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I'm looking for an open source alternative to simple databases such as FileMaker or Access (something visual where you don't need SQL very much).

I know of Base in OpenOffice.org but I think it is too buggy to be usable (at least last time I tried it, maybe that has changed now?)

Any recommendations are appreciated.

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8 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

Maybe Glom is for you.

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this looks great. I will definitely try it out! I'll accept your answer if I end up using it. Thank you. – Jonas Aug 27 '09 at 15:53
you're more than welcome. – Molly7244 Aug 27 '09 at 16:04
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Am I reading correctly that it can't work with data except in its own special PostgreSQL format? How is that a replacement for Access and FileMaker -- it misses probably the most important aspect of both of them, that the easy-to-use front-end development tools are usable with almost any database engine. – David W. Fenton Sep 25 '09 at 0:43
@David: Valid point. But then, the question does not ask for DBMS-independence. If they don't use a DBMS yet, the choice might not matter. – sleske Feb 22 '10 at 11:09
Seems to me that if they aren't yet using a database, it's more important that they retain all the possibilities for switching to a database that is more suitable to their needs. I'm a big PostgreSQL fan (though I work in MySQL all the time, I think PostgreSQL is the better database -- I just haven't had the opportunity to use it much), but it's limiting and I don't think it's a good starting place at all. – David W. Fenton Feb 23 '10 at 22:42
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up vote 1 down vote

Take a look at Camelot. Camelot is an OpenSource "Database Frontend Development Framework", is cross platform and based on the Qt libraries and developed using the Python bindings.

There is a also a commercial license available. Camelot aims at the ease of use of Filemaker Pro without the hassles of Access. There are currently very professional applications successfully in production in the industry. I stumbled over it at the european Python Conference "EuroPython" in Florence this year, where the core developers gave a talk. The video is available.

Homepage: http://www.python-camelot.com/ including viedo tutorials

Usergroup Mailinglist http://groups.google.com/group/project-camelot?hl=en

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up vote 0 down vote

Have you considered using a more robust database solution? There are many GUI solutions provided for primetime ready DBs like MySQL:

This Link has info that relates to your interests.

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And for front end you use what? This is not an answer to a question about replacing Access or FileMaker, because it is responsive only to the least problematic part of the question, i.e., replacing the database engine. – David W. Fenton Sep 25 '09 at 0:18
The link lists the following: MySQL Administrator 1.2; MySQL Query Browser 1.2; MySQL Migration Toolkit 1.1. But honestly it's been a while since I used any of those... I see your concern though, I can remove my answer if you aren't alone in your feelings. – codeLes Sep 25 '09 at 22:57
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Why don't you just edit your answer to include that information? – David W. Fenton Sep 26 '09 at 18:14
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none of those are front ends. Query Browser has some vaguely useful features. – Jason S Sep 27 '09 at 4:01
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up vote 0 down vote

I think Kexi is the closest http://www.kexi-project.org/

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up vote 0 down vote

Take a look at once:radix. It is a web-based solution that more than surpasses File-Maker Pro.

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up vote 0 down vote

Cocoa, with Core Data, SQLite or whatever you want to roll. Read the tutorials and you'll think why the heck did I ever use FMP when I could have downloaded xcode for free and been making mac apps three years ago. But FMP can do a lot in a quick and nice way.

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up vote -1 down vote

You can also try SQLite that has a lot of db managers too. It is simple, fast and small

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You're answering as though the question is only about a database engine, but both Access and FileMaker are front-end development tools first and foremost, and provide default db engines only secondarily (and both can use any modern db engine that provides modern connectivity). – David W. Fenton Sep 25 '09 at 0:20
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up vote -1 down vote

You can use the Google Docs spreadsheet. It's free.
See the guided tour.

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That's hardly a suitable alternative to a database program. – paradroid Sep 17 '10 at 15:56
@jason404: That's the closest possible to a database program, considering that what is required here is not only a database engine, but also a user-friendly interface. Otherwise the answer would have been MySQL. – harrymc Sep 17 '10 at 19:02
It's still nothing like Access, FileMaker, Base or Glom. I'd say that trying to use a spreadsheet program in that way would be very user-unfriendly and prone to entry errors. I'm not the one that downvoted, BTW. – paradroid Sep 18 '10 at 15:47
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