1password standalone license vs membership

And 1Password isn't perfect, I believe they leaked encrypted vault contents due to a Cloudflare security incident. Worth noting Dropbox security is actually quite good, they support 2FA with recovery codes. I used Dropbox sync until I switched to subscription. Would you say the standalone software employs lock-in? Just because Agilebits won’t support it in perpetuity? The exact same inconvenience would be there if Apple released a new OS and Agilebits didn’t have plans to update any of their software, subscription or standalone. But just because something is inconvenient doesn’t mean that there’s lock-in. I’m not disagreeing that switching platforms is inconvenient because of course it is. Right, but how is that lock-in? I’m taking umbrage with your characterization of 1Passworda features and data formats as “lock-in”. You've already absorbed the hassle of switching products. That is, you've already researched a competing product. I completely trust you that it only takes five minutes… because it's part of your workflow. It takes me less than 5 minutes to get all my data out of 1Password, and into KeePass. A subscription model introduces different methods to screwing over customers, but a subscription model does not inherently imply a guaranteed path towards screwing over the customer. When AgileBits screwing over their customers could happen regardless of whether they have a subscription model or not, at any time between now and whenever.

You're coming to the conclusion that someday, in the future, AgileBits will screw over their customers. Support of old software is not guaranteed even with one-off purchases, that has always been at the discretion of the vendor. I hate AgileBits so much! I'll pay their extortionist fees for one more year, and then switch.' But most of us will just repeat that statement every year. The best among us will make it manageable, 'Grrr. You either pay or you lose your ability to continue working (without major hassle). You can weigh your options, kick the tires on other products, survey the landscape etc… With subscriptions it's pony up or shut up.

So that's three or four years of usage, at a minimum, before obsolescence kicks in. Presumably, your one-off software purchase is supported for at least a couple of years. But the momentum lock-in (for lack of a better term) doesn't really exist with paid upgrades.

1password standalone license vs membership