Today, Access looks clumsy and clunky compared to new “no code” applications which are vastly more elegant and intuitive.Īirtable’s “No Code, just clicks” or HyperBase’s “databases made simple” slogans exemplify this. For the first time, it empowered end-users to create their own simple databases and applications. In its heyday, Access was way ahead of its time. On the other hand, if you use a web based database software, operating systems are just not a consideration. If you are primarily a Mac shop, or have multiple users on Mac, you are out of luck. In other words, you are pretty much chained to Windows.

MS Access ties you to Microsoft WindowsĪccess is not available for Mac or any other operating system. If you deal with large data sets, you are best served by other database software. It has been observed that MS Access slows down considerably when the data exceeds 1 GB. Consequently, Access is not ideal for handling large databases with tens of thousands of rows and attached information like images or files. In MS Access, all information is saved in one file which has a hard restriction – it cannot be larger than 2GB. MS Access is suitable only for small databases Though the technical limit is 255 concurrent users, it becomes terribly slow even with 5-10 users.

It experiences severe performance issues when multiple people try to access it through the network simultaneously. However, Access has been designed for single user use.

Modern databases like Hyperbase and Airtable follow the client-server model – multiple team members access the same instance of an application over the local or global network. You can just send it back and forth asynchronously, rather than using it as a modern workflow application that distributed team members can access and contribute to in real time. Notwithstanding its power, this limitation makes an Access app little more than a glorified spreadsheet. It can only be downloaded and used on the local system or across the local network. This is probably the biggest limitation of Access – it is not “groupware” – software that multiple people can access over the internet and contribute to. MS Access is not available over the internet. Specifically, you should be aware of the following limitations before you choose Access for your projects. Though the popularity of Microsoft Access is undeniable, it suffers from some shortcomings that prompt people to consider MS Access Alternatives.īroadly, the limitations are a problem of legacy – MS Access was developed well before the cloud and mobile era – and has failed to incorporate the benefits of these paradigm shifts into its capabilities. Online, Team, Real-Time MS Access Alternative – Try for Free

Can you have microsoft access on a mac