Acronis moving away from perpetual licenses
I am sorry to read that Acronis is moving away from the perpetual licenses. I have ATI 2019 on one of my computers and ATI 2020 on my main desktop computer. I understand the reasoning for going to a subscription only model. This is the best option for a business. I, as a home user, really have no need of an annual subscription which I cannot afford. My only concern is making good backups on a regular basis. Also, I am not concerned about ransomware or malware on my home computers because I do make frequent backups. If I see worthy improvements such as those in ATI 2020 which added the ability to make incremental backups to a drive image, then I would purchase the new version of ATI. That was a nice addition to ATI.
Now, will Acronis continue to support those of us who continue using perpetual licenses? Will we still have access to the tools available on the web site to create "Rescue Media"? Will active protection still work?
I am disappointed to see this change and I hope Acronis gives consideration to us home users for a more affordable option. Some of us are retired on fixed incomes and $49 a year is more than we can afford.
I have enjoyed using Acronis products for the past three years.
Geo
"We are moving away from offering perpetual licenses for products like Acronis True Image."
I am moving away from Acronis.
I will not pay a subscription for basic functionality that has remained unchanged for years and years. I will pay once, and once again when there's a significant update for performance, useful features, or compatibility.
I do not want any "active protection" or "anti-malware" or "cloud integration" type features. All of these extra "features" are a nuisance to me, not a benefit. I manage my own security and storage. I just want backups.
I also do not want continuous and frequent updates. Backup software should be stable and only ever change when absolutely needed. Anyone who has used Acronis software when a new version is released will tell you how buggy it is at first, even in their business-oriented offerings. To be fair, this is an industry wide problem, not just an Acronis one.
The best part of this is that their approach will leave tons of people on the last available perpetual version. Many would update to 2021, 2022, etc. but would not sign up for a subscription. Their stated goal of keeping everyone up to date will have the opposite effect.
I have several licenses for 2018 personally, and was considering moving them to 2021. Now there's no point. I'll use 2018 until it stops working or I find an alternative that does what I need, whichever comes first. There are plenty of free solutions that mostly do what I need, and I could script stuff together myself if I wanted, but I'm willing to pay (once) for the convenience and reliability of a maintained, focused product. The idea of backups "as a service" is awful, and the incessant bloat of the other "features" is just fad-chasing foolishness.
Backups need to be there years or decades later. And you need software that can be depended on for that long, too. The traditional approach, with stable, long-standing releases and perpetual licenses, is critical for this.
The sales page states "Purchases and free tech support options are available until Dec 31, 2021.".
If you want a perpetual license of Acronis 2021, you have about 6 months to pull the trigger. I have no faith that Acronis 2021 will work with Windows 11, however.
Brian S wrote:
I am moving away from Acronis.
I think a lot of home users will do this. The truth is, most of us will use a licence for a few years, and update only when there's a great deal on offer, or something breaks because of new developments in technology.
I will not pay a subscription for basic functionality that has remained unchanged for years and years. I will pay once, and once again when there's a significant update for performance, useful features, or compatibility.
The cynic in me tells me this is a money grab. Acronis are tired of people spending a little every few years. They want an annual income.
This is perfectly fine if the subscription fees are reasonable. Office365, for example, makes great sense if you buy the 5 user licence and make use of the cloud storage provided. It becomes cheaper than buying Office whenever a new version comes out. Even then, not always. I happily still use Office2010!
I do not want any "active protection" or "anti-malware" or "cloud integration" type features. All of these extra "features" are a nuisance to me, not a benefit. I manage my own security and storage. I just want backups.
Same. Basic backup and recovery is what I want.
I also do not want continuous and frequent updates. Anyone who has used Acronis software when a new version is released will tell you how buggy it is at first, even in their business-oriented offerings. To be fair, this is an industry wide problem, not just an Acronis one.
Definetly this. The forums are full of people having issues, and it's quite sad that companies strive to release bigger, better, faster solutions that leave existing bugs.
The best part of this is that their approach will leave tons of people on the last available perpetual version. Many would update to 2021, 2022, etc. but would not sign up for a subscription. Their stated goal of keeping everyone up to date will have the opposite effect.
There are a couple of well reviewed alternatives that people will move to. I think a lot of people stick with Acronis because they are used to it, and know how to drive it.
Backups need to be there years or decades later. And you need software that can be depended on for that long, too. The traditional approach, with stable, long-standing releases and perpetual licenses, is critical for this.
And this is the crux of the matter. What happens if I can no longer afford the subscription? Are all my backups rendered useless? I want to pay for a product and be able to use it until something outside the programs scope breaks.
I have no faith that Acronis 2021 will work with Windows 11, however.
We should have enough Windows 11 systems in the wild to know this.
Just a thought, if I boot from a CD or USB drive with WinPE/Linux then it seems to work with any versions of Windows.
Shouldn't that be the same with Windows 11 or even any version of operating system - even Linux?
If that is true, then it doesn't matter what version of True Image backup software you use?
I'm sorry to see Acronis go this way. It has been said in other threads that purchasers would prefer a variation of the product/price based on what type of user they are, i.e Home, Professional, Business.
Its a great pity that previously loyal users/buyers are considering other software vendors.
Mike Steddy wrote:Just a thought, if I boot from a CD or USB drive with WinPE/Linux then it seems to work with any versions of Windows.
Shouldn't that be the same with Windows 11 or even any version of operating system - even Linux?
If that is true, then it doesn't matter what version of True Image backup software you use?
Booting from any rescue media is intended to work in bare-metal scenarios where there is no OS installed, so in that case it is agnostic as to what the OS might be.
The limitations in this scenario are more in the area of the file systems involved, i.e. most versions of True Image support Linux with EXT2 & 3 but only more recent versions have good support for EXT4 and none have support for BTRS. Older versions will not support NVMe type SSD's and Linux versions of all Acronis rescue media do not support BitLocker and RAID.
Hi guys 'n' gals,
I too, have taken up their 50% off, offer to update to ACRONIS TI 2021 to the "Lifetime/Perpetual License" & I like quite a few that posted here, have the same doubts & worries.
I've been using ACRONIS TI since 2008 or there abouts & have always paid the required amount for the Perpetual Licenses.
I do NOT intend to go on the SUBSCRIPTION route. Being a pensioner as well, extra funds are hard to come by.
Brian S wrote..... <snip>........."anti-malware" or "cloud integration" type features. All of these extra "features" are a nuisance to me, not a benefit. I manage my own security and storage. I just want backups..</snip>
Come on ACRONIS. You're a System/File back-up program, not an anti virus or software update checker.
Seems like you've been looking at AVAST & taking the stupid (IMHO) ideas/features from AVAST....I just removed that damn program & my PC now runs a whole lot quicker.
Please don't add features that "we" do NOT need or have any use for.
Many thanks for a great product, (so far), but we don't require anything more than a back-up program that just works
flawlessly, straight out-of-the-box.
Thank you.
Regards, Rajah..
Seems like you've been looking at AVAST & taking the stupid (IMHO) ideas/features from AVAST....I just removed that damn program & my PC now runs a whole lot quicker.
Rajah, it is not Avast here but rather is BitDefender that Acronis have partnered with as shown when you look inside some of the associated log files!
In topic: Acronis True Image 2022 Beta ? - Ekaterina has written:
Hello Everyone,
thank you for your patience! We're ready to share more information on the upcoming changes!
Why there is no beta program this year?
The beta program for Acronis True Image will be moved to early 2022. We are 100% committed to constantly improve our products to combat the ever-growing threats so your valuable data is protected.
While in September we will focus on the rebranding of the product as well as general improvements in our cybersecurity features, new operating system support, and bug fixes, in early 2022 we plan to reveal a brand-new look-and-feel of Acronis True Image focusing on improvements in our core functionalities and the overall user experience. Stay tuned!
For me, this forthcoming announcement will determine my response to whether I continue to use ATI as my primary backup application. I currently have 3 perpetual licenses for ATI 2021 and no intention of buying any more even with a 50% discount! I simply do not like or want all the bundled Cyber Protection features, so unless something changes significantly in the direction Acronis are taking with their 'brand new look and feel for ATI....' that brings back the focus to the core Backup, Recovery & Cloning features along with perpetual licenses, then 2021 will my last purchase!
Acronis Cyber Protection may suit some power users with significant data protection requirements etc but I would suggest that it is overkill for the majority of home users. This is not to decry the threat of malware / ransomware etc, but this should be a user choice as to what protection they choose to employ, not forced upon them via their decision to buy ATI 2021.
Hello once more Steve...
I hope that you & yours are staying safe & well.
Thanks for the update/correction to my AVAST reference.
I agree with your comments re; all the un-necessary bloat ware that now comes with ACRONIS 2021.
Being mainly a Backup/recovery program, that is initially why I decide to buy it in the first place.....all those years ago.
I do not require any of the included "features", thank you.
BTW....After installation, I happened to check in the Programs & Features for something else & was astonished, no, shocked to see that ACRONIS is now 937 MEG in size. Triple WOWSER! I almost fell of my chair.
I really do not want one damn backup program on my PC that is THAT large, so would like to remove it & re-install version 2019.
Naturally, I would require a full refund of the purchase price.
Require some guidance on how to accomplish that, please.
I want to know if I can go back to ACRONIS 2019 without breaking/fouling anything up.
(Was only about 300 Meg....I think.)
I do retain a heap of installation .exe's & that happens to be one of them, along with the activation code.
So, with that, I shall thank you again.
Regards, Rajah..
Rajah, in terms of reverting back to ATI 2019, then you would need to do a full uninstall of 2021, followed by running the Acronis Cleanup Tool (link below), restart Windows then do a new install of 2019 then set up your backup tasks again etc.
For refunds, this will depend on when you bought 2021.
Please see KB 21242: Refund policy for Personal products for information that should help you if you want to request a refund for a recent purchase.
Note: one of the things that cause a large increase in installed size for 2021 is the Cyber Protect data - this can be seen using a tool such as TreeSize Free and looking at the C:\ProgramData\Acronis folder sizes.
Rajah, should be no problem to install ATI 2019 as long as you do what Steve says about the process. Also, you should be able to log into your Acronis account and download the latest executable for ATI 2019 as long as you have the license for it.
ATI 2020 introduced the .tibx format so obviously any .tibx you may have created will not be compatible with ATI 2019. You might consider making a rescue media version of ATI 2021 before uninstalling it.
Hi Steve & Bruno,
I've proceeded with the un-instal of 2021, performed a total clean up, checked the registry for any left over stuff & re started the PC.
All went well, so I grabbed my saved 2019 installation files & re-installed it.
Checked that the saved Activation code was valid. It was & was automatically added.
Went through all the options & am in the process of adding one of my recent back-ups & doing an Incremental just to check.
Asked Cleverbridge for a refund as well. (Will see how I go with them.) :)
Now, I shall return to the ACRONIS 2019 forum.
Thanks for all the assistance.
Stay safe.
Regs, Rajah..
Re Windows 11:
Acronis 2021 is working fine with my Windows 11 (v 2H21). However I have the subscription version of Acronis as I didn't spot the difference when the upgrade offer popped up last year.
I'll be reverting to my 2020 perpetual when the subscription runs out in a couple of months.
If that doesn't work with Windows 11 I'll look elsewhere.
Laurie wrote:Re Windows 11:
Acronis 2021 is working fine with my Windows 11 (v 2H21). However I have the subscription version of Acronis as I didn't spot the difference when the upgrade offer popped up last year.
Well I take that back. Certainly TIBU 2021 seem to back up OK, but I just tried to restore a couple of files and that doesn't work at all.
If I use the program itself, Restore tab, navigate down a backup chain to the files and try to restore them, Acronis just says "an error occurred". This happens for any file, restoring to the same or different location.
If I open the .tibx file in Windows explorer and copy/paste a contained file to the same or different location, the resulting file is empty - 0kb.
That's finally made up my mind about NOT renewing Acronis.
I then tried with Macrium Reflect 8 trial; that backs up AND restores files no problem with Win 11 beta.
(I've already uninstalled Acronis and deleted my useless backups from my NAS, so I can't investigate further).
I have been a user of ATI for many years. In my account product list I see I have access to ATI 8, which I think was the 2004 version. I may have even owned an earlier version(s), but just don’t have a record of it on my account.
Anyway, I, too, am disappointed by their choice to drop perpetual licensing. I feel the product has become bloated and I don’t like the idea of paying for it EVERY year. I currently have ATI 2018 and may upgrade to the 2021 perpetual license at some point. But I may also decide to jump ship and go with another product.
In this day and age with lots of open source and free software I suspect there are alternatives to consider. If anyone has researched other options perhaps they can share what they found out.
Tony in Florida wrote:...But I may also decide to jump ship and go with another product.
In this day and age with lots of open source and free software I suspect there are alternatives to consider. If anyone has researched other options perhaps they can share what they found out.
Some interesting thoughts regarding just that: Reflecting on a Post-ATI World | Acronis Forum
Roger A wrote:Some interesting thoughts regarding just that: Reflecting on a Post-ATI World | Acronis Forum
Great - thanks for the heads up Roger!
I have to move a license to a new computer (TrueImage 2016).
But the login in TrueImage has never worked - and that is needed to move a license.
Acronis both refuses to help with the login problem AND helping me unregister the old computer.
They just says the software is not supported and that I have to buy a new license :-(
So no support for old lifetime licences :-(
Anyone know another way to unregister or move a PC license to a new PC?
Or a way to make the login work (now fails while setting up SSL connection)?
Lars-Erik, please raise your issue directly with Arpita Ghosh who is the Acronis Senior Product Manager for True Image / Cyber Protect Home Office.
I have a few subscriptions to Acronis for a few of my clients and have a bunch of perpetual old licenses dating from 2015 to 2018. I use these older licenses on workstations that I don't care that much about but would like to backup because it saves time if their hard drives crash. I went to reinstall a 2017 and 2018 license today on a computer and noticed I could not resolve the "you've used the license too many times" error. I'm installing the license on the same computer and the install / activation process won't let me log into my acronis account and yes I've made sure that the password is correct and have tried resetting the password but still not letting me activate. So after about 20 years of using Acronis on all my clients computers I've decided to research other backup solutions from other companies which still allow single stand alone non subscription backups.
It's too bad Acronis decided to not uphold their license agreement with the stand alone older version of their backup software and decided to break it on the activation. I guess lifetime license doesn't mean anything anymore to them. I know they are making way more money off the people buying the subscriptions but the've lost me as an IT manager and any of my clients I will install a different product. I hope you read this Acronis support / sales because you pushing IT managers and other people away from your company and your services because of the poor customer support decisions your making! :(
Bruce, one of the more recent changes that Acronis made was to the security of their online servers which in turn resulted in the issue of new builds of ATI 2017 through 2021 to include changes required to meet the new security requirements.
To activate your older versions, ensure that you have the final build version installed.
See the Acronis Product Updates page where you will find links for the final builds if needed.
For older versions, i.e. 2015, 2016 or earlier, then you would need to use offline activation by disconnecting the PC from the internet to generate an activation code to plug into the Acronis activation web page which then provides a new code to activate the software and move the license if needed.