Alternatives to Access [closed]

Question

Are there any alternatives to MS Access?

Requirements:

• Portable Database file
• Integrated form development for data entry
• No compiling necessary. Can be modified on the fly.

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Two more requirements:

• Available for Linux or Windows

• Does not have to be free

  EDIT: Emphasised Integrated form development for data entry as the top voted answers for this question, at the time of edit, both recommend a simple database system. The reason why Access is still so hard to replace for simple department level CRUD (and more) applications is the integration of database, data entry forms and reporting tool. Simply recommending a database does not answer the question as posed.

Effy

I added the duplicate tag because this question is pretty close to being a duplicate of this question: #29544 – Steinke

I removed it per Jeff's comment made here. stackoverflow.uservoice.com/pages/general/suggestions/24481 – Winifred

You do realise that Access requires Microsoft Office to be installed? You might want to take that into consideration. – Soria

@Rob Sanders: Access does not requre MS Office be installed. It does require that Access be installed. I don't think there are any front-end tools that don't create an EXE that don't require some form of runtime to work. – Cosette

@David W. Fenton Last time I checked Access was part of Microsoft Office. – Soria

Access is part of Office, but doesn't require Office to be installed to run. – Cosette

Answer 1

The one that comes with OpenOffice might be what you're looking for, it's called "Base" I believe: http://dba.openoffice.org

I voted for zacherates because I like SQLite too, though.

Sequent

Tried Base once. Did not like it, but I should give it another try. – Effy

Answer 2

Your options seem to be:

1. SQL Server Express. This used to be called the MSDE

2. SQL Server Compact Edition.

3. MySQL.

4. SQLite.

5. VistaDB.

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I'm modifying this to add the only real contender I've found: Kexi

http://kexi-project.org/

I can't say that I've used it, but it looks like it will do everything you want.

Hight

Do these have the built-in form development features? – Salable

Kexi is the only one in that list which has the built in form dev features. – Hight

SQL Server Compact is not/was not the same as MSDE. MSDE is now called SQL Server Express and has in the past been SQL Server Desktop. SQL Compact is a very lightweight database for use on mobile devices that connect occasionally. – Duvetyn

Answer 3

SQLite is always my choice for lightweight databases, though it doesn't have a form creator as it's just a database.

SQLite is great because:

• It's just a library to be called by your application, not a server.
• There's no configuration.
• Your database is just a file.

(... and you can use in memory databases for testing, for those addicted to unit tests :)

Mikiso

And what is nice with sqlite is that it is without the configuration burden you have with database systems like mysql and so on. – Sunil

SQLite does respond to his requirement : "Integrated form development for data entry"? Didn't know that. – Slumber

Why do people answer a very clear question about a file-based db engine WITH front-end development tools with a suggestion of a database engine only? – Cosette

I think the real question is: Why has this been up voted when it didn't answer the question at all. – Hight

-1 as it really doesn't answer the question - and why it's so difficult to replace access. SQLLite is great, but portable databases are two a penny. – Balmung

Ha, jeez, some idiot has just voted it up again. What does it take for people to realise this does not answer the question put (and it's a good question too for which I'm really interested in actual answers) – Balmung

Answer 4

Possibly you missed this Q & A when you searched the site for an answer to this question. You may find some good options there too.

Steinke

Yes, I saw it. Thanks. But I'm willing to pay for the alternative. – Effy

Answer 5

I've done a lot of MS-Access development and from a form design standpoint or RAD (rapid application development) standpoint it's hard to beat.

However you can use MS-Access in conjunction with another Database Server that will give you flexibility down the road. My suggestion would be to use Sybase Advantage Database Server. I'm a bit biased as I support the product but we have a free Local server version for you to try out and later you can implement a full client/server setup by simply changing the connection. Advantage DevZone

In the case that you use another database engine you will likely be using ODBC for your connection type which Advantage supports along with JDBC, OLEDB, .NET, PHP, etc.

Malvern

Answer 6

FileMaker meets your requirements, although it is not something that I would recommend for collaborative development.

Rodmann

Answer 7

Check out Filemaker

Vilhelmina

This is actually a real alternative to Access, because it has both parts of the equation. – Cosette

Answer 8

I've used 4th Dimension in the past. I don't know, however, if it requires compilation - but it can be compiled.

But its design features are extremely friendly in my opinion.

Scutate

Answer 9

There used to be an awesome product for dos called Q&A this became http://www.lantica.com/ but I haven't looked at it since the dos version.

Alternatively try this wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_office_suites there are some tables of comparisons near the bottom.

Faubert

Answer 10

VistaDB is the only alternative if you going to run your website at shared hosting (almost all of them won't let you run your websites under Full Trust mode) and also if you need simple x-copy deployment enabled website.

Swimmingly

Answer 11

SQLite is awesome.

Novia

This link goes to a placeholder page. – Repression