Microsoft Access Similar Tool For Mac
File Maker Pro
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I have Microsoft Office: Mac 2011 installed on my laptop. I am trying to access the Data Analysis tool for Excel for my Business Statistics class. The option is not available when I go into Tools on Excel. I would just get Microsoft Office for Mac if you want to use Access. Office for Mac does not include Access, it would be a complete waste of money. Access is a relational database, Filemaker is a flat file. They are not compatible. Feel free to check Microsoft. Office for Mac is now on 365 (the cloud) which includes Access 🙂 I posted the link above if you care to research. Answer Not strictly. Microsoft does not make a version of Access for Mac OS X. FileMaker Pro is similar in function to Access, and is available for Mac, Windows, and iOS devices.
I've been using Windows Access since 1993 and Excel since 1990 (Mac) and 1993 (Windows). There's no real substitute on the Mac platform for Access, although Excel's file size has allowed deeper/larger data sources for a few years. I've managed to use Excel to provide a data resource for products that Access was the only option until a few years ago. For Mac users, the stalwart tool has been the Microsoft Remote Desktop connection. Available now through the Mac App store, it allows users to remotely connect to a Windows desktop to access local.
FileMaker is probably the best known database application for the Mac. It has a feature set comparable to Microsoft Access, but with a strong focus on forms (layouts) as the primary way of accessing databases. Similar to Access, FileMaker stores your database logic and all the data in a single file. It also has some support for scripting, and offers options for publishing databases on the web.
However, it's also necessary to note that FileMaker is very different from Access. There is a strict distinction between application logic and the underlying tables in Access. In FileMaker, logic and data are more closely linked. The underlying tables are more or less hidden from the user, and not as easily accessible via SQL as in Access.
Bento
Bento was the entry level database application from the makers of Filemaker. Unfortunately it has been discontinued in July 2013 and is no longer available for purchase.
Open Office / Libre Office
Open Office and Libre office include a database application that tries to mimic Microsoft Access. It is difficult to use and misses many important features, such as simple import/export tools.
SQLite (using Base)
SQLite is not a full database application like Access. There are no forms or reports in SQLite, there's only your data and a simple, fast SQL engine. SQLite is used by many applications under the hood as an internal format and therefore most interesting to application developers.
A command line utility for SQLite 3 is included with every Mac, aptly named sqlite3. Most people will however prefer working with a graphical application like the excellent Base from Menial (available on the Mac App Store). Base offers a simple interface for viewing tables (with support for images) and creating custom SQL queries.
Apple Numbers and Microsoft Excel
Numbers and Excel are spreadsheet applications and thus not a replacement for Microsoft Access. However, they have good support for working with tables. If your database consists of only few tables and no forms, these apps might just do the trick. You can at least sort and filter your tables.
Converting Access Databases to Apple Numbers with MDB Viewer
Converting Access Databases to Microsoft Excel with MDB Viewer
Microsoft Access in Parallels / VMWare
If none of the above are suitable, you can always ressort to actually running Microsoft Access on your Mac using virtualisation software like Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion.
I am used to using FileMaker on a friend's computer, but I don't have it on mine, and at the moment I can't afford to buy it. Is there anything free out there that is similar?
I am in the process of making a database of job applicants on Excel and it is getting rather large and complicated. I like the way you can change from list view to document view on FileMaker.
OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard
grg♦8 Answers
I feel your pain. I've not found a single app equivalent to MS Access for the Mac. There are some decent online services like Zoho Creator (free) and TrackVia (not free) but if you MUST have something very close to Access or FileMaker installed on your Mac natively, I can offer the following suggestion.
On the Mac, you can install and run MySQL. That'll be your database engine. Installation is beyond the scope here but there's tons of help via Google search. Alternatively, you can use a separate computer or virtual machine (on your local network) with MySQL installed.
To design new MySQL databases like a pro, download and install the free MySQL Workbench. http://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/
Building reports as good as FileMaker's or MS Access was a difficult find for a long time until I ran across the free Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) built into versions of Eclipse. I opted for the development kit version - an enormous 220 meg download, but worth it. Check into it here: http://www.eclipse.org/birt/phoenix/
BIRT can connect to a variety of data sources and is intended as a Java application reporting tool, but it will also render/export reports in a lot of formats including PDF and DOC. It's every bit as good as the report builder in MS Access.
PLEASE NOTE: BIRT requires a pretty significant learning curve but you will not regret it. The thing blows my mind all the time because it is so mature of a product. Like it knows what you want to do. There's lots of tutorials for BIRT on the Eclipse page above. You'll need them.
If you desire to use a BIRT defined report in a web application, good luck. I'm not very fluent with the Java web platform. I just haven't had the patience or need.
All in all, this combination of MySQL, Workbench, and BIRT is the closest thing I've come to that makes me feel like I have a good native database on the Mac.
All the best.
There are lots of free databases similar to FileMaker.
nohillside♦We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context. Don't just give a one-line answer; explain why your answer is right, ideally with citations. Answers that don't include explanations may be removed.
FREE - Open Office has a database that is useable and you can build FORMS, and VIEWS of your data as well as table views, queries, reports, etc. It is an MS-Access alternative and there is a version of it for OS X. You will need to have a Java Runtime installed to use the database functions. This should not be a big deal as JAVA RUNTIME packages are easy to install and available for Mac.
Best of all - FREE!
dwightkKexi is not MAC!!!!!VFront, who knows. Looks like a kluge of an interface for MySQL. There are plenty of SQL apps on the App Store, if you want to fool around with that crap.Still checking our Wavemaker, looks like you have to run from their servers and deal with other difficulties, if you want to run locally.
Software Similar To Access
The reason Filemaker works so well, is that you don't have to be a propeller head to use it. The moment you want me to start installing servers on my Mac, etc. it becomes PAINFUL.
Plug and play.
Glad you are into that kind of thing, but all of these seem like they are more of a headache than something your secretary can learn in one hour, like Filemaker.
Open Office has a database for MAC OS X. I run it all the time. Looks like Access - openoffice.org from Sun.
Tap Forms is also a Mac database app you can try. It's not free, but it's much cheaper than FileMaker Pro and it has iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch versions. You also don't need to be a programmer or know anything about databases to use it. You can build custom layouts, add relationships between forms, perform calculations on your data, print reports, barcodes, and labels and a host of other things.
Full disclosure, I am the developer of Tap Forms. But don't take my word for it, go to www.tapforms.com and download the Mac trial and try it out for yourself.
Mac and iOS users might want to look into the Ninox Database. At $35 for the Mac version, it is far cheaper than Filemaker and the iPhone and iPad versions are free.
MAMP https://www.mamp.info now includes SequelPro, a front end for mySQL. This is a heavy weight solution - setting up an Apache Server and MySQL environment but it is also a simple, free, and effective solution. I used to use Filemaker but I was not using it enough to justify the licence and find Sequel Pro is nice programme to use with the benefit of learning mySQL - and if it does not do everything you need there are plenty of other mySQL front ends.