Claris FileMaker Reviews

I first started using this years ago when I ran an art department for a publishers, and wanted something more robust than Excel to manage the data! I instantly fell in love with this humble but powerful software!
Once you get past the "If Then" stuff it's a doddle to set up very complex seeming databases that analyse, your data and build reports for you!

If anything it's pretty minor they could use an idiots walk through to get you over the initial hurdles of understanding logic queries, but even without this, this software is so elegantly simple even a moron like me managed to get by!

The easy and stable way to use it and improve it daily, as you want.

Only iOS mobile App (no Android). Restriction without big consequence for me.

I have been using the software since its first release in the 80s. It was once user-friendly, but now I need to use a developer who writes code in the background to make it do anything, and I can't service it myself. It does what I need it to do, but it has cost me thousands and thousands of dollars to make it do what I need it to do now because of the built-in obsolescence. Every time I buy a update my operating system or purchase a new computer, I can expect also to spend hundreds of dollars to update FileMaker

I have been using the software since its first release in the 80s. It was once user-friendly, but now I need to use a developer who writes code in the background to make it do anything, and I can't service it myself. It does what I need it to do, but it has cost me thousands and thousands of dollars to make it do what I need it to do now because of the built-in obsolescence. Every time I buy a update my operating system or purchase a new computer, I can expect also to spend hundreds of dollars to update FileMaker

The software is reliable enough that I have access to what I need and is pretty customizable. I like the new barcode add on (though it's functionality leaves a lot to be desired).

We've had issues with OS compatibility and some of the features are overly complicated to implement. Our database could be much better with very thorough customization but it would take an annoying amount of effort to get there.

Ease of use makes the learning curve of this product easier to deploy than other products.

The biggest problem with Filemaker has to do with upgrading. When Claris issues a new major upgrade, previous templates cannot use the new upgrade. Your templates have to be recreated in the upgraded version to take advantage of any new features.

The database management is great, easy and powerful. The scripts and conditional logic are superpowerful, you can make almost any kind of process with the scripts, just takes time and a high learning curve to squeeze all its possibilities.
Building simple static interfaces is fairly easy and quick.

A) UI: the interface engine is completely outdated for a modern app, is not that you can't build beautiful UI, you can, as far it does not require real responsiveness and conditionals. When a layout (page) needs to have a dynamic interface, which means conditionals for show/hide elements and adapt the rest of the elements, you just can't. Is possible to hide elements of course, but not to adapt the behavior for the rest of the elements. In a simple interface with only a few fields, you can handle it easily, but for complex/flexible UI, it becomes a nightmare with a lot of data that you cannot show dynamically.
10 years ago it was all that was out there, and therefore the CRM UI were those big messy layouts with a lot of data. For nowadays the web design moved to dynamic UI where less is more, if you want an interface to be easy to read and understand, you really need to show less data at the same time, for that you need dynamic and flexible UI, which is not possible to build with Filemaker.

B) Data access/constraint: relations in the database are made in a way (classic relations between tables) that while is intuitive and easy to understand, is very difficult and limited for big and complex relations. Why? It is possible to make any relation, but the quantity of relations you need and the complexity (usually chaos) that comes with is huge. Also, real constraints far data calls from the UI are not possible, you always have to call the full data from the UI.

The software if fully customizable and it truly as good as you want to make it.

For someone that doesn’t work in the development on a regular basis, I found myself having to relearn everything anytime I wanted to make a change.

It has a visually pleasing and easy to use user interface. It is highly customizable and quite easy to set up. It has the drag and drop tool that makes it easy to create presentations. It has a significant number of templates ready to use. The ability to combine plugins streamlines the process for creating applications.

They can give you greater dynamics Incorporating integrations of applications commonly used in the office and its cost is significantly high.

Thank you for your great program, looking forward to his rise to the top.

Nothing this is good thank you for thiis

Ease of Use
Features
Stability
Updates
Integrations

Licensing prices . Fees to obtain newer and better versions.

I like the granularity of the software and the fact that it can be almost limitless in the possibilities. We use this software to keep our IT asset database, and when we lost the member of our team who managed our database to retirement, we found ourself in a quandary the first time it did not function as needed due to a change in our insurance company's requirements. I was able to figure out the software on my own and rebuild our database in simplified form within three weeks, and fully import all of our assets. Layouts are easily modifiable and integrate well into other applications, like mail. Scripts were easily definable through a little trial and error for this novice. Additionally, the fact that multiple people at our organization can be viewing a single record at once is quite helpful, even if only one can edit at a time, which is easily understandable. Overall, a solid product.

In terms of cons, Filemaker, while robust, is not very friendly for new users. It is easy to override data that is not locked, and when items are locked, they tend to not be able to function in scripts as well as unlocked data. Additionally, while the data in fields may be requisite for locking, with the chance of change being a rarity, it is not fragile enough to warrant it be locked and unlocked in layout every time. A protective middle-ground would be nice to be able to implement with the click of a button rather than having to write a script to go "Are you sure?". Additionally, my IT director of several years was unable to rebuild or modify our database without issue despite 16 years of IT experience and many more years than myself with FM. My background in WYSIWYG programs like Adobe GoLive prepared me for their natural, if sometimes clunky, nature. I wish the software was less clunky, and more user-friendly, because it would be great for general IT users.

Filemaker is extremely adaptable. It can be used by a small one-or-two computer setup, right up to a huge conglomerate. The software remains the same, and enables your business to grow without having to keep changing software.

They are constantly updating the extra functionality; with the latest revision there is more possibility for engagement with other applications, enhanced security, and a re-designed interface for PC users.

I have been using FMP for the last 10 years, first as a tool in my business, and latterly as a developer with many companies. It is as robust today as it was when I started, and keeps getting better.

Enabling the use of FIlemaker on a large-scale for a small company is very difficult. Let me explain...

Company A provides security guards to Clubs, Shops, Companies, etc... They have a full-time workforce of 10 employees, and then 400 security personnel on their books as either casual or part-time employees. The 10 full-time employees utilise Filemaker Pro to book jobs for the part-time and casual employees, the software is also used for vetting potential new recruits, invoicing companies, and keeping a history of who has worked where, and any comments from either side about that.

An extra function would be to allow the part-time and casual employees the ability to see part of the Filemaker database, so they could access their upcoming jobs and leave any comments. With iBeacons, a safety system could also be utilised to make sure they are on patrol at a certain time in a given location.

With Filemaker's current structure, each casual worker would need their own license to make this extra functionality easily happen, which of course is prohibitively expensive.

But if that is the only drawback I can think of, then they are doing just fine!

I love that if you can think it, Filemaker can produce it. Given the time to develop motion, you can get the software to repeat that motion over and over. That saves time and time is money. I love how it provides mental exercise while developing but also is intuitive when it comes to building a custom application that the whole business can take advantage. After an introduction to a new "app" built in Filemaker, it isn't long that all departments ask "what could it do for us?" And the answer is "what do you need". It is so versatile. Integration with things like email, Google, Office can lead to great productivity.

The think I like least is the capability in reports to do some word processing capabilities. But it's still a great Form library. But I wish it could insert a page break that would be understood while printing a report.

Filemaker Pro allows you to prototype and built database production grade applications fast. The nicest thing about Filemaker Pro is that you built the database structure, scripts and layouts in the same application. Building lay outs is as easy as drag and drop and doesn't require extensive design skills or knowledge of secondary technologies such as HTML/CSS/JavaScript. Personally I think anyone who's willing to dedicated some time for training is able to become a Filemaker Developer. Another nice thing is that database applications can easily be integrated with mobile platforms.

Filemaker applications can be hosted online (cloud), on premise on Filemaker Server and locally on the Filemaker client. The applications that I've build with Filemaker run for 10+ years already on a Filemaker Server multi site environment and is in use by 25+ people on a daily basis.

Filemaker is regularly updated (major versions usually once a year) which introduces new features. These updates make Filemaker better each round, for instance the latest upgrade introduces sensory perception for IOS devices and a new administration console.

Finally, the development and implementation costs of Filemaker Pro applications are very low compared to enterprise database solutions making it really attractive for SMB. The licensing is server and client based and there is also a subscription based license to be paid annually.

The pros of Filemaker Pro heavily outweigh its cons but here is a few:
- Performance of applications is nowhere as good as that of enterprise solutions, especially when multiple clients from different sites connect to an on premise hosted server.
- Filemaker has its own scripting engine, which is pretty good, but some functions/operations can be a bit difficult to implement due to its limitations which is easier in SQL.

I regularly use this software for inventory reasons, especially in relation to art. With that said, it allows you to build your own layout and database to adapt it to exactly what you want it to be. When fully adapted it works beautifully. Using it in the context of galleries or other spaces where it has been set up is a dream. It allows relatively easy searches in many categories, allowing you to create very specific, isolated keywords to find things later (such as their price, year created, subject matter, title, name of creator etc). It's very useful.

This software is not easy to set up. I did a trial run at my house, as an artist myself, to see if I could use filemaker for my own inventory needs. Once I had the software downloaded, I found it exceedingly complicated to begin to create the boxes/ qualifiers with which I wanted to be able to add data. I don't consider myself a novice with softwares. I think I'm fairly capable on a computer and even after watching a few YouTube tutorials I ended up giving up on the prospect of using this at home. It seems more relevant for businesses where there is someone well-versed in database softwares to adapt it to yoru specific needs.

I tried learning databases with SQL and MS Access. It wasn't until I started using FileMaker that I really began understanding how databases work. Although FileMaker is VERY powerful, it caters to beginners in a way that no other software does. The ability to grasp how databases function, how to build them, how to maintain them, and how to develop a solution for yourself, or others, is unmatched. I learned databases with FileMaker and that has helped me understand how SQL works and how databases in general work. All this to say that the thing I like the most about FileMaker is how easy it was to learn along with how powerful it is to develop in. I can make something small for myself, or something huge for a client.

FileMaker's weakest spot has to do with user interface (layout) tools. Although there is a very good selection of controls available, it pales in comparison to what you can get with other software. Even a free version of Visual Studio will provide you with a lot more layout controls than FileMaker. Although this is FileMaker's biggest weakness, it also means that you aren't overwhelmed with options when designing layouts. That feeds into FileMaker's strengths of being easy to learn.

The most powerful part of FileMaker is its scripting platform.
It makes it easy to add many more functions to a database, while requiring a lot less experience with programming than e.g. coding in SQL. Simple IF/THEN/ELSE commands is a godsend, when you need to create a logic for database functions. While making logic statements is also possible in SQL, it is far from easy, and getting data from a field in SQL? You need a lot of commands; in Filemaker, you just select the relevant field or can even make a logic function that selects the correct field.
I could write for hours about the fantastic scripting system...

Only dislike I have, is that I currently do not have the time to delve into some serious database-design and programming, but that is not actually a problem with the software, but stress-levels at work... So unfortunately I do not use Filemaker at my new job, but I remember it fondly from my old job. (and that is a con in my book, that I do not get to use FileMaker on a daily basis). It's not like we do not have tasks that could benefit from a Filemaker Database, but there are just a lot of other tasks that needs doing.

The FileMaker platform (desktop, server, cloud, FileMaker Go mobile app) is lightyears in simplicity ahead of Microsoft Access - which I often hear as the "go-to do it yourself" solution. FileMaker is ridiculously simple to use, especially when using a built-in starter solution. FileMaker scales to almost enterprise levels of use. The scripting functionality make creation of custom apps (no longer called "solutions") a very quick affair. FileMaker works with Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, and the iOS FileMaker Go App. Pricing is very reasonable considering all it does.

Development of the platform usually runs slower than emerging technologies can be incorporated. There is no Android version of the mobile app. The web app is an acceptable solution for simple solutions, but usually not a good option for apps using complex scripting. Support can be challenging. There is no customer portal to manage keys and payment information.

I've been a user of Filemaker on and off since it's early days as a Claris product. The number one pro in my opinion is the ease in which you can start using Filemaker Databases. The templates out of the gate are well built, have a nice UI and give you the freedom to make them yours easily. Beginners can use the templates to get a taste for the Filemaker development structure while not having to climb a steep learning curve to get an app or database off the ground. Deployment is one click for simple web use and a few more clicks to deploy on a hosted solution like Amazon Web Services. For the expert user, complex systems can be made in a shorter amount of time and a GUI can be in place at the same time. Single developer and teams can all just in can create some thing truly functional and efficient.

The ease of use allows you to really create what you wanted not what you are able to achieve due to a learning curve. Help is readily available in the forums and through their customer support. I have received database files as example of how to fix a problem I was having. They really go the extra mile to get you up and running fast.

There is a vast library of plug-ins from third party vendors that close the gap on development time. Days if not weeks of time can be saved with one plug-in. They don't come cheap so be sure you need it. There is are also a multitude of free add-ons and plug-in to add functionality to your databases.

Licensing is a little steep for a small business or single user. The add-ons are also a bit pricey. When looking at the cost to develop, you really need to budget and make sure you only buy what you need.

FileMaker is incredibly easy to work with, offers generally well documented online help docs, and has a huge and active community of developers you can learn from. We have used FileMaker Server to host about 20 different databases with great results. I don't think I can overstate it enough that it was very easy for us to learn the software. We migrated from an outdated and ill-supported database system where development was only officially supported by the company that made the software. Contrast that with FileMaker where you are expected to do the development yourself because it's so simple. Very glad we switched to FileMaker.

I suppose my least favorite thing about FileMaker Server is that upgrading to a new version requires you to uninstall the current version first. This means you have to take some steps to preserve your server-specific settings before the uninstall/upgrade process otherwise you'll be starting from scratch with your server settings. Some settings can be exported to a file, but for others you have to take screenshots to preserve the settings which is a slight pain. This doesn't affect the databases you've created, but would affect scripts that are scheduled to run from the server.

You can quickly and easily design powerful and sophisticated custom applications that run on Mac, Windows, iOS, and the Web. You develop once and deploy the same base code on all platforms, customizing your forms according to each platform's needs.

Their iOS runtimes take great advantage of Apple technologies like:
the buit-in GPS hardware and external iBeacons for location/geolocation based workflows
 the built-in camera for snapping photos and reading 2-D Barcode (barcode scanning)
multi-touch, for gesture-triggered actions and capturing on-screen signatures

Their Server and Cloud products are among the easiest to deploy and maintain.

Their proprietary WebDirect technology is the easiest and fastest way to deploy web-based applications for workgroups that I have ever seen.

Their suite of built-in web-integration capabilities spans the gamut: PHP, cURL, REST APIs, XML, and WebDirect.

Lack of a built-in push notification mechanism, either thru their Servers or via the host OS. Also, their Cloud product could benefit from Load Balancing support.

Import your Excel spreadsheet, place a few fields on a form, within minutes you have created a user interface as a starting point for what can become a very powerful business application. Using the database manager, you can create links between data tables quickly and visually. Cross platform capable! Run the application on a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or use a web interface (requires the server product). Once you start using this product, and it becomes an integral part of your business operation, you can either teach yourself the advanced features, or hire a consultant to help you out as there is a very strong developer community. The development language is a easy to learn scripting language.

FileMaker still struggles to gain acceptance in IT departments, and yet it is a legitimate application development environment with very powerful capabilities.

The software is easy to use and relatively easy to learn from a developer's standpoint. It has all of the functional capability one needs to develop a useful database application, such as contact/client management or - in my case - management of an art gallery's permanent collection.

What do you do when you outgrow the system or want to migrate to a more robust database system? For me this is the major drawback of Filemaker Pro - there are no tools to help you export a complete file that can be imported into another database. You can import text fields and fields with yes/no on/off switches, but you cannot export images/photographs.

This is a major drawback if you are planning to use the product for a couple of years before migrating to a standard relational database.

Basically, Filemaker Pro files are proprietary files and are not accessible to standard relational database methods, such as SQL. This is okay if (a) you will not outgrow the product or (b) you have no images/photographs included in the database.

I like the fact that I can create almost anything with this platform. from Inventory Management to client Management, Lead Systems, Invoicing and Product Categories. I once automated a product catalog with this software for thousands of products.

Sometimes the scripting between modules was difficult to figure out, but I was able to find help with thie support and forums.

I have been using FileMaker since probably 1988. That would be 32 years. It is the most valuable tool in my office. I can easily create a database to manage specific information. I have databases I set up early on that I still use. I created a time and billing program when Macs still ran on system 9, and it has worked ever since with no modifications. I have been using FileMaker in court to win cases since the first Apple laptop computer. Kf you want command of your information, FileMaker is the tool to help you do it.

1. It does not work well with Adobe Acrobat. When I import pdf's I am unable to annotate them or even highlight passages.
2. FileMaker server requires ports used for web hosting. I had to set up my website host computer at a separate location. I am sure I could have found a workaround, but that is beyond my ability.