Claris FileMaker Reviews & Product Details

FileMaker is an exceptionally accessible platform that's easy to customize for those who are curious and have moderate tech skills. It has the potential to revolutionize the way an organization operates. You can begin with a simple database and, as you grow more comfortable, scale up to create complex software solutions that can meet a wide range of needs. Additionally, FileMaker offers the ability to connect with external systems and applications through APIs. Overall, it's a robust platform supported by a fantastic community of developers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The options for designing a layout could be better. Hiding and sliding objects or making layouts responsive and web-like isn't easy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Its rapid development capabilities. You can instantly build what people need, and it’s especially powerful at solving and adapting to system problems across all kinds of industries. It works well for everyone—from complete beginners to experienced developers—and it’s a great starting point for anyone learning database languages. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

1. Even though FileMaker has been around for 40 years, it’s still not widely adopted globally. I believe the single-user version of FileMaker Pro should be free, so more people can try it. Once people start using it and see its value, they’ll likely invest in FileMaker Server.

2. I wish FileMaker Go had an Android version. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Claris FileMaker is a great tool for no-code rapid application development. It allows you to quickly build bespoke databases/'custom apps' for web, iOS and native Mac/Windows desktops. For maximum speed RAD it has its own built-in database engine, but can also be used as a front end to 3rd party SQL database backends such as MySQL, MS SQL and Oracle.

The platform scales well for small & medium enterprises - i.e. workgroups from 10 - to a few hundred users.

It has been a work horse tool for me as consultant/developer for over 18 years now. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Licensing has changed radically over the last few versions and so can be complex to navigate if you are not already familiar with the different differ offerings.

The WebDirect feature is very technically impressive in that produces very graphically rich interfaces, but does require significant performance overhead and so does require substantial hardware. Currently this is limited to around 100 concurrent connections. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

How adaptable it is

How robust it can be

How easy it can integrate with other APIs

How inexpensive it is to develop in compared to other alternatives Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Although you can design a very nice looking UI, it needs a more modern approach to layout design

It needs a more robust way to create web forms for anonymouse users Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Claris FileMaker is a great platform for building and deploying custom apps for small businesses. The native features allow for integrations with external services and extendability beyond the typical functions. The community is very welcoming and vibrant. There is always someone in a forum who is eager to answer questions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Scalability can be quite tricky to handle. It helps to prepare in advance and there are ways to make a solution scalable, but it is difficult. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Its very approachable, but has power and depth when you need it. The fact that I can integrate via REST and GraphQL APIs give me the flexibility to build workflows with all of the other tools our clients use and the ability to integrate javascript libraries lets us expand FileMaker's capabilities when we need it Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There are some more complex applications where the speed of the database engine can become an issue to be monitored. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Its simplicity combined with real power. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

No Android support.

No standalone direct App creation (for AppStore or Google Play Store).

No tools to test WebDirect performance. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Claris FileMaker has constantly added features and enhancement at a steady pace for decadeds. Plus, you can convert a solution built in FileMaker 3 (1995) and to FileMaker 20 (2023) and it will still work! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Sometime confusing licensing options and limitations. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The ability to build a application based on my requirements not SAAS. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Report building capabilities are lacking, absence of options for integration of an accounting package Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

FileMaker gives small businesses the ability to solve complex problems with alacrity, making them more competitive with larger operations that have bigger software budgets. Best of all, FileMaker integrates with just about any app, so the experience is seamless as people follow their process. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's easy for untrained users to get started, but standards are not enforced within the app, allowing them to create solutions that are not always built for speed or longevity. The good news is, there are plenty of pros in the marketplace. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.