Agilebits Announces 1Password 8 to be Electron App
Last year, Agilebits announced that the next version of their popular password manager for the Mac, 1Password 8, would not be written in native Mac code, but rather be an electron app. This announcement predictably caused an uproar in the Mac community. Many felt that Agilebits was “abandoning the Mac” and the next version of 1Password would not look or feel like a Mac app.
Agilebits explained that they were making the move to electron to simplify upgrading versions on several platforms. As Jeff Butts explained in the Mac Observer blog, “Electron allows developers to build cross-platform apps without the difficulty and expense of writing native code for each. Using Javascript, HTML, and CSS, Electron allows coders to build their apps like web pages. Apps written using Electron use the same codebase whether the user runs macOS, Windows, or Linux.” So, the developer’s decision made sense from the standpoint of simplification and cost savings. But what would it look like?
I was concerned that 1Password 8 might look too “windows blah.” The only other popular electron app I was aware of was Obsidian. Some users praise the developers’ work to make the app fit some Mac conventions. However, on the surface, its UI is just plain ugly and very un-Mac-like. Aside from the ability to color it up with some user-made themes, to me, it’s like using an old DOS program.
Pleasantly Surprised with the Look and Feel of 1Password 8
When 1Password 8 was released earlier this month, I was anxious to download it and see what it looked like. I was very pleasantly surprised! If anything, the user interface and appearance of 1Password 8 looked like a well-done upgrade to 1Password 7 for the Mac. Its new fonts, simplified sidebar, and bright colors fit macOS Monterey’s look.
I’ve had to revise my earlier skepticism about electron apps. I understand they do have some downsides (like the use of more memory than native Mac apps), but with proper development, they don’t have to look and feel like a non-Mac app. I’ve since learned that another beautiful app, Craft, is also an electron app. I had no idea.
I would guess that as time goes on, we’re going to see more and more popular Mac apps that are also on other platforms become electron apps. From a developer’s standpoint, it just makes sense to save money and development resources. As long as they continue to look and feel like native Mac apps, I’m OK with that.