12 Best Microsoft Access Alternatives (2026)

Microsoft Access isn't dead. Access 2024 shipped in October 2024. Access for Microsoft 365 still gets updates. But Access is clearly in maintenance mode -- it's the only Office app without Copilot AI features, it's excluded from every consumer Office bundle, and it hasn't received a headline feature in years.

The real problems haven't changed: Access is Windows-only, desktop-only, and file-based. The 2 GB database limit. Data corruption from network hiccups during writes. No real-time collaboration. No web deployment. No mobile access. Access Web Apps (the SharePoint version) was retired years ago.

If you're looking to move off Access, the good news is that 2026 offers more alternatives than ever -- from no-code platforms like Airtable to open-source options you can self-host forever. The challenge is picking the right one for your specific Access use case.

Quick comparison

1. Airtable

Airtable is the most popular Access alternative and the most different from Access in philosophy. Where Access gives you SQL queries, VBA code, and pixel-perfect forms, Airtable gives you a colorful spreadsheet-database hybrid with drag-and-drop automations and a visual Interface Designer.

Pricing: Free (1,000 records/base, 1 GB storage). Team at $20/user/month (50,000 records). Business at $45/user/month (100,000 records). Enterprise at custom pricing (500,000 records).

Interface Designer is what replaced Access forms. You build custom views with buttons, charts, and filtered tables that non-technical users interact with. Automations replace VBA macros -- trigger on record changes, send emails, update other tables, call webhooks. The 15,000 AI credits/user/month on Team plans let you auto-categorize, summarize, and extract data from records.

Where Access wins: SQL queries (Airtable has none), complex VBA logic, referential integrity constraints, offline use, and one-time license cost. Airtable at $20/user/month for a 10-person team is $2,400/year -- Access LTSC 2024 is a $160 one-time purchase.

Migration: Export Access tables as CSV, import into Airtable. Rebuild forms with Interface Designer. Replace VBA with Automations + the Scripting extension (JavaScript).

2. NocoDB

NocoDB is the open-source Airtable alternative that does something no other tool on this list does: it sits on top of your existing MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite database and adds a spreadsheet-like UI. Your data stays in real SQL tables. You get grid, kanban, calendar, gallery, and form views on top.

Pricing: Free forever (self-hosted Community Edition, unlimited). Cloud: Free (1,000 records), Plus at $12/user/month, Business at $24/user/month. Unique "pay for 9, get unlimited" model -- you never pay for more than 9 editor seats.

Migration path for Access: Export your Access tables to SQL Server or MySQL (using the upsizing wizard), then point NocoDB at the database. Your data doesn't move -- NocoDB creates the UI layer on top of it. REST and GraphQL APIs are auto-generated for every table.

Best for: Technical teams who already have data in PostgreSQL/MySQL and want a friendly UI for non-technical users. The self-hosted edition has zero limits on rows, storage, or API calls.

3. Baserow

Baserow is MIT-licensed open source with zero row, storage, or API limits when self-hosted. The cloud version starts free (3,000 rows/workspace) with paid plans from $5/user/month.

Baserow differentiates on privacy. Self-hosting means your data never leaves your servers -- important for GDPR compliance and regulated industries. The AI features let you choose your model provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, or self-hosted models), so you control where data flows.

The dashboard feature (charts and metrics built in) eliminates the need for a separate BI tool for simple reporting. Automations and role-based access control are included.

Compared to Access: Baserow has simpler forms and no report printing. But it's web-native, collaborative, and free to run forever on your own server. For organizations replacing Access because of collaboration and web access requirements, Baserow is the most cost-effective option.

4. Claris FileMaker

FileMaker is the closest 1:1 replacement for Access power users. Built by an Apple subsidiary, it offers a visual form designer (drag-and-drop), a report generator with print layouts, relational database integrity, and a structured scripting language that's more capable than VBA.

Pricing: Cloud Starter at $22/user/month. Server Starter at $17.50/user/month (self-hosted). Volume licensing from $210/user/year.

FileMaker can import Access tables directly. It works on Mac, Windows, iOS (FileMaker Go), and web (WebDirect). If your Access database has complex forms with 50+ fields, calculated controls, and multi-page reports, FileMaker is the only alternative that handles that level of form/report complexity.

The trade-off: Vendor lock-in to Apple's ecosystem, proprietary licensing, and a learning curve for the scripting language. But if your Access application is genuinely complex (not just a simple inventory tracker), FileMaker handles the migration with the least compromise.

5. Knack

Knack is specifically designed for building web database applications without code. You define tables, relationships, forms, and user authentication -- Knack generates a responsive web app. Pricing is per-account (not per-user), making it cost-effective for teams.

Pricing: Starter at $49/month (20,000 records, 3 apps, unlimited users). Pro at $110/month. Corporate from $250/month.

Knack explicitly markets an Access migration path. The built-in user login system, role-based permissions, and custom domains mean you can build customer-facing portals that Access never could. E-commerce and payment processing are included.

Best for: Small businesses building customer portals, inventory systems, or CRMs that need user logins and web access. The unlimited-users pricing means a 50-person team pays the same as a 5-person team.

6. Ninox

Ninox is a German-built cloud database platform that's philosophically closest to Access: relational tables, visual form builder, report generator with PDF export, and a purpose-built scripting language. It even has a dedicated migration guide from Access.

Pricing: Starter at EUR 11/user/month (50,000 records). Professional at EUR 22/user/month (500,000 records). Enterprise at custom pricing.

Ninox works on Mac, Windows, iPad, and iPhone with real-time sync. The scripting language is simpler than VBA but covers most automation needs. Gantt, kanban, pivot, and diagram views are built in.

Best for: European SMBs who need forms, reports, and scripting in a GDPR-compliant platform. If Access's form and report builders are your primary use case, Ninox is the smoothest transition.

7. Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a low-code application platform that can directly import Access .mdb/.accdb files. If you're already in the Zoho ecosystem (CRM, Books, Desk), Creator integrates with all of them.

Pricing: Standard at $8/user/month (annual). Professional at $20/user/month. Enterprise at $25/user/month.

The Deluge scripting language replaces VBA. Drag-and-drop forms, reports with charts and pivot tables, and 600+ third-party integrations round out the platform. AI-powered insights and custom AI models are available on higher tiers.

Best for: Organizations already using Zoho products. The direct .accdb import is the fastest migration path on this list -- other tools require CSV export first.

8. Google AppSheet

AppSheet builds apps from data in Google Sheets, Excel, SQL databases, and other sources. If your organization uses Google Workspace, AppSheet Core is often included at no extra cost.

Pricing: Starter at $5/user/month. Core at $10/user/month (often free with Workspace). Enterprise Plus at $20/user/month.

AppSheet's strength is mobile. It generates responsive apps with offline capability, barcode/NFC scanning, and GPS integration. For field teams replacing Access databases used on laptops, AppSheet's mobile-first approach is a significant upgrade.

Limitation: Building anything beyond basic CRUD requires learning AppSheet's expression language. The visual builder handles simple apps well; complex business logic gets awkward.

9. Notion Databases

Notion databases handle many lightweight Access use cases: contact lists, inventory trackers, project databases, content calendars. Multiple views (table, board, calendar, gallery, timeline), relations between databases, and formulas are built in.

Pricing: Free (unlimited for individuals, 1,000 blocks for teams). Plus at $10/user/month. Business at $20/user/month.

Be honest about the limitations: Notion databases cap at 20,000 rows, have no SQL, no reports, no complex forms, and degrade in performance with large datasets. If your Access database has 50,000+ records or needs complex queries, Notion is the wrong tool. For teams under 20 people tracking a few thousand records alongside documentation, it's elegant.

10. SeaTable

SeaTable is another German-built option with an exceptionally generous free tier: up to 25 users, 10,000 rows, 2 GB storage. Python scripting replaces VBA -- a modernization that many developers will prefer.

Pricing: Free (25 users!). Plus at EUR 7/user/month. Enterprise at EUR 14/user/month. Self-hosted licenses available.

25+ column types (more than Airtable), automations, forms, and views (grid, calendar, kanban, gallery, map) are included. Self-hosting is available for GDPR compliance.

Best for: Budget-conscious European teams. The 25-user free tier is the most generous in the market -- a 20-person team pays nothing.

11. Retool

Retool is the developer's choice. It connects to any database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, REST APIs) and provides drag-and-drop UI components to build internal tools. 100+ UI components, 40+ native database connectors, and AI-powered query generation.

Pricing: Free (5 users). Team at $10/user/month. Business at $50/user/month. "End users" (view-only) are cheaper at $5/user/month.

Important caveat: Retool requires JavaScript knowledge for anything beyond simple CRUD. It's powerful but not for non-technical users. If your Access application was built by a developer and used by non-developers, Retool lets the developer rebuild it quickly while keeping the user experience simple.

12. Grist

Grist is an open-source spreadsheet-database hybrid with Python formulas instead of Excel formulas. Row-level and column-level permissions let you control exactly who sees what data. Export as SQLite means zero vendor lock-in.

Pricing: Free (5,000 records/doc). Pro at $8/user/month. Business at $24/user/month. Self-hosted Community Edition is free and unlimited. Enterprise Lite (self-hosted, under $1M revenue) is also free.

Best for: Technical teams who want spreadsheet familiarity with real database structure, or organizations that need granular row-level security. The Python formulas are more powerful than VBA for data manipulation.

How to choose

Non-technical users replacing simple Access databases: Airtable (most polished) or Knack (best for web apps with user logins).

Technical users with existing SQL databases: NocoDB (sits on existing DB) or Retool (build admin tools fast).

Budget-conscious / open source: Baserow or Grist (self-hosted, free forever, unlimited).

Access power users (complex forms + reports): FileMaker (closest 1:1) or Ninox (modern, affordable).

Already in an ecosystem: Zoho Creator (Zoho), AppSheet (Google), or Notion (docs-first teams).

GDPR / European: SeaTable or Baserow (self-hosted). Both offer EU hosting.

FAQ

Is Microsoft actually killing Access?
No. Access 2024 shipped and Access for Microsoft 365 continues. But Access is in maintenance mode -- no AI features, no new capabilities, no consumer availability. Microsoft isn't killing it, but they're not investing in it either.

Can Airtable really replace Access?
For 80% of Access use cases (simple databases, forms, reports), yes. For complex VBA applications, multi-page reports, or databases with 100,000+ records, you need NocoDB, FileMaker, or Retool.

What's the cheapest way to move off Access?
Self-hosted Baserow or NocoDB (free forever). Cloud-based: SeaTable (free for up to 25 users) or AppSheet (often free with Google Workspace).

Should I migrate to a SQL database instead?
If you have a developer on your team, consider PostgreSQL with a UI layer (NocoDB, Retool, or Baserow). You get real SQL, real constraints, and real scalability. The UI tools make it accessible to non-developers.

The right Access alternative depends on what you actually use Access for. If it's a simple database with forms, almost anything on this list works. If it's a complex application with VBA, reports, and multi-user access, narrow your choices to FileMaker, Retool, or NocoDB. Start by listing what your Access database does, then match capabilities -- don't just pick the most popular tool.