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To the OP: The very first question I’d like to see addressed in an FAQ for a “free” app or service is what the business model is and how the company expects to

To the OP: The very first question I’d like to see addressed in an FAQ for a “free” app or service is what the business model is and how the company expects to survive. If I start using this with others and the company goes bust in a few months, all the effort put into migrating people to this new system would be wasted. Their trust in me would also reduce. The next question on my mind is that it claims to have end-to-end encryption, but why isn’t it open source? If it’s closed source for commercial motives, then see the first question above again. I’m not comfortable trying a new app or service, especially one that would be used for sensitive and private data, without answers for the above. Maybe when this gets really popular and big I’ll try it, but not now. If you have answers to my questions, please update those in the FAQ so that all visitors to your site will benefit from it.

daniel_sushil 6y ago
Thank you for your feedback newscracker. This free version will always remain free. Unless you are sharing, the passwords/notes/pictures you store are encrypted and stored on your own device (it uses your iCloud storage for backup if you have it on). That's why we don't incur a huge cost so we are able to keep this version free. However, we are planning to introduce premium features in the future so we follow a freemium business model. We will update the FAQs so it is more clear.
- tubbyjr 6y ago
  Still doesn't answer the open-source question, everything client-side should be open-source and showcase proper crypto implementations and assurance that credentials aren't just sent in plaintext to your servers.
  - daniel_sushil 6y ago
    Right from the start we have wanted to do a freemium model. Just wondering how we protect IP when the code is open-sourced especially when all the encryption is done on the client side. Also, is it a standard for security apps to be all open-source? For example WhatsApp messenger claims to do end-to-end encryption but they haven't open-sourced their software. Also, Last-Pass has a free version too but they have not open-sourced their code. Is open-source the only way to help users believe in the app? I know for highly technical users it may help. But for an average user who is non-technical and wants to use the app, would they even understand what open-source is? I personally don't think not having an open-source code base delegitimizes the app but happy to see what everyone else thinks.

daniel_sushil 6y ago

Thank you for your feedback newscracker. This free version will always remain free. Unless you are sharing, the passwords/notes/pictures you store are encrypted and stored on your own device (it uses your iCloud storage for backup if you have it on). That's why we don't incur a huge cost so we are able to keep this version free. However, we are planning to introduce premium features in the future so we follow a freemium business model. We will update the FAQs so it is more clear.

tubbyjr 6y ago
Still doesn't answer the open-source question, everything client-side should be open-source and showcase proper crypto implementations and assurance that credentials aren't just sent in plaintext to your servers.
- daniel_sushil 6y ago
  Right from the start we have wanted to do a freemium model. Just wondering how we protect IP when the code is open-sourced especially when all the encryption is done on the client side. Also, is it a standard for security apps to be all open-source? For example WhatsApp messenger claims to do end-to-end encryption but they haven't open-sourced their software. Also, Last-Pass has a free version too but they have not open-sourced their code. Is open-source the only way to help users believe in the app? I know for highly technical users it may help. But for an average user who is non-technical and wants to use the app, would they even understand what open-source is? I personally don't think not having an open-source code base delegitimizes the app but happy to see what everyone else thinks.