Microsoft Access For Mac Alternatives: Best Database Software For Mac of 2024 (Free & Paid)

There has never been a version of Microsoft Access For Mac but fear not as we’ve looked at the best alternatives to it for creating database in 2024.

Databases are an essential part of managing business data from handling customer data in CRM software, lead generation via email marketing tools and for tracking in project management.

The good news is that nowadays, there are plenty of database platforms for both relational and non-relational databases which are easy enough for anyone to use on macOS.

Many of the ones we reviewed make Microsoft Access look very dated in comparison.

All of the following data management software allow you to build business app databases for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite and more.

After hours of research, we found the best database software on Macs is Knack which is so much easier, quicker and powerful than using Access.

What To Look For In Alternatives To Microsoft Access

Here are some of the things we looked for in choosing which of these apps were great alternatives to MS Access for creating databases on a Mac.

• Ease of Use: They’re all easier to use than Microsoft Access and support user friendly features such as drag-and-drop, templates and even AI to help you build databases.
• Price: We looked at apps that offer both subscription and one-off purchase pricing models including some free options too to cater for all budgets.
• File Support: All of the apps we looked at allow you to import and export files to and from Access in CSV, Excel or XML format.
• Backups: It’s important that the application automatically backs-up your encrypted databases and provides recovery options in case you lose your precious data.
• Cross Platform: If you’re going to be working in both Mac and Windows environments, then its important the app works across platforms including mobile devices.
• Integrations: We looked at apps that allow you to integrate with third party software such as Zapier, MS Office, Jira, Confluence, Trello and other productivity tools.

1. Knack

Knack is easily the best alternative to MS Access on a Mac and best overall database software we tried by some distance.

It’s also much cheaper than Microsoft’s product without the steep learning curve.

Amazingly, Knack requires absolutely no coding experience at all although for those that know what they’re doing, you can tweak it manually.

Key Features:

• Drag and drop interface that allows you to to quickly create a database from scratch with database templates. Simply define the data your “app” (Knack lingo for database) will store and use, structure your data with fields and then connect it all together.

You then simply build an interface by dropping in elements that define how your users view and update your database.

• Lots of interface to choose from including tables, lists, search fields, maps or forms.

• Ability to deploy your app by embedding it in websites, show different pages to different users and display on mobile devices.
• Monitoring database activity is made clear and easy with data delivered to charts, graphs and pivot tables in real time.

• Third party integration with applications via Zapier such as Mailchimp, Google Docs and Dropbox so that it dynamically updates databases.
• Integrated with payment solutions such as Visa, PayPal and Stripe if you’re building an e-commerce database.

Although Knack can’t import MS Access files, it can if you convert them to CSV format (Comma Separated Values) format which is the most common way to export databases from Access, Excel and other database tools.

You can start using Knack for FREE with no credit card required to judge it for yourself and you’ll get one hour of free support.

You can also check out our full review of Knack’s database software for more.

Pricing: Starting from $49/month for up to 20,000 records, 2GB of storage, 3 apps and basic support.

2. LibreOffice – Base

LibreOffice – Base is a free open source database application for Mac and part of the excellent LibreOffice free office suite which is a free alternative to Microsoft Office on Mac.

It’s nowhere near as powerful or as easy to use as Knack but it still packs a lot of features into a free package.

Key Features:

• LibreOffice Base supports opening of Access files although you’ll need an ODBC or JDBC driver to connect it to Access and other databases.
• Support for HSQLDB, MySQL, MariaDB, Adabas D and PostgreSQL files.
• Wizard-driven interface for creating tables, queries, forms, and reports.
• Part of the LibreOffice Suite which is an excellent free alternative to Microsoft Office for Mac.

LibreOffice Base is surprisingly powerful for a free package although it’s not easy to use and there’s very little support if you run into problems.

Pricing: Free

3. Ninox Database

If you’re looking for a native database creation software for Macs that’s powerful, good looking and yet still easy to use, Ninox Database is definitely worth taking a closer look.

Ninox is a slick database creation software for Mac and iOS and although it can’t import Microsoft Access file on macOS, it’s much easier to use.

Key Features:

• Lots of templates for different tasks such as timesheet tracking, real estate databases and even listing recipes.
• It’s very fast – compared to the time it takes Microsoft Access to setup and create databases, Ninox feels very quick indeed even with large datasets.
• Ability to build reports and charts within databases and even generate invoices automatically.
• Syncs with Ninox Cloud so that you can buy one license and use it on up to 5 devices so that you can work on your databases on any Mac or iOS device.

Ninox can however get very expensive if you start adding additional members via Ninox Cloud at $8.33 per user per month.

Pricing: Free trial, Plans starting from $10/month, Ninox Cloud subscription $145.00

4. Claris FileMaker

Claris FileMaker (formerly FileMaker Pro) is one of the most established database creation software outside of Microsoft Access.

FileMaker was originally created by Apple but is now owned by Claris International which is an Apple subsidiary so its the closest thing you’ll get to an Apple equivalent to Microsoft Access.

Nowadays Claris FileMaker is designed to create custom business apps by building databases for managing clients, employees, projects, tracking inventory and more.

Key Features:

• Drag-and-drop interface for creating custom apps.
• Integration with various data sources, including SQL, XML, and ODBC.
• Advanced security features and user permissions.
• Cloud hosting options with FileMaker Cloud.
• Mobile compatibility with FileMaker Go for iOS devices.

We found that Claris FileMaker is not as “transparent” as other database solutions in the way it creates databases.

For example, the source files in Claris FileMaker are basically hidden from the user whereas in most database apps including Access, it’s much easier to edit the source file directly.

It’s also one of the most expensive database solutions available on Mac with pricing starting at $21.00 per user per month.

Pricing: Free Trial, $21/month or $594 for a one off purchase single license

5. Tap Forms

Tap Forms is a user friendly app that’s aimed at those that want to create personal databases on Mac, Mobile and even Apple Watches.

It’s ideal for those that don’t have any database knowledge and just want to build databases of things like accounts, recipes, inventories and more.

Key Features:

• Tap Forms is a particularly good alternative to Bento on Mac which is now discontinued as you can import old Bento files, CSV, text and other formats.
• You can upload multimedia data such as images, audio recordings and links to other database files.
• You can also sync Tap Forms with iCloud, IBM Cloudant, WiFi networks and Apache CouchDB Sync Servers.

If you’re looking for an easy way to create forms and databases on Mac and mobile devices without coding knowledge.

Pricing: $49.99

6. Sequel Pro

If you’re looking for a way to manage MySQL databases on a Mac then Sequel Pro could be your answer.

Sequel Pro is a free open source Mac only database software for working specifically with MySQL databases.

Key Features:

• Full MySQL support, including versions 3, 4, and 5.
• Easy connection to local and remote databases.
• Simple and intuitive user interface.
• Export and import databases in various formats.
• Query editor with syntax highlighting and auto-complete.

Sequel Pro does not yet work natively on Apple Silicon M-series Macs but does work on them using Rosetta in macOS.

Pricing: Free

7. DBeaver

DBeaver is a popular and versatile free open source database management tool that caters to a wide range of users, from beginners to experienced database professionals.

DBeaver offers a plethora of features and capabilities that make it a powerful, if technical database software.

Although you can’t import MS Access files you can connect DBeaver to MS Access databases.

Key Features:

• Extensive support of various database systems, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and many more making it an excellent choice for multi-database environments.
• The user-friendly interface provides an array of tools, such as SQL development, data migration, and ERD modeling, making it a versatile choice for a diverse set of database tasks.
• Highly customizable as you can edit the source code if you know how to.
• There’s an active DBeaver community that contributes to its development and maintains a variety of plugins to extend its functionality.

DBeaver is overall a versatile and powerful free database management tool with excellent database support, data visualization features, and an active open-source community.

Pricing: Free

8. iDatabase

If you want a Mac desktop database software that allows you to build your own personal databases, inventories and list then iDatabase is a cheaper alternative to Tap Forms.

Like Tap Forms, iDatabase is quite similar to the now defunct Bento and is easy enough for anyone to use.

Key Features:

• Lots of ready-made templates such as for Book collections, Customer databases, Expense databases, Recipes and more.
• Easy to filter records by name, category and other variables.
• Includes an iOS app that you can sync with the Mac app via WiFi or alternatively you can sync via DropBox.

Pricing: $39.99

Does Microsoft Access for Mac Exist?

Microsoft has never made a version of Access for macOS so you won’t find it included in either Office for Mac or in Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365).

Although MS Access is still the most widely used database software by small to mid sized companies worldwide, there’s never been a Mac version of it.

The main reason for this is that most business environments still use Windows and the market for business users on macOS is relatively small.

There are also third party Microsoft Access viewers for Mac that allow you to open Microsoft Access databases but they are very limited and don’t let you edit them.

Can You Run Microsoft Access on Mac?

You can run Microsoft Access on a Mac using a virtual machine which works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

For full editing and opening of Microsoft Access password protected files your best option is to run Windows on your Mac and install Access.

The easiest way to run Windows on your Mac is to use Parallels which allows you to run Windows and macOS at the same time including on Apple Silicon Macs.

None of the apps featured here can edit password protected Access files but Parallels allows you to install Windows on your Mac and thus enjoy the full version of Microsoft Access.

You can read more about how to install Microsoft Access on a Mac here.

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s still life after Microsoft Access on macOS.

Knack is our pick for the best alternative to Access and the best overall database software for Mac users.

It’s about as easy as it gets when it comes to creating databases on macOS and yet is incredibly powerful and flexible.

Base is a great free alternative for those on a budget.

Ninox Database meanwhile is the best on-premise desktop database solution for Mac users.

It’s got a great Mac desktop client but the cost per user subscription model gets expensive for large teams.