AxCrypt have not freeware software anymore?

[Parham]

Hi .

i just downloadede AxCrypt 2 for my windows , and creat an account and login with that in software… but know i see i have 29 Days Trial !  But one of my friends in Webroot Community said AxCrypt have a Freeware software.. so how can i use Freeware software?

 

Regards,

Parham

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Parham,

AxCrypt 2 can operate as Freeware, or as Premium with extended functionality. So it’s both. Often called Freemium. You can always download the old verson 1.7.x, which is entirely free and does not have the extend functions of AxCrypt 2.

The Free mode of AxCrypt 2 is roughly equivalent to AxCrypt 1.

[Laurel Valley]

Svante:

I think you have an excellent product and version 2 has many new credible features in it that should make it everyone’s choice as we move forward.

Would you please make some clarifications for all the users who download the new AxCrypt version 2 and automatically go into a 29 day Premium trial period?

1. You stated that AxCrypt 2 can be Freeware or Premium. Will the user who is now in an AxCrypt version 2 Premium trial period because of a recent download automatically be switched to an AxCrypt 2 Free version if that user does not opt to purchase the Premium version at the end of the trial period?

2. What is going to happen to the AxCrypt 2 files encrypted as AES-256 during the AxCrypt 2 Premium trial period when the trial period ends and the user opts to just use the free version? Your pricing chart shows that the AxCrypt 2 free version will not access AES-256 encrypted files. How will the user be able to read the AES-256 files that were created during the AxCrypt 2 Premium trial period if the AxCrypt 2 free version does not support that encryption?

[SvanteSpectator]

Thanks Laurel,

You ask many good questions that we need to be much clearer in our communication about – so they don’t need to be asked!

1 – What happens when the 30 day Premium period ends? Nothing, really. Premium features are no longer accessible, you revert automatically to the free version. No need for new downloads or anything. AxCrypt mostly works as usual, but without the perks of Premium.

2 – What happens with 256-bit encrypted files when the Premium period ends? Nothing, really. Of course you can still open them! We’ll never lock you out of your data because of a discontinued subscription. They will open normally, and remain 256-bit until modified and re-encrypted, in which case they will use 128-bit encryption instead.

3 – What happens with passwords saved in the Password Manager when the Premium period ends? Nothing, really. Of course you can still read them! We’ll never lock you out of your data because of a discontinued subscription. However, you can no longer update, add or delete new passwords. (You didn’t ask, but this was a good place to answer the question anyway!)

Svante

[John Gray]

On the same topic, how is it possible to deactivate the Premium features during the 29-day initial use period, so that effectively one is testing the Free version?  Thanks!

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello John,

Sorry, didn’t think of that one… We don’t have that option! Hmm… I know some softwares have a ‘pause’ evaluation feature. Maybe we should add something like that? The thing is, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, is that we’re really sensitive to options. We think they often tend to cause more problems than they solve. I do see your point here.

Not really sure here what the best course of action would be. Perhaps a transient option, i.e. an option you can toggle in a session, but it’s reset to default as soon as you sign out. The thing is, if I just add a ‘Pause’ or ‘Run as Free’ permanent option, I’m fairly sure we’ll be drowned in support requests “Why don’t I have Premium…”.

Ideas?

[John Gray]

Ah, OK.

My difficulty is that there is no possibility of our charity being able to pay annually for tens of copies of the Premium version of AxCrypt 2, and I am quite shamelessly hoping that the Free version would satisfy the requirements of password-protecting about 20 HR folders (or just the files therein), one per member of staff, so that managers can process the folders/files for those members of staff which they supervise, and the senior manager can process all the folders.

I would prefer not to have to go down the Veracrypt road, having to set up 20 containers, and back these up in their entirety, since they will inevitably include copious amounts of ‘free’ space (if I understand it right).  As far as I can see, AxCrypt would provide a neater and more-technically-satisfying solution to my problem!

Perhaps I will just have to wait for a month until the Premium features time out?

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello John,

No problem, no shame ;-) If I understand your scenario it should work for you with a single Premium account, it might be slightly cumbersome when creating new files to share, but it should work.

For key sharing, the idea is that the person doing the sharing needs Premium, but persons being shared with do not.

If you wish to try it out fully, register a new AxCrypt ID account under a different account, and then via the Premium Support function (which you of course have since you have a the trial) let us know that you’d like to disable Premium and we can help you with that. We can’t do it back and forward a lot of times, but if you’d like to prematurely expire Premium for a single account for testing purposes, of course we’ll help you with that!

[Chetan Shah]

Hi –

First of all, I want to thank you for developing a great product! I have been using Axcrypt since at least 5 years (if not more) and am very very satisfied with it!

I found out yesterday that the 1.7.x version will not be supported anymore and we need to upgrade to  Axcrypt 2.0. However, the free version of 2.0 seems like a downgrade to me as the valuable features like “rename”, “shred and delete” and “make key file” will not be available anymore ( I am concluding this by referring to  the comparison chart that is on the pricing page). Is that true? I understand the other features come with a “premium” but the features that the users of 1.x are used to shouldn’t those still be free?

Please let me know your thoughts?

Thanks!

-Chetan

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chetan,

Right now, the “anonymous rename” and “shred and delete” are indeed Premium features. Our thoughts are that the Free version should focus on the file encryption functionality, which is still free and equivalent to 1.7. Also, the “shred and delete” function has less value nowadays, since SSD drive tech makes that function almost impossible to implement properly.

Finally, the “create key file” function has been removed completely. It’s not available in either Free or Premium. The reasoning behind this is that it’s only a very few who use it and if AxCrypt is used properly the value added is very small, and in many cases it might instead lull users into a false sense of security. We’d much rather develop other ways to use full-strength keys such as usb key storage devices and perhaps mobile phones.

Nothing is set in stone though, and we’re listening carefully to comments such as yours to determine our future course of action.

Thank you for taking the time!

Svante

[John Gray]

Hi Svante

As you suggest, would it be possible to ‘expire’ the Premium features of Axcrypt 2 on my account, so I can test the ‘free’ version?  I’m not quite sure why I would need another installation with another email address…

Thanks for your help!

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello John,

Sure thing – can you please use the Premium Support form on the web to request this, since that will give us a definitive e-mail address for you?

[John Gray]

I’d love to – but I can’t find it!

[SvanteSpectator]

Here’s the link (you’ll need to sign in with your e-mail and password – the same one you use to sign in to AxCrypt 2):

https://account.axcrypt.net/Home/Support

Svante

[Ken Spears]

Svante,

I sent an earlier email under the support tab about liking two passwords and the self-encrypting feature.  I enrolled in v2, and I have read more of your answers on the forums and blogs and do appreciate the virus risks of an encrypted file that is a __.exe file.   So I downloaded your AxCrypt-2.1.1413.0.exe  file to see if it would serve the same purposes.  It is NOT a simple program that could decrypt a file given the password.  It require entering email, account password, etc.  This is unappealing to many people and adds a real question in their minds about what they are signing up for.

I think your new model for encryption has a problem handling the following scenario, and you might realize that there is a need for a truly standalone program that does not ask for email or passwords for a <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>basic one-time decryption</span>.

I have been using version 1.7 encryption for a file summarizing household operations.  Computer repair or other scenarios  suggest keeping it secure.  This is also the first file to pass on to the executor of my will (a short list exists for contingencies).  I keep this encrypted with a password constructed from family knowledge clues plus other patterns that can be communicated in plain text descriptions via paper.  This can be decoded into a “family” password, and would allow multiple family executors to open that file.  That encrypted file could be self-decrypted without any fuss or concern about installing software.  Other more sensitive files might need two people to reconstruct a more complex password, perhaps a lawyer plus a family member.  That ensures that any rogue lawyer or their staff could not access sensitive files until truly required.   So, I would like to conveniently use at least two passwords on my PC. The version 2 does not make this very easy.

Your signup options do not have the same perception by the <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>one-time user</span> who will have concerns understanding the complexities of a fully operational encrypting/decrypting program.  They just want the output.  I will be going back to v 1.7 until a solution exists that manages this problem.  I will do my best to use programs like Bit Defender to look into the self-decrypting files created in v1 to see if any virus package is loaded.  Two years ago, one did get installed with the .exe program, so self-decryption is not a good solution either.  Yes, one password is perfect for some models of encryption use, and sharing keys might be useful in some contexts.  There are many uses for two or more passwords handled by my own naming conventions.  I gave one.

Thanks for your efforts, I hope you can compile a simple, stand-alone, decrypting package.  Of course, it should not allow hackers to wire it up for code-cracking by having other features or simple delays.

If I uninstall v2, then my PC will be fine.  What about your account records?

Ken

[Author]

Posts