LastPass isn't wrong to ask people to pay for its service

LastPass caused something of a stir earlier today when it made changes to its free tier that removed support for multiple devices. It also took away the option to get customer support via email as well, leaving people to reach out via forums when they need assistance. And people aren't happy.

But LastPass isn't in the wrong here.

LastPass Free, the free tier of the password management app and service, remains. It just doesn't offer the same features that it once did. To be fair, there's a case to be made that LastPass Free shouldn't exist at all because writing apps and paying for sync servers isn't a free endeavor. And I think that's now shown by the way LastPass is pushing customers towards its Premium and Family tiers instead.

We're making changes to how Free users access LastPass across device types. LastPass offers access across two device types – computers (including all browsers running on desktops and laptops) or mobile devices (including mobile phones, smart watches, and tablets). Starting March 16th, 2021, LastPass Free will only include access on unlimited devices of one type.

I've been pretty outspoken about the fact people should pay for their software and services. I'm here to tell you that all over again because what LastPass isn't saying here is that it (probably) can't afford to keep having Premium and Family users subsidize those who don't pay for the service. If LastPass Free wasn't an issue today's changes wouldn't be happening.

I'll also posit that if there's one service you should absolutely pay for, it's the one that houses all of your passwords. You absolutely don't want that company to be penny-pinching anywhere and anyhow. And if LastPass went away, who really wants to have to migrate to another password manager?

To sum up, whether you're using LastPass, 1Password, an independent app, or any other app or service, pay for it. And if you really don't want to, don't forget iCloud Keychain is a thing you can use instead.