The Claris FileMaker Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Claris FileMaker in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Claris FileMaker
The Insider’s Guide
Low-code platform for custom database apps on desktop, iOS and web
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among spreadsheet and database tools, read from Claris FileMaker’s own pages.
Made by Claris International Inc. · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Claris FileMaker’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Claris FileMaker’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 3 of the 21 other spreadsheet and database tools we grade
Claris FileMaker is a low-code platform for building custom business apps on top of a built-in database, with layouts, scripts and access controls handled in one tool. Apps run natively on Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad and in a browser through FileMaker WebDirect. They can be hosted by Claris on FileMaker Cloud or on an organization's own FileMaker Server.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Claris FileMaker, taken from its own pages and our grades.
What you build runs natively on Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad.
- 1
Best for building your own business app for Mac, Windows and iPhone
FileMaker is for building your own business app: the database, the screens people fill in and the scripts behind them, in one tool.
- 2
Paid plans start at $17.50 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $17.50 per user / month, billed annually (FileMaker Server Starter, 5+ users).
- 3
You can try it first
45-day free trial with full access to the platform, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
macOS, Windows, iOS and Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 3 of 21
That is against the other spreadsheet and database tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Claris FileMaker you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Claris FileMaker at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $17.50 per user / month, billed annually (FileMaker Server Starter, 5+ users)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 45-day free trial with full access to the platform, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS
- Made by
- Claris International Inc.
- Category
- Spreadsheets & Databases
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for building your own business app for Mac, Windows and iPhone
FileMaker is for building your own business app: the database, the screens people fill in and the scripts behind them, in one tool. What you build runs natively on Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad. But it's dear, with no free plan, team licences that start at 5 users billed annually, no Android app, and real building work before anyone can use it.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | The 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No 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. |
| Features | A | It 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Native 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Claris FileMaker is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Businesses that need custom apps shaped around their own workflows
- Teams split between Mac and Windows desktops and iPhones or iPads
- Organizations that want to host their apps on their own servers
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$17.50
A month to start, for each person
Claris FileMaker is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $17.50 per user / month, billed annually (FileMaker Server Starter, 5+ users).
After that it's a paid licence or nothing.
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.
Trying it first
45-day free trial with full access to the platform, no credit card required
Read from claris.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and iOS
Low-code platform for custom database apps on desktop, iOS and web. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: self-hostable, public API, AI features, databases, workflow automation, app builder, reports.
Add the Data API, OData and live links to Oracle and SQL Server.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
What it works with
- Claris Connect
- Microsoft SQL Server
- MySQL
- Oracle
- Okta
- Google Gemini
Claris FileMaker is made by Claris International Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
3/21
Other spreadsheet and database tools it is graded above
Claris FileMaker's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 3 of the 21 other spreadsheet and database tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on features (A, above 19 of 21) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $17.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 17 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 spreadsheet and database tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Claris FileMaker’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 21
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 21
- AFeaturesAbove 19 of 21
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 21
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 22 spreadsheet and database tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Claris FileMaker is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Claris FileMaker you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 14 of the 21 other spreadsheet and database tools grade higher. It costs $210 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A tool that builds and hosts other apps.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Databases with views, filters and links between them.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Claris FileMaker’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Microsoft Access, Airtable, Ninox, Baserow and Grist
The 5 tools Claris FileMaker is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Microsoft Access
Free trial · from $9.99/mo
Windows desktop database app sold with Microsoft 365.
- Only Claris FileMaker lists a web app.
- Only Claris FileMaker lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Claris FileMaker is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Airtable
Free plan · from $20/mo
Relational database platform for building team workflows and apps.
- Airtable has a free plan. Claris FileMaker does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Airtable lists an Android app.
- Claris FileMaker is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
Ninox
Free plan · from $31/mo
AI-assisted low-code platform for custom business software.
- Ninox has a free plan. Claris FileMaker does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Claris FileMaker lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Claris FileMaker is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Baserow
Free plan · from $10/mo
Open-source no-code database and application builder.
- Baserow has a free plan. Claris FileMaker does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Claris FileMaker lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Baserow is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Grist
Free plan · from $8/mo
Open-source relational spreadsheet with Python formulas.
- Grist has a free plan. Claris FileMaker does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Claris FileMaker lists an iOS app.
- Only Grist lists a Linux app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Claris FileMaker free?
No, Claris FileMaker is a paid product, but you can try it first. 45-day free trial with full access to the platform, no credit card required.
How much does Claris FileMaker cost?
Claris FileMaker lists 5 plans. FileMaker Server Starter: $17.50 per user / month, billed annually; 5 to 99 users.
What platforms does Claris FileMaker work on?
Claris FileMaker is available on macOS, Windows, iOS and Web.
Does Claris FileMaker have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Claris FileMaker is listed for macOS, Windows, iOS and Web.
Does Claris FileMaker have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Claris FileMaker is listed for macOS, Windows, iOS and Web.
Is Claris FileMaker open source?
Claris FileMaker is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Can Claris FileMaker be self-hosted?
Yes. Claris FileMaker's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Does Claris FileMaker have an API?
Yes. Claris FileMaker offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Claris FileMaker integrate with?
Claris FileMaker's listing names Claris Connect, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Okta and Google Gemini.
Who makes Claris FileMaker?
Claris FileMaker is made by Claris International Inc.
What are the alternatives to Claris FileMaker?
The closest alternatives to Claris FileMaker in our directory are Microsoft Access, Airtable, Ninox, Baserow and Grist.
How does Claris FileMaker compare with other spreadsheet and database tools?
Claris FileMaker's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 3 of the 21 other spreadsheet and database tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is Claris FileMaker good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Claris FileMaker D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $17.50 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 17 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Claris FileMaker?
To replace Claris FileMaker you would be making a tool that builds and hosts other apps.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Claris FileMaker’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Claris's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-10-03.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Claris International Inc. Prices change, so check claris.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Claris FileMaker, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/claris-filemaker
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Claris FileMaker: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/claris-filemaker
Know someone choosing between spreadsheet and database tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/claris-filemaker/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded spreadsheet and database tools after Claris FileMaker, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Spreadsheets & Databases Insider's GuideEvery one of the 22 spreadsheet and database tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Sheet Insider's GuideCollaborative online spreadsheet with a free version3.6 GPA
- Google Sheets Insider's GuideBrowser-based spreadsheet, free with a Google Account3.4 GPA
- Microsoft Excel Insider's GuideSpreadsheet app sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Claris FileMaker’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Claris FileMaker is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Claris International Inc. Prices and plans change: check claris.com before you buy.