Very Confusing, Complicated New Pricing Model and Practically useless Previous License Files.

@itssasanka - I'm sorry for the trouble you're having getting upgraded to the new version of 1Password 7.

I bought the bundle which included license for Windows and Mac both in one. It was also a lifetime license.

Not in the way it sounds as if you mean that. Standalone licenses of 1Password never expire, but they only work to license the version you purchased them for. In other words, if 1Password 4 for Windows and 1Password 6 for Mac were the current versions when you purchased, then that's what you have a license for; your purchase doesn't include free upgrades forever. It does mean that you can continue to use that license to install and use that version of 1Password on as many devices as you own/use that can still run it, it just doesn't include upgrades to the new version(s).

The one reason I had to unfortunately leave 1Password was that there was no support for Linux.

True, there has never been a native 1Password Linux client.

Linux is my main OS and I cannot go without it.

More power to you. :) We've got plenty of Linux fans here as well. But I'm a little surprised you'd purchase a product that you knew in advance wouldn't work without WINE on "your main operating system" that you "can't go without."

I found a solid alternative that even had a Linux app and using it was stupidly simple.

Great! One of the main reasons there are multiple options for the consumer when it comes to password management is that no password manager is everyone's first choice. We'd love to have you as a customer, but we're aware we can't be all things to all users, so as long as you're using something to keep your most-important data secure and available, we'll be happy.

I found out that the pricing model has entirely changed, and there are now what we call "subscriptions" for you to get into and keep.

Not quite: although we have indeed created 1password.com memberships in the time since you've been with us, we still sell standalone licenses for local data users, for both 1Password for Mac and 1Password for Windows.

I do not like such models. I am more of a "buy once and forget" guy.

Fair enough. That's one of the reasons we still offer standalone licenses for 1Password. Only, I wonder...do you own much software that you only buy a single time, and never again? Software that includes free upgrades for life? I've found very few such payment models; most software uses the traditional model that there are free in-version upgrades (like from version 1.2 to version 1.3, etc), but full version upgrades (like from 3.4 to 4.0) require an upgraded license purchase, because developers cannot put in continuing work on an application for which there is no continuing revenue.

I would be happy with subscription services like Netflix, but hell, not every little thing.

I certainly agree some things make more sense as a subscription model than others, but that's a matter of individual taste. The main reason (contrary to what is often suggested on this forum) we switched to a subscription model for 1password.com is because there are ongoing costs to us associated with taking on the role of data host (servers, etc) and sync provider (bandwidth), as opposed to the standalone model, where you download the software and install it, then create your data locally and (if you want) sync it via a 3rd party solution like iCloud or Dropbox. For a lot of our customers, the price of one coffee a month to keep their passwords secure and easy-to-access is definitely worth it, especially when a standalone license is $64.99 at full price and new versions are every 18-24 months or so. But we do offer both, so users can make their own choices.

What I am shocked at is that there is no way I can use the past licenses with this new model.

Right. As I mentioned earlier, this is a new version of both 1Password for Windows and 1Password for Mac. Not sure why that would shock you, but OK.

What the heck is this Secret key nonsense?

Excellent question! The Secret Key is an additional layer of security that's only part of 1password.com accounts. If you're using standalone 1Password you don't need (and we can't enable) a Secret Key for your data. But with a 1password.com account, we knew we'd be a target for hackers. So in addition to your (hopefully long-and-strong) Master Password, we created the concept of 2SKD (Two-Secret Key Derivation), which is essentially a random string of characters equivalent to at least 128 bits of entropy. You don't need to remember it like you do your Master Password, but you do need to write it down or keep it somewhere safe, because you'll need to enter it once, each time you begin using 1Password on a device you've never used it on previously. Presumably, that's a limited number of devices.

Also these online logins for 1Password accounts - what in the world! the password to these logins is the same as the Master Password. Should the portal be hacked (phishing, database hack etc.) the master password flies away into the hands of the hackers.

I'd suggest you have a look at our 1password.com security white paper if you'd like to learn the details of how 1Password keeps you safe in such situations, though I'd be happy to answer any specific questions if you have them.

You may think, oh well the hacker would need the Secret Key to setup a new 1password app and use my account but what if the hacker got access to your machine? Game over.

So your hypothetical situation here is that a hacker manages to bypass all of our defenses on 1password.com servers and simultaneously seeks you personally out, is able to find you, and manages to assume control of your own device as well? Then yes, I suppose that would be "game over," in many ways. Someone who's able to execute arbitrary code running as root on your device can pretty much do whatever they wish, if they're skilled enough and care to invest the time.

I read here that there is still a way to use or buy "standalone licenses" but gosh, I couldn't find it.

It was discussed in the blog posts announcing both 1Password 7 for Windows and 1Password 7 for Mac. It will also appear in the very first pop-up you see when installing:

Hope that helps. :)

Later I found out that I need to download 1Password version 4 to use the Windows license I purchased 2 years ago. While I can, I don't want to live with an outdated version and be stuck with it forever.

It's entirely your choice -- you're entitled to license the version of 1Password you purchased, forever, on as many PCs as you wish. If you don't wish to "live with an outdated version," well, I certainly agree with that; I like keeping my software updated to current as well. But do you genuinely believe you ought to be entitled to all of the work dozens of people have done since you bought your 1Password 4 for Windows license several years ago, for free? If that's truly your position, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, especially as our developers and support staff enjoy eating and this is our full time job.

I understand as a company 1Password needs to grow and make great business but looks like you've headed a little into the wrong direction here. Just to let you know that this is more of a feedback...

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective! If we can assist you in downloading a copy of 1Password 4 for Windows or of purchasing 1Password 7 for Windows or a 1password.com membership - whether individual or a 1Password Families membership for both of you, let us know. We're here to help. Have a great week. :)

@itssasanka - I posted the Mac one because I use a Mac and it's what I happened to have to hand. However, the process works much the same on Windows. There are indeed discrepancies between versions of 1Password but most of those are due to our insistence on conforming to the design standards of the OS itself. You'll notice 1Password for Android doesn't look - or function - exactly like 1Password for iOS as well, for the same reasons. This is one of the things that sets us apart from our competitors: we write native-coded applications for all four major platforms (Mac, Windows iOS and Android), instead of relying on Java or a one-size-fits-all browser extension-based solution. So yes, there'll be differences. Here's a quick GIF of the setup on Windows. If you set up, import or sync standalone data before you have a license, your data will be in Read Only mode, indicated by the large banner with the green button that will be visible in each of your records in detail view. Clicking the large, green "Buy Now" button will result in a pop-up which, while it is not a pixel-for-pixel copy of the 1Password for Mac version, functions in the same way:

If only there was a paid upgrade to get rolling, I would gladly do that. I do not currently see an option like that.

You're correct, there is no such option for an additional discount. We want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us all these years as well as entice new customers, so during the current launch period, licenses for 1Password 7 for Mac can be purchased for only $49.99, which is over 23% off the standard price of $64.99.

During our last paid upgrade for Mac we allowed individual licenses to be upgraded for a discount and it was a mess. We received a ton of support requests and needed to help many customers through the upgrade process. It was a huge time sink for us, wasted a lot of our customers time, and resulted in quite a lot of frustration all around. This time, we wanted to make things simpler for everyone and focus our time making 1Password even better.

Thanks again for the feedback.