1Password offers 30-day App Store demo as it appears to march towards subscription-only


With version 6.6 for Mac, developer Agile Bits is changing how it handles licenses going forward for the Mac version sold on the App Store. The app is now available for free with a demo period. From there, customers will need to subscribe to unlock the app.

1Password now comes with a 30 day free trial in the Mac App Store. Those downloading 1Password for the first time will start their trial and be prompted to subscribe once their trial expires.

Your single subscription allows you to use 1Password on all your devices and always have access to the latest versions.

If you purchased the app from the App Store or their website, everything will continue to work and you should expect to receive free updates until the next major update. It appears to be uncertain what will happen at the next major update, whether customers will be able to pay a license fee for the update or be forced to migrate to the subscription scheme.

Furthermore, the company has stopped advertising the regular licenses on its website. It can, however, still be purchased by request. It seems clear the direction Agile Bits is going -- they're trying to get their user base over to annual subscriptions, but trying not to upset existing customers.

Personally I don't like software subscriptions. I have no issue paying for upgrade fees, but I prefer to be in control of that process. Often I choose to skip major releases of software simply because I don't feel the value, for example.