Database Management: what Claude and GPT would buy

Check before you buy

• Operating system. Access needs Windows. On a Mac it runs only inside a Windows virtual machine. FileMaker runs natively on both macOS and Windows. Platform is the most common reason a database purchase turns out to be the wrong one.
• Data size ceiling. An Access .accdb file is capped at 2 GB, including system objects. Once you approach that cap you need a back-end server such as SQL Server rather than a bigger desktop file.
• Concurrent users. File-shared desktop databases suit a handful of simultaneous editors. Beyond that, use a server product such as FileMaker Server or SQL Server. File-share corruption and locking problems grow with the number of users.
• Licence type. Choose between a one-time perpetual version and a subscription. Microsoft 365 plans for PC include Access, and Claris sells FileMaker on annual licensing. This decides whether you get future versions and what you keep if you stop paying.
• Front end vs back end. Check whether the tool builds forms and reports itself or is only a database engine that needs a separate application. Small businesses usually need forms and reports without hiring a developer, and engines alone do not provide them.