This is a really easy question to answer. I duck-duck-went "1password what happens if I stop paying" and the first link was https://support.1password.com/membership-billing-policy/

From the link:

> Your data is yours. Even if you cancel your subscription and your account is frozen, you can still sign in to 1Password.com or in the apps to view and export your data.

I can confirm. I used it, then stopped paying. All by data is read-only accessible, even just with browser.

In the end was more happy with KeePass as 1Password was too user-friendly for me and I wanted something more stupid for passwords.

If you are already liking KeePass I highly recommending KeeWeb, which is what I'm using. It reads a KeePass database and the desktop app web app are great in my opinion. And everything is free. Web app also caches in the browser and syncs to Dropbox so everything can sync between mobile and desktop.

> What happens if my credit card expires and I forget to update/pay?

I paid for it once and then used it for years and years without updating. After a few years the browser extension stopped working (was no longer compatible with current browsers) so I decided to buy again. By this time they'd moved to a subscription system and I have no idea how it works.

It used to be simple... there was an app, and if you stored the password file in Dropbox, you got cross platform support. But now the UX is terrible. I don't know where my passwords are stored, I don't know if the entire thing will stop working if I stop paying, etc. What a shame. I used to recommend it all the time but since the update there's no way I could recommend it to anyone I know who isn't a techie.

There’s still a stand-alone app. Just upgraded a couple of weeks ago.

Do companies delete paid users' most important data for billing failures? I can't recall such a case.

Still, if you're willing to handle the availability and security concerns yourself, going self-hosted could work.

You can always backup your data and move to another manager if needed. Almost all of its competitors support importing from their format.

There's a standalone app (if you're not on Linux) and you can sync via dropbox / wifi / rsync / whatever you like.

I basically do that - my core database is encrypted on Dropbox and I use a desktop app and web apps for mobile via KeeWeb which is free. KeeWeb on desktop also backs up locally in the event anything ever happens to my dropbox access, but Dropbox is the central sync point. The web app connects to Dropbox and since it's a web app there isn't even a need for the installation of an Android/iOS app. I just keep the webpage up at all times. The app is cached by design and doesn't send external connections.