Underhanded 6-to-7 upgrade tactics for existing standalone 1Password users

fongd
fongd
Community Member

Dear Agile,

I had 1Password 6 installed on my Mac. I've been using 1Password since you came out with your first Mac version. I bought the 1Password app for iOS. I've witnessed your transition to a cloud-based service but have elected to stay with the standalone version and do not see the need to create a 1Password membership at this time.

So I installed 1Password 7 this morning only to discover that many things are disabled in the trial version:

  • I can't edit items
  • Browser auto-fill doesn't work
  • Third-party integration is disabled
  • etc.

There is so much marketing material on what's new in 1Password 7 but I have yet to find a page where the limitations of the 1Password 7 demo are clearly defined. It's tough enough just to find the standalone download (really guys? a tiny link in your site's footer?). As a long time 1Password user, this really irks me. I have no problem paying the upgrade fee (and probably will)—if only to get 1Password back to what I had with 6—but this is really underhanded and could have been handled much better.

Besides, what is the point of offering a trial version when the features that make 1Password so compelling are disabled? If I can't use browser autofill or edit items, how is that better than storing secure items as keychain notes and copy/pasting my login info? I can't even try the new Markdown functionality or anything else that apparently makes 1Password 7 better than its predecessors.

So… not sure if all of this broken functionality is a bug or by design (seems to be by design, judging from https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/comment/432228/#Comment_432228), but this should be classified as a Major bug regardless.


1Password Version: 1Password 7 Version 7.0 (70000019) AgileBits Store
Extension Version: 4.7.1
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: iCloud

Comments

  • littlebobbytables
    littlebobbytables
    1Password Alumni

    Hi @fongd,

    It is correct that in previous versions of 1Password for Mac there was a 30 day trial period where full functionality was available and that was true for both possible routes; 1Password account or standalone vault only. This has changed in 1Password 7. The 1Password accounts still have a 30 day trial period for those wishing to try out 1Password but the actual application only enables all functionality when either an active 1Password account is added (the 30 day trial counts as active here) or a licence applied.

    We do state this on the site as well. If I start on the 1Password homepage there's a Introducing 1Password 7 for Mac link. On that page there's a See your upgrade options link.

    • Try a 1Password membership free for 30 days, which includes 1Password 7.
    • Purchase a license for 1Password 7 for Mac.

    I haven't viewed that page before, I just found it naturally starting from the homepage and following what seemed like the links to learn more about pricing.

    It was a conscious and deliberate decision. That doesn't mean it may not be reconsidered depending on the feedback we receive but it would be incorrect to label it a bug. Dave believes strongly in the 1Password accounts being the better option but does acknowledge that some people want a licence and 1Password 7 retains that option for those people.

    It reminds me of 1Password 6 in the Mac App Store. You're not allowed trial periods outside of subscriptions as per Apple's rules so the Mac App Store version was the same, read-only mode by default with everything enabled either through an In-App Purchase or adding a 1Password account which starts with a 30 day trial period. I'm not sure how I feel about the demise of the trial period for standalone vaults, I put my money down immediately during the beta even though I'm constantly testing much rawer code in the form of our internal builds.

    It is worth noting that you're not obliged to update and nor has your 1Password 6 data been modified in any way by attempting to try 1Password 7. I don't aim this particular statement directly at yourself but others who may be reading the forums to learn more.

  • fongd
    fongd
    Community Member

    Hi @littlebobbytables,

    You wrote (emphasis mine):

    It is correct that in previous versions of 1Password for Mac there was a 30 day trial period where full functionality was available and that was true for both possible routes; 1Password account or standalone vault only. This has changed in 1Password 7. The 1Password accounts still have a 30 day trial period for those wishing to try out 1Password but the actual application only enables all functionality when either an active 1Password account is added (the 30 day trial counts as active here) or a licence applied.

    You continue that the "upgrade options" page says:

    • Try a 1Password membership free for 30 days, which includes 1Password 7.
    • Purchase a license for 1Password 7 for Mac.

    And this is what I take issue with: the application behaviour changed and it is not made clear that it has until I've installed 1Password 7. It's also not made clear what the limitations of the app are if you don't have a membership or an active license. What if I'm not ready to upgrade yet, and just want to try the new features of the app so I can decide if it's worth it? And what if I don't want to "spend" my 30-day trial period because I know that I want to stick with the standalone option for now, but want to save that trial for some point in the future? When 1Password 8 comes out, how will I trial that if I've already spent my 30-day trial? How do the options you presented above apply to me?

    The installer should tell me that I must have a membership OR a valid license in order to take advantage of the app's features. IIRC, I wasn't even prompted to login with my 1Password account during install or after initial launch. More importantly, 1Password never tells me that certain functionality is disabled until I login to my 1Password account or activate a license. I've seen at least one other report in the forums where someone reported browser auto-fill not working for them, which turned out was because he was in the same boat as me: no membership, no license for 7.

    It was a conscious and deliberate decision. That doesn't mean it may not be reconsidered depending on the feedback we receive but it would be incorrect to label it a bug. Dave believes strongly in the 1Password accounts being the better option but does acknowledge that some people want a licence and 1Password 7 retains that option for those people.

    I disagree with this, too. I consider this either a documentation bug and/or a bug with the application. The limitations of the unlicensed app should be clearly documented, not hidden in marketing-speak as it is now. If you're going to continue offering the standalone option (and I commend you for continuing to do so!), then you have to treat those of us who choose that option as first-class citizens as well.

    Full disclosure: I purchased the standalone license yesterday because the software you make is an indispensable part of my day. I have no issue with the upgrade price or anything like that. I just felt the way I was coerced into the upgrade left a bad taste in my mouth.

  • @fongd Thanks for the feedback. I see what you mean: Communicating limitations can be helpful. But we decided not to do it because it can also be confusing. Comparison charts often lead to more questions, and in the end we just want people to use 1Password and enjoy it. We're offering a subscription as an an alternative for folks who prefer to organize everything in one nice place and not worry about syncing it between their devices. This has been a challenge from the start with 1Password, and we finally decided to do something about it with the concept of an account. The only thing is, accounts have to be stored somewhere, and storage in the cloud is a recurring bill. Subscriptions fit that perfectly.

    The apps, on the other hand, are the core of 1Password. They make it a unique password manager, because most others out there use browser extensions and websites primarily. We believe in having a native experience, and we don't want that to go away anytime soon. Lots of our users, too, are using 1Password because they prefer the standalone experience, not a cloud-based one. That's totally fine — to each their own. And you can keep using things just as you always have.

    I hope that provides a bit of background on the decision. It wasn't easy. We had to consider what people really needed, and what we got lots of emails about. So many people had trouble with sync, no matter how we boxed it up or made it easier, that a unified experience with an account was just the best option at the end of the day. It's okay if that doesn't fit you — you have a very good idea of what you're looking for. :) Don’t let the subscription get in your way.

This discussion has been closed.