So it appears that the non-premium version of Sophos Home has been silently moved from "Free Edition" to "Free Trial". The dashboard is no longer functional and after updating the software it appears essentially bricked with nothing but an ad for premium.

Feels like the beginning of the end for Sophos. I understand sometimes a company will discontinue a product, but to pull the rug out from under me is unhelpful to say the least, especially on a security focused product.

I am very disappointed. I had previously considered upgrading to premium, but I do not consider Sophos an option anymore. I do not feel comfortable trusting my security to a company who will brick my AV with no advance warning.

No blog post or announcement in sight - in fact most of the website still says "Free" but the landing pages have been changed to "Free Trial".

Wondering if others are running into the same issues. Discussion is welcome.

Edit: Thanks u/zw9491! Looks like it has been officially mentioned in at least one location so at least we don't have to speculate.

It also confirms

No, your computer is not protected after the license expires. None of the Sophos Home settings/protections will work until the license is renewed.