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Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access

Overview

What is Microsoft Access?

Microsoft Access is a database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools.

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Recent Reviews
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Awards

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Pricing

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Microsoft Access

$139.99

On Premise
per PC

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

Workflow Builder for Microsoft Access Demo

YouTube

Use a File Dialog in Microsoft Access

YouTube

Open Source Simple LIMS Software for Small Lab Demo

YouTube

Microsoft Access Electronic Signature Capture Database Template

YouTube

Microsoft Access Database Tutorial - User form Login Security Demo

YouTube

Microsoft Access Project Management Database Template

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Microsoft Access?

Microsoft Access Video

What is Microsoft Access?

Microsoft Access Competitors

Microsoft Access Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Microsoft Access is a database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools.

Claris FileMaker are common alternatives for Microsoft Access.

Reviewers rate Usability highest, with a score of 10.

The most common users of Microsoft Access are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(826)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 98)
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Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Very easy to create entity-relationship diagrams for various tables and designing mock layouts.
  • Really easy to navigate as it hold[s] the classic Microsoft UI. Another good thing is that it comes with the complete MS Office Suite.
  • It is really fast when joining multiple tables no matter what type of join.
  • Works on pretty much same SQL scripts so no need to learn a new language!
  • Need to backup very frequently, I have lost my work many times.
  • No version for Mac users, [I believe this is a] big limitation.
  • The ability to handle large database and multiple users.
  • UI is easy to use but [I feel it] can be improved a lot.
Peggi Wolfe | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Generates information about department events, services, orders, etc. quickly and in report form.
  • Easy to design forms and reports with drag and drop components. You don't need to know coding.
  • The ability to link tables and queries to get all the info needed for forms and reports
  • Forms and reports are easy to customize and edit.
  • Easily report your data grouped and sorted by any field
  • Microsoft Access has not really changed at all for several years. It might be nice to see some upgrades and changes.
  • The help info is often not helpful. Need more tutorials for Microsoft Access to show how to do specific things.
  • Be careful naming objects such as tables, forms, etc. Names that are too long can get cut off in dialog boxes to choose a table, form, report, etc. So, I wish they would have resizable dialog boxes to allow you to see objects with long names.
  • I wish it could show me objects that are not in use in the database for current queries, tables, reports, forms, and macros. That way unused objects can be deleted without worrying about losing a report or query because you deleted the underlying object.
Alicia Barevich, bCRE, bCEE | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Fully customizable
  • Forms enable customized easy entry
  • Reports can solve pretty much any need
  • Mailmerge and emails can automate any task.
  • Very high learning curve
  • Hard to code complex reports without a ton of time and skill
  • No support resources for reporting help.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Find matching data points from 2 different data sets
  • Find unmatched data points from 2 data sets
  • Amalgamate data ,any different data sets
  • A little clunky
  • Not very intuitive
  • Have to take time to format data in order to import/work within Microsoft Access
Niloofar Keshvari Nia | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Default ready templates that you can use depending on the theme of your project
  • You do not need programming knowledge or DB science to work with it
  • Simple and attractive graphical interface that you can add everything you have in mind to your application features with a few clicks
  • Ability to easily connect and store data with Azure SQL and MySQL databases, will increasing security and work efficiency.
  • Although we know that Microsoft Access was created for small and simple projects, if Microsoft expands its capabilities, it [would be] very good. For example, the size limit of the database is currently 2GB or 200K records is very small.
  • Microsoft Access is not designed for multiple users at the same time and has limitations that must be considered.
  • Designed for Windows OS only and this is a serious limitation, many users use Macs and Apple products.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Easy to use, and nearly limitless potential
  • Fast when joining data sets, whether you are doing inner, outer, full or self joins
  • Widely used software. Just about every company uses Access, or at least has it installed
  • When joining data, if there could be a way to add columns for matches, instead of adding rows
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Matching/combining data from two or more sources. (I.e. data from a central student information system and information received from a department-made submission form
  • Finding errors between two datasets
  • Saving time when used properly instead of Microsoft Excel
  • Generally high learning curve for new users. Especially if they are not comfortable with technology.
  • Desktop only program; not available in web-format like other O365 products
  • Fewer experienced users, means it's a lot of self-teaching and troubleshooting when you run into an issue
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • [Microsoft] Access can be linked directly with other Microsoft applications to get all sort of data formats.
  • Easy configuration and interface
  • Can easily import and compile data from different resources.
  • Not ideally perfect for large databases.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • All-in-one solutions (dashboard, data entry, reports/queries, relational data).
  • As much/little business logic and automation as required.
  • Can easily be tailored to specific needs of departments/individuals.
  • Can interact directly with corporate databases (e.g. SQL).
  • The need for each user to have their own instance of the front end is an obstacle to more widespread use.
  • Graphs/charts still seem more difficult to implement than they should be.
Joe Gill | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Combining files
  • Search large datasets quickly
  • Roll out to single or multiple locations with limited ease and implementation cost
  • Scalability between different versions
  • 2GB Size limit before SQL migration needed
  • Lack of availability to access via the web without SharePoint
  • Corruption of files can happen, leading to VB being erased. Frequent backups are needed
March 15, 2021

Teaching with Access

Balázs Kiss | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Graphical interface makes design easier.
  • Good introduction for database design concepts.
  • GUI allows less room for errors.
  • Concurrent users accessing a database makes it really slow.
  • Requires Windows, and Office.
Che Odom | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • It is inexpensive compared to other database options.
  • It is versatile. You can create databases in almost any category, area, market sector, and industry.
  • It lets you customize it, and you are able to create custom input forms and reports.
  • Well, it requires a lot more training or research than other more "intuitive" Microsoft products.
  • The buildout of custom reports is highly complex, and I think that area, in particular, could be more intuitive.
  • Queries can be difficult to develop if you don't know the right language or terminology, and I think that those terms could be better visible in the ribbon.
Thairy Ollarves | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Ability to manage all information
  • Tables to store data
  • Consult to search and retrieve only the data you need
  • Forms to view, add and update or analyze the internet data
  • Volume of data or users
  • Among its biggest drawbacks are that it is not multiplatform
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Imports data from almost every common data format. Custom import specification allows more flexibility.
  • Excellent forms and report writer together query designer. Complete collection of tools in one place.
  • VBA allows complex manipulation of data and automating it to cut down repetitive work.
  • Data in MS Access can be linked directly with MS Excel, combing the powers of data management in MS Access and data visualisation in MS Excel.
  • Overall capacity, such as file size (currently 2GB max) and the number of fields allowed (currently 255) needs to be increased.
  • Needs significant enhancement to address file bloating issues.
  • It's an excellent RAD tool. Haven't been overhauled in the last 10 years or so. It's about time that Microsoft commit more resources to this brilliant product
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