If you have some .accdb files and want to open them on your Mac computer, you must have either Microsoft Access or one of these free Access alternatives for Mac. On the other hand, if you are looking for a Microsoft Access alternative for Mac to create a database, this article will be handy for you.
If you want to open Microsoft Access files on Mac, you must have compatible software. As Microsoft Access is not available for Mac or not included in the Office package for Mac, you must have an alternative to open the ACCDB file on your computer.
Free Microsoft Access alternatives for Mac
Best and free Microsoft Access alternatives for Mac are:
- LibreOffice Base
- Symphytum
- PortaBase
To learn more about these apps, continue reading.
1] LibreOffice Base
LibreOffice is one of the best database management apps you can install on your computer. Whether you are looking for an alternative for Mac or Windows computer, you can use this app without any problem. The best thing is that you can find multi-user data engines such as MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, etc. Above all, you can access and open Microsoft Access files on your Mac computer with the help of LibreOffice Base. The last but not the least feature of LibreOffice Base is that you can create a .accdb file, which is the official file extension of Microsoft Access for Windows. Download from libreoffice.org.
2] Symphytum
Symphytum is yet another database management program available for macOS. The user interface of this app is quite impressive, and so are the features. There are mainly two views – Form and Table. You can use either or both of them and work on your project without any issue. The best thing about this app is that it has a drag and drop support so that you can add a new entry, replace an existing entry, merge multiple entries, etc., within moments. The next important thing is that it is an open-source program, which is compatible with macOS 10.12 or later version. Download from github.com.
3] PortaBase
Whether you want to create or manage a database for asset tracking, contacts, event management, or anything else, you can use this app called PortaBase. Like Symphytum, PortaBase is also an open-source program available for macOS 10.12 or later versions. Although the user interface looks pretty old-school, it includes all the essential features you might need. From basic tasks like adding, editing, deleting rows to calculating something in automation, everything is possible with the help of PortaBase for Mac. Download from github.com.
These three are the best and free Microsoft Access for Mac alternatives. However, if you want to spend some money to get the nearest alternative with numerous features and options, you must check out FileMaker Pro. Whether you have a business to manage or personal finance to check, you can use this application to get the job done. If you like to try, you can download it from claris.com.
Related: Free Microsoft Office alternatives.
How to open Microsoft Access files on a Mac?
As Microsoft Access is not available for Mac, you must use a third-party app to open Microsoft Access files on a Mac computer. For that, you can use the LibreOffice Base program, which is free and easy to use. It helps you open the .accdb file, the native Microsoft Access file extension. Apart from that, you can create a .accdb file with the help of LibreOffice Base.
Related: Free alternatives to paid software.
What can I use instead of Microsoft Access for Mac?
Instead of Microsoft Access for Mac, you can use multiple programs such as LibreOffice Base, Symphytum, PortaBase, FileMaker Pro, etc. Although none of them can match all the features and options of Microsoft Access, you can find tons of similarities while using those tools.
Hope these free Microsoft Access alternatives helped you on your Mac computer.
Read: How to add, delete records and resize columns in Microsoft Access database.
