Microsoft Access
Microsoft's long-standing Windows desktop database for tables, forms, queries and reports.
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About Microsoft Access
Microsoft Access is the desktop relational database that ships with many Microsoft 365 business plans and is also sold as a one-off purchase. You create tables, relationships, queries, forms and reports in a single file, either from scratch or from templates that produce a complete working application, and extend it with macros and VBA. It can import or link to Excel workbooks, SharePoint lists, SQL Server and other ODBC sources, which is why it remains common as a front end for departmental systems built over the last few decades. It runs only on Windows, and sharing a database file between several users works best on a local network; Microsoft retired the browser-based Access web apps years ago. For people maintaining existing databases it is still the most practical tool, and the current Access 2024 and Microsoft 365 versions continue to be supported. New projects that need web access, mobile use or real collaboration are usually better served by hosted no-code databases.
Best for: Windows offices maintaining existing Access databases or building local departmental tools.
Pros and cons
What works
- Complete relational database with forms, reports and VBA
- Links to Excel, SharePoint and SQL Server data
- Often already included in Microsoft 365 business plans
Why people leave
- Windows only, with no Mac or web version
- Multi-user sharing over networks is fragile
- Little new development compared with cloud tools
Top Microsoft Access alternatives
See all 6- 1
Claris FileMaker66.5Cross-platform desktop database that also runs on Mac, iPad and the web.
- 2
Ninox59.6Hosted database aimed squarely at replacing Access in small businesses.
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Airtable57.2Browser-based collaboration without managing database files.
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Microsoft Power Apps52.2Microsoft's own route to web and mobile apps for departmental data.
- 5
LibreOffice47.8LibreOffice Base offers a free open-source desktop database on any OS.
Why people left Microsoft Access
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Microsoft Access: common questions
Is Microsoft Access free?
No, Microsoft Access is a paid product.
Is Microsoft Access open source?
No, Microsoft Access is not open source. Open-source alternatives include LibreOffice.
What platforms does Microsoft Access run on?
Microsoft Access is available for Windows.
What are the best alternatives to Microsoft Access?
The highest-ranked Microsoft Access alternatives right now are Claris FileMaker, Ninox and Airtable. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.