription models make me a lot less likely to try something out. That said, as a programmer, I realize providing a cloud syncing service costs money and heavy users will drain more. Which is why I'm certain DayOne will be charging monthly soon. Was not happy when they removed the ability to use your own cloud service.

Sad to see the market head this way, so sad and glad because they're actively developing 1Password and this should bring them some $.

 

[bwoodruff]

I really don't like the subscription model that seems to be getting attached to everything these days - I understand that once they get to a critical mass of sales it's difficult for them to keep making steady money off the same software but here's an idea, how about writing something new? I do use 1-Password and it's great - but I will not be paying AgileBits every month for the same software that I already paid for. I have also written and use my own password storage app called Bank-Notes. Bank-Notes is not as comprehensive and does not do any of the auto-browser filling and syncing stuff that 1-Password does but it's fast, secure and includes free updates, oh and it's only £3!

And that is fine -- we're not forcing a subscription on anyone. It is simply an option.

We continue to add improvements to both the subscription services and the standalone apps. The apps are the backbone of the service, after all.

I'm one of those people who spends way too much on apps on Mac and iPhone. I probably spend hundreds just trying stuff out. Subscription models make me a lot less likely to try something out. That said, as a programmer, I realize providing a cloud syncing service costs money and heavy users will drain more. Which is why I'm certain DayOne will be charging monthly soon. Was not happy when they removed the ability to use your own cloud service.

Sad to see the market head this way, so sad and glad because they're actively developing 1Password and this should bring them some $.

We're currently offering 6 months free on individual accounts. Should give plenty of time to evaluate and see if it is something worth subscribing to for you. If you ultimately decide it isn't, we'd still be happy to sell you a license, though there are a few features we can only offer with the subscription service.

So to summarize I think there are two main options:
1. Buy individual apps for each device and if already done that the carry on. Or
2. Pay subscription once and get apps for each device, plus future upgrades, plus the ability to recover deleted or edited records, which could be handy from time to time. Could have used that this morning.

Given the utility of this OS-independent service for securely storing a lot more than just passwords, there is something to be said about subscription, especially for professionals and businesses.

That is the long and short of it, yes, though I will clarify that the pricing for the standalone apps is not necessarily per-device, but per-platform (with Mac and Windows bundled). So if you have two Macs you do not need to purchase two licenses, unless two different people will be using it.

Time for find a new password manager. What was the MAS price before, $34.99? Now $64.99.

Nah. No, thanks.

The reason for the increase in price there is that we now also include 1Password for Windows with that. We no longer sell 1Password for Mac and 1Password for Windows separately. We've simplified down to one bundle license (which is less expensive than a Mac+Windows bundle license used to be).

--
Ben Woodruff
Positive Experience Architect
AgileBits

 

[Max Portakabin]

And that is fine -- we're not forcing a subscription on anyone. It is simply an option.

We continue to add improvements to both the subscription services and the standalone apps. The apps are the backbone of the service, after all.



That is the long and short of it, yes, though I will clarify that the pricing for the standalone apps is not necessarily per-device, but per-platform (with Mac and Windows bundled). So if you have two Macs you do not need to purchase two licenses, unless two different people will be using it.



The reason for the increase in price there is that we now also include 1Password for Windows with that. We no longer sell 1Password for Mac and 1Password for Windows separately. We've simplified down to one bundle license (which is less expensive than a Mac+Windows bundle license used to be).

--
Ben Woodruff
Positive Experience Architect
AgileBits

I don't have a Windows PC so you are forcing me to pay for something I don't need.

This is not a pro-consumer decision by AgileBits. Stop pretending it is.

 

[bradkrischel]

how about we pay once for things that don't need to be paid for multiple times.

...and then complain that there are never any app updates

 

[Fall Under Cerulean Kites]

... as a programmer, I realize providing a cloud syncing service costs money and heavy users will drain more. Which is why I'm certain DayOne will be charging monthly soon. Was not happy when they removed the ability to use your own cloud service.

No doubt. Let me use my own sync store. There are supposedly some issues syncing to iCloud, but no one seems to have problems with Dropbox. Yet we have all of these companies re-writing their apps to sync to their own servers, and then switching to subscription-based models.

Syncing via Dropbox will continue to work just fine.

Item history is indeed a new feature (more advanced than what the standalone apps offer).

I sincerely hope Agile continues with this mentality, through new versions (which I’m happy to pay for). And I hope Agile remembers the PR-S%it-storm that Textexpander just went through trying to do this very same thing. Need another example? Take a look at Evernote.

People don’t need 15 different subscriptions each month. Seriously.

(and I don’t need item history. If I mess up an item, I can restore from my backup. A backup from my own sync store that I can control.)
[doublepost=1470252637][/doublepost]

...and then complain that there are never any app updates

Who exactly is complaining about app updates? I’m happy to pay $50 for a decent utility app. I’m also happy to pay $30 for an upgrade to v2.0 of said utility app. Subscription pricing is a money grab for those who do it. It provides continuous, ongoing, stable income. I don’t begrudge those vendors who do it. However, when one has to stretch the imagination as to justify a reason for doing so, it starts to make me wonder whether or not I want to continue supporting that company.

And yes, I blame the stupid app store $0.99 software pricing for a lot of this. People have ridiculous expectations. Go back 15 years when you had to buy software off the shelf and take a look at what these apps cost. Sure as heck wasn’t $0.99.

 

[bwoodruff]

No doubt. Let me use my own sync store. There are supposedly some issues syncing to iCloud, but no one seems to have problems with Dropbox. Yet we have all of these companies re-writing their apps to sync to their own servers, and then switching to subscription-based models.



I sincerely hope Agile continues with this mentality, through new versions (which I’m happy to pay for). And I hope Agile remembers the PR-S%it-storm that Textexpander just went through trying to do this very same thing. Need another example? Take a look at Evernote.

People don’t need 15 different subscriptions each month. Seriously.

I get it. I try to limit my subscriptions as well. Who doesn't? It all comes down to a matter of priority. For me the monthly expense makes sense for what I'm getting. For others the license approach may make more sense. But especially if you are using multiple mobile platforms as well as the desktop platforms, or intend to share with your family, I think you may find the subscription is actually more cost effective in many cases.

I don't have a Windows PC so you are forcing me to pay for something I don't need.

This is not a pro-consumer decision by AgileBits. Stop pretending it is.

The choice to bundle Mac and Windows together was based on feedback and customer support requests from customers who were confused about what exactly it was that they needed to buy. It was seriously one of our top 3 customer support inflows for many many moons. To many the previous model probably seemed very straight forward, but to many more it did not. So now instead of a totally a la carte offering for the standalone apps we have a single license that covers both desktop platforms. The basic functionality on mobile is free.

--
Ben Woodruff
Positive Experience Architect
AgileBits

 

[tgara]

Looks like you can get the web-based single user for $3 per month (billed Annually per the fine print, meaning you will be charged once $36), or pay $65 for the single-user license for however long it takes them to come up with the next X.0 version. The web version offers additional features, but you have to keep paying to use them. The single user purchase cost more initially, but you only have to pay once and you don't need to use their cloud service. Pick your poison.

Just one note on this roll-out. They certainly don't make the Single User choice easy to find. If you go to 1password.com/sign-up, they push you immediately into one of the subscription plans. The only mention of purchasing a single-user license is at the very bottom of the page, in the very last FAQ, and even then, you have to go to a completely different website to make the purchase.

I'm keeping my eye on this company, because they've lost some of my trust. If they continue to pull slight of hand stunts like this in the future, I'm dumping all their apps and going to iCloud keychain exclusively. I did it with Smile software after TextExpander went to subscription, and I won't hesitate to do it with AgileBits and OnePassword. Consumers have other options, thank goodness.

 

[padapada]

The reason for the increase in price there is that we now also include 1Password for Windows with that. We no longer sell 1Password for Mac and 1Password for Windows separately. We've simplified down to one bundle license (which is less expensive than a Mac+Windows bundle license used to be).

I do have a license and love the product, but I find this line of reasoning plain BS. Just had to let you know. If a good alternative comes along, I will consider switching...

 

[Max Portakabin]

I get it. I try to limit my subscriptions as well. Who doesn't? It all comes down to a matter of priority. For me the monthly expense makes sense for what I'm getting. For others the license approach may make more sense.



The choice to bundle Mac and Windows together was based on feedback and customer support requests from customers who were confused about what exactly it was that they needed to buy. It was seriously one of our top 3 customer support inflows for many many moons. To many the previous model probably seemed very straight forward, but to many more it did not. So now instead of a totally a la carte offering for the standalone apps we have a single license that covers both desktop platforms. The basic functionality on mobile is free.

--
Ben Woodruff
Positive Experience Architect
AgileBits

Thank you for your time Sir but as the sole arbiter of what constitute VFM for me I'm afraid I'll have to disengage from the 1Password community.

No doubting what you say but your active community is likely programmers and millennials. Your real untapped growth area is people who don't own a password manager at all.

You'll consolidate and monetise the majority of your existing user base but lose a chunk - examples like me - and perhaps not penetrate different demographics.

Hope genuine thinking went into this rather than it be a naked cash grab and that it works out for you.

I'm off to find another product.

 

[Mactendo]

After paying for several of their upgrades over the years, and now being able to get free upgrades for all devices and have up to 5 family members on the same cloud-based account for only $5/month, it's completely worth it IMO.

I'm sorry, but at $5 per month it's not free at all.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Thank you for your time Sir but as the sole arbiter of what constitute VFM for me I'm afraid I'll have to disengage from the 1Password community.

Genuinely curious - what is VFM? Thanks

 

[imronburgundy]

One of my favorite apps on my phone but good Lord that price on Mac is ridiculous. I'd rather just pull out my phone and use the $10 app I already paid for.

 

[bwoodruff]

Genuinely curious - what is VFM? Thanks

I had the same question.

We do appreciate the feedback, Max!

I'm sorry, but at $5 per month it's not free at all.

A fair point. Perhaps "included" would have been a more accurate word.

--
Ben Woodruff
Positive Experience Architect
AgileBits

 

[Fall Under Cerulean Kites]

I get it. I try to limit my subscriptions as well. Who doesn't? It all comes down to a matter of priority. For me the monthly expense makes sense for what I'm getting. For others the license approach may make more sense. But especially if you are using multiple mobile platforms as well as the desktop platforms, or intend to share with your family, I think you may find the subscription is actually more cost effective in many cases.

I have no doubt a subscription model can be (and perhaps even usually is) more cost effective. However, I get concerned when companies switch their models to subscription-only. Again, referecne the recent Textexpander debacle. They had to do some major backpeddling.

My advice to you and Agile is to pay attention to what your user’s want. And if what they want is one-time-pricing, continue to support that. Right now, I can’t even find it on the web site. Which is why this is looking a lot like the Textexpander situation.

I don’t mean to sound so confrontational. I like Agile a lot. I enjoy 1Pass - it’s a rocking app platform. Howver, I start to feel disenfranchised when I’m forced into a new payment model for something I’ve already paid for.

Yes, I read the FAQ about continued support of the old model. But what happens when the next MacOS release after Sierra comes out and v6.5 breaks because of a new OS feature? Will I even have the opportunity to upgrade to a working release? The currentl marketing spin on the 1Password web site would suggest not. Hoping I’m completely 100% wrong so I can eat my words and pay for a v7.0 upgrade when the time comes!