It's because 1Password was targeted at tech enthusiasts at the beginning and has migrated to a mass-market product over time. The desires of the tech enthusiast group differ (on average) from the goals of a mass-market consumer product. Every time they switch away from something enthusiasts value (perpetual licenses for a specific version, optimized native apps) the early adopters get upset. The average user doesn't care all that much.
> If you’re making six figures writing software and think $3/month for a cornerstone of your security suite is offensive, you need to grow the fuck up, frankly.
For me, it's not about the cost. It's about managing one more subscription. My credit card bill is full of little monthly subscriptions, and at this point I'm tired of adding new subscriptions at every turn. Subscriptions aren't a big deal for the first 5-10 services, but once you're juggling 20+ recurring charges for things that don't really need to be recurring charges, it's tiresome.
I would gladly pay a premium to have a one-and-done license (for a specific version, just like they did in the past) that didn't add yet another monthly payment for me to manage and another system I need to update when I get a new credit card.