Claris FileMaker vs Quickbase (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Claris FileMaker grades higher than Quickbase: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Claris FileMaker grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Claris FileMaker
Low-code platform for custom database apps on desktop, iOS and web
Quickbase
Low-code platform for custom work apps and workflows
Which one is for you
Pick Claris FileMaker if
- Fits if your business runs on a process no ready-made app fits and you'll build your own
- Works for teams of 5 or more split between Macs, Windows PCs, iPhones and iPads
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're a team of two or three, as team licences start at 5 users and are billed annually
- Not for you if you just want a spreadsheet or a ready-made tracker, because here you build the app first
- Pricey if you want Claris to do the hosting, at $22 a user for 3 apps and 2 GB, or $45 for Cloud Max
- Skip it if Android matters, as there's no native app and Android users get the browser
- Watch out: Remote Backup and Standby Server are paid add-ons, and Remote Backup isn't offered on FileMaker Cloud
Pick Quickbase if
- Fits if an operations or compliance team needs custom apps with audit logs
- Makes sense if you will want Gantt charts and SSO later
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are small, as the platform minimum on top of $35 per user is not shown
- Skip it if you want a quick price, since plans are sold through a contact form
- Tight if you need SSO, SCIM, Gantt charts, a sandbox or HIPAA support, which need Business at $55
- Watch out: extensions and the AI Intelligence Pack are add-ons
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAClaris FileMakerFair | 2.0GPAQuickbaseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DThe cheapest way in is $17.50 a user a month billed annually, for 5 users or more, and you host it yourself. That's well past the $9.99 middle and the $13.00 dear quarter in this category, and the 5-user floor makes it $1,050 a year minimum. Claris hosting is $22, or $45 for Cloud Max, and a single Pro licence is $625. | DTeam is $35 per user a month priced annually, plus a platform minimum fee the page does not show. Spreadsheet tools sit at $12 in the middle and $31 for the dearer quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. What you get is a 45-day trial with full access to the platform and no credit card. After that it's a paid licence or nothing. | DA 30-day trial with all Business features, but the page doesn't say whether it needs a card. There is no free plan. |
| Features | AIt covers the whole job and does what rivals don't: drag-and-drop layouts, a Script Engine with triggers and server-side scripts, add-ons for charts, calendars and kanban, and one app that runs natively on desktop and iPhone as well as in a browser. Add the Data API, OData and live links to Oracle and SQL Server. | BApp builder, reports and charts, workflow automation, AI, security and compliance, extensions and APIs. Nothing in the listing shows a missing core piece. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and this isn't something you open and start typing into: you design the layouts and write the scripts first, then roll the app out to people. The cheapest plan also means running FileMaker Server on your own infrastructure. | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where the work is building the apps, so there is a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | BNative on Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad, in Safari, Chrome or Edge through WebDirect, with the Data API, OData, ODBC, JDBC and Claris Connect. There's no native Android app, so Android users get the browser, and that's what holds it to a B. | BWeb only, with extensions and APIs. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
| Best for | building your own business app for Mac, Windows and iPhone | operations teams building company work apps |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Claris FileMaker and Quickbase. How we grade
Price against what you get
Claris FileMaker starts at $17.50 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Quickbase starts at $35 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Claris FileMaker scores higher and starts $17.50 a month lower. Of the other spreadsheet and database tools on the chart, 2 score higher than Claris FileMaker for less, and 7 score higher than Quickbase for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Claris FileMaker is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Quickbase also covers no-code.
At a glance
| Claris FileMaker | Quickbase | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $17.50 per user / month, billed annually (FileMaker Server Starter, 5+ users) | $35 per user / month, priced annually, plus a platform minimum |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 45-day free trial with full access to the platform, no credit card required | 30-day free trial with all Business plan features |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Claris International Inc. | Quickbase |
| Price read from | claris.com | quickbase.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Claris FileMaker
- There is no free plan: after the 45-day trial, team licenses start at 5 users and are billed annually.
- FileMaker Cloud Starter is limited to 5 to 10 users, 3 apps and 2 GB of data storage per user per year, with no upgrades.
- Native clients cover Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad; other devices reach apps through a web browser with FileMaker WebDirect.
- Remote Backup and Standby Server are paid add-ons for FileMaker Server; Claris says Remote Backup is not available for FileMaker Cloud.
Quickbase
- Listed per-user prices do not include a platform minimum fee; its amount is not shown on the page.
- Plans are sold through the contact form; the free 30-day trial includes Business plan features.
- SSO, SCIM, Gantt charts, sandbox and HIPAA support need the Business plan or higher.
- Extensions and the AI Intelligence Pack are add-ons.
Key features
Claris FileMaker
- Drag-and-drop app design
- Layouts are built with design tools and built-in templates, and prebuilt add-ons drop in charts, calendars, kanban boards and activity timelines.
- Script Engine
- Predefined script steps, script triggers and calculation functions automate workflows and data processing without a traditional programming language, including scripts that run on the server.
- Cross-platform clients
- Apps open in FileMaker Pro on Mac and Windows, in FileMaker Go on iPhone and iPad, and in Safari, Chrome or Microsoft Edge through FileMaker WebDirect.
- Cloud or self-hosted
- FileMaker Cloud runs on AWS and backs up data changes every 20 minutes, keeping backups for 30 days. FileMaker Server hosts the same apps on an organization's own infrastructure.
- APIs and external data
- The FileMaker Data API and OData expose app data to other services, ODBC and JDBC are supported, and live two-way connections reach MySQL, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.
- AI integration
- Scripts and APIs connect apps to AI services to automate tasks, analyze data and generate content. FileMaker 2026 added Google Gemini as a provider and semantic search enhancements.
Quickbase
- Visual app builder
- Build apps and workflows visually, from app templates or an AI prompt.
- Reports and charts
- Grid, map, calendar and kanban reports plus line, pie and bar charts, with personalized dashboards.
- Workflow automation
- A visual workflow builder, custom emails, secure links for outside stakeholders and document creation.
- Quickbase AI
- AI features for building apps, turning spreadsheets into apps and an agent over your apps; an AI Intelligence Pack add-on is optional.
- Security and compliance
- Audit logs and encryption on Team; Business adds SSO, SCIM, sandbox and FDA and HIPAA support.
- Extensions and APIs
- RESTful APIs on every plan and nine extensions such as XL Docs and JuicedSign as an add-on.
Plans
Claris FileMaker
FileMaker Server Starter$17.50
per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 99 users
Self-hosted: FileMaker Pro, Go and WebDirect for every user, up to 3 on-premise servers and 5 active Claris Connect flows.
FileMaker Cloud Starter$22
per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 10 users only
Hosted by Claris: 3 apps, 2 GB of data storage per user per year with no upgrades, and 5 active Claris Connect flows.
FileMaker Server Max$22
per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 99 users
Self-hosted and bought through sales: the same client access on up to 3 on-premise servers, with 50 active Claris Connect flows.
FileMaker Cloud Max$45
per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 99 users
Hosted by Claris: 256 apps, 6 GB of data storage per user per year with upgrades available, and 50 active Claris Connect flows.
FileMaker Pro single license$625
per license; no billing period is shown in the Claris Store
A single FileMaker Pro license for an individual who does not need to share data with others. An Upgrade option exists for owners of FileMaker Pro 2024 or later.
Quickbase
Team$35
per user / month, priced annually, plus platform minimum
Dashboards, 13+ report types, workflow automation, audit logs, encryption. Cost excludes the platform minimum.
Business$55
per user / month, priced annually, plus platform minimum
Adds SSO and SCIM, Gantt charts, sandbox and FDA and HIPAA compliance. Cost excludes the platform minimum.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds advanced performance tools, advanced data encryption and data warehouse integrations. Sold through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Claris FileMaker or Quickbase?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Claris FileMaker is cheaper to start with: $17.50 a month for each person, against $35 a month for each person for Quickbase. Claris FileMaker starts at $17.50 per user / month, billed annually (FileMaker Server Starter, 5+ users), and Quickbase starts at $35 per user / month, priced annually, plus a platform minimum.
Which has a free plan, Claris FileMaker or Quickbase?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Claris FileMaker nor Quickbase has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Claris FileMaker and Quickbase run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Claris FileMaker lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.