Claris FileMaker Reviews

Fantastic prototyping and database system

Comments: At my old job at a translation company, I built an entire "company management system" from scratch over the course of 10 years. The database(s) handles everything from employees, customers, timesheets, project management, invoicing, subletting workstations (they also ran a small office hotel).
A lot of functions were built into the databases to offload a lot of manual tasks to the scripts.
Importing Trados project translation data the project management database, allowing the invoicing, translator payments and project data to be easily calculated. This was previously a manual process and calculation which took more than an hour to gather and process. I wrote a parser in Filemaker that parsed the Trados Project data file, which contained all the data anyway. Thus reducing several hours of (manual) labor per project to mere seconds. There were many of such special functions that was offloaded to Filemaker scripts. Also wrote an SMS/texting script (which used Envaya SMS on an android phone), allowing easy contact with the translators from within the Project Management database. Quick and easy communication with the translators without having to look up their phone numbers all the time.

Pros:

The most powerful part of FileMaker is its scripting platform. It makes it easy to add many more functions to a database, while requiring a lot less experience with programming than e.g. coding in SQL. Simple IF/THEN/ELSE commands is a godsend, when you need to create a logic for database functions. While making logic statements is also possible in SQL, it is far from easy, and getting data from a field in SQL? You need a lot of commands; in Filemaker, you just select the relevant field or can even make a logic function that selects the correct field. I could write for hours about the fantastic scripting system...

Cons:

Only dislike I have, is that I currently do not have the time to delve into some serious database-design and programming, but that is not actually a problem with the software, but stress-levels at work... So unfortunately I do not use Filemaker at my new job, but I remember it fondly from my old job. (and that is a con in my book, that I do not get to use FileMaker on a daily basis). It's not like we do not have tasks that could benefit from a Filemaker Database, but there are just a lot of other tasks that needs doing.

Complex Relational Databases for Non-Complex Creators.

Comments: A simple way to throw a database together in minutes for a mailing list or tracking inventory. With the same ease of use, you can have a complex structure for a relational database. Filemaker has allowed me to create what I need myself. Without hiring or outsourcing, I was able to save a great deal of money.

Pros:

I've been a user of Filemaker on and off since it's early days as a Claris product. The number one pro in my opinion is the ease in which you can start using Filemaker Databases. The templates out of the gate are well built, have a nice UI and give you the freedom to make them yours easily. Beginners can use the templates to get a taste for the Filemaker development structure while not having to climb a steep learning curve to get an app or database off the ground. Deployment is one click for simple web use and a few more clicks to deploy on a hosted solution like Amazon Web Services. For the expert user, complex systems can be made in a shorter amount of time and a GUI can be in place at the same time. Single developer and teams can all just in can create some thing truly functional and efficient. The ease of use allows you to really create what you wanted not what you are able to achieve due to a learning curve. Help is readily available in the forums and through their customer support. I have received database files as example of how to fix a problem I was having. They really go the extra mile to get you up and running fast. There is a vast library of plug-ins from third party vendors that close the gap on development time. Days if not weeks of time can be saved with one plug-in. They don't come cheap so be sure you need it. There is are also a multitude of free add-ons and plug-in to add functionality to your databases.

Cons:

Licensing is a little steep for a small business or single user. The add-ons are also a bit pricey. When looking at the cost to develop, you really need to budget and make sure you only buy what you need.

Great for database and scripts, a dinosaur for a modern app with complex data relation

Comments: It was really great few years ago, powerful and clean for database, easy enough to build the interface. But as the world is changing to web and dynamic UI, Filemaker has not made any step on this, and is getting completely outdated. Also the data constrain is a problem when you are building a complex app that requires either internal or external users, to access different data in a clean and easy way. There are privacy settings for the database of course, but the problem is that when building the UI you cannot make lists, search, and in short, any access to the records, to be really constrained by different criteria. If you have 40k records in a table, you cannot easily allow in a page, search or element just to show a part of those records. You only can build scripts and crazy relations as workarounds to simulate a kind of constraint on the layouts, but that is not efficient at all for developing and you reach the limitation in the UI soon.
Filemaker a decade ago was like a mule to plow the field in the 18th century, powerful and efficient, and nowadays it is still basically the same mule, just that the ecosystem possibilities and necessities changed.

Pros:

The database management is great, easy and powerful. The scripts and conditional logic are superpowerful, you can make almost any kind of process with the scripts, just takes time and a high learning curve to squeeze all its possibilities. Building simple static interfaces is fairly easy and quick.

Cons:

A) UI: the interface engine is completely outdated for a modern app, is not that you can't build beautiful UI, you can, as far it does not require real responsiveness and conditionals. When a layout (page) needs to have a dynamic interface, which means conditionals for show/hide elements and adapt the rest of the elements, you just can't. Is possible to hide elements of course, but not to adapt the behavior for the rest of the elements. In a simple interface with only a few fields, you can handle it easily, but for complex/flexible UI, it becomes a nightmare with a lot of data that you cannot show dynamically. 10 years ago it was all that was out there, and therefore the CRM UI were those big messy layouts with a lot of data. For nowadays the web design moved to dynamic UI where less is more, if you want an interface to be easy to read and understand, you really need to show less data at the same time, for that you need dynamic and flexible UI, which is not possible to build with Filemaker. B) Data access/constraint: relations in the database are made in a way (classic relations between tables) that while is intuitive and easy to understand, is very difficult and limited for big and complex relations. Why? It is possible to make any relation, but the quantity of relations you need and the complexity (usually chaos) that comes with is huge. Also, real constraints far data calls from the UI are not possible, you always have to call the full data from the UI.

Excellent database platform. Easy to use and easy to develop for.

Comments: After switching to FileMaker Server from another horrible piece of software, we are now able to easily do the development of our databases ourselves. This makes it a very flexible system for us.

Pros:

FileMaker is incredibly easy to work with, offers generally well documented online help docs, and has a huge and active community of developers you can learn from. We have used FileMaker Server to host about 20 different databases with great results. I don't think I can overstate it enough that it was very easy for us to learn the software. We migrated from an outdated and ill-supported database system where development was only officially supported by the company that made the software. Contrast that with FileMaker where you are expected to do the development yourself because it's so simple. Very glad we switched to FileMaker.

Cons:

I suppose my least favorite thing about FileMaker Server is that upgrading to a new version requires you to uninstall the current version first. This means you have to take some steps to preserve your server-specific settings before the uninstall/upgrade process otherwise you'll be starting from scratch with your server settings. Some settings can be exported to a file, but for others you have to take screenshots to preserve the settings which is a slight pain. This doesn't affect the databases you've created, but would affect scripts that are scheduled to run from the server.

I have used the product as both a user/administrator, and as developer.

Pros:

The software is easy to use and relatively easy to learn from a developer's standpoint. It has all of the functional capability one needs to develop a useful database application, such as contact/client management or - in my case - management of an art gallery's permanent collection.

Cons:

What do you do when you outgrow the system or want to migrate to a more robust database system? For me this is the major drawback of Filemaker Pro - there are no tools to help you export a complete file that can be imported into another database. You can import text fields and fields with yes/no on/off switches, but you cannot export images/photographs. This is a major drawback if you are planning to use the product for a couple of years before migrating to a standard relational database. Basically, Filemaker Pro files are proprietary files and are not accessible to standard relational database methods, such as SQL. This is okay if (a) you will not outgrow the product or (b) you have no images/photographs included in the database.

Robust and easy to use platform

Comments: Claris FileMaker is the ideal tool for the enterprise to automate workflows, organize internal processes and create apps for specific uses. This platform is used to address digital transformation and innovate processes and operations.

Pros:

It is easy to use and very versatile, offering many user-friendly app design features. The presentation of its functions is visually appealing and modern. It includes a variety of design tools, modern templates and different formats for creating and modifying workflows. It provides the option to combine plug-ins to create apps quickly and easily.

Cons:

Its cost is considerably high and entering data in various fields is not very cumbersome when it is done for the first time.

Versatile and easy-to-use application development platform

Comments: Claris FileMaker provides a set of tools that improve remote workflow management. It offers the best tools to design the customized apps that our company requires.

Pros:

It has a beautiful interface that makes it easy to design and create applications. It has a versatile drag-and-drop tool. Built-in templates make it easy to create applications. It allows you to create visual workflows that allow you to efficiently manage processes. Easily accessed through any web browser. Facilitates collaboration and productivity of our work team.

Cons:

Cost can be a challenge, especially for smaller companies.

A Dream for Entry-Level Developers

Comments: We were able to take a concept that was just barely not capable in MS Access and many other platforms and create it on Filemaker in less than 6 months, and have been slowing modifying it and adding to it as we go, all without the need for a skilled salaried position.

Pros:

Their simple yet comprehensive set of no-code scripts steps that are available to use.

Cons:

The licensing and hosting challenges. there are different ways to host and an annual license for a set amount of users is needed every year. The way your license is provided to you depends on how and where you buy the license from and how it is going to be hosted. Can be very daunting when doing it the first time.

Its a very good software. You can easily developper other programs and have access to your BDD

Comments: Its very easy to develop with and I've created many applications for the enterprise that I work for.

Pros:

You can easily developper other programs and have access to your BDD Make links between tables and between files its easy It is posible to create the scripts in order to simplify further jobs

Cons:

The script must be done in the langue of your OS. I work in France, so mines are in french, that dificults the job when i have to search for help in forums cause the scripts that I've found are allways in english and then i have to translate the syntax. NO ALLWAYS EASY

Makes the development rapid

Comments: We use the dashboard screen of Filemaker for tracking of projects, orders and management of inventory. Filemaker combines our cloud services into one unit. It helps us analsying the project needs through scientific data. It has enhanced visions for our techniques.

Pros:

It has a complex structure which makes it robust yet it is very easy to use and learn. It makes the planning very easy for our projects. Commands and scripts can be easily combined. It has many custom solutions for different needs and you can get it working in no time. It is very flexible and customisable.

Cons:

It lacks some of the visualisation techniques for the representation just same as excel sheets. It should also have more licensing options for the small scale to medium scale companies.

Simple database software, that can be used for so much more

Comments: Organisation, and minimising of repetitive tasks

Pros:

Filemaker is extremely adaptable. It can be used by a small one-or-two computer setup, right up to a huge conglomerate. The software remains the same, and enables your business to grow without having to keep changing software. They are constantly updating the extra functionality; with the latest revision there is more possibility for engagement with other applications, enhanced security, and a re-designed interface for PC users. I have been using FMP for the last 10 years, first as a tool in my business, and latterly as a developer with many companies. It is as robust today as it was when I started, and keeps getting better.

Cons:

Enabling the use of FIlemaker on a large-scale for a small company is very difficult. Let me explain... Company A provides security guards to Clubs, Shops, Companies, etc... They have a full-time workforce of 10 employees, and then 400 security personnel on their books as either casual or part-time employees. The 10 full-time employees utilise Filemaker Pro to book jobs for the part-time and casual employees, the software is also used for vetting potential new recruits, invoicing companies, and keeping a history of who has worked where, and any comments from either side about that. An extra function would be to allow the part-time and casual employees the ability to see part of the Filemaker database, so they could access their upcoming jobs and leave any comments. With iBeacons, a safety system could also be utilised to make sure they are on patrol at a certain time in a given location. With Filemaker's current structure, each casual worker would need their own license to make this extra functionality easily happen, which of course is prohibitively expensive. But if that is the only drawback I can think of, then they are doing just fine!

Useful but complicated

Comments: It's solving my inventory problem. I ended up using an off shoot of filemaker pro which was organized by a fellow artist for my inventory needs. This was exceedingly useful because she had already sat down and done all the complicated set up work and I'm reaping the rewards. This has allowed me to organize all the work I have physically in my apartment as well as the work that is consigned. It has helped me keep track of the production costs so that I know how to price the pieces for sale. It has helped me easily pull up the titles when sending out proposals. The list could go on and on. It's a vastly useful software if you can get over the initial hurdle of making the database a reflection of your personal needs.

Pros:

I regularly use this software for inventory reasons, especially in relation to art. With that said, it allows you to build your own layout and database to adapt it to exactly what you want it to be. When fully adapted it works beautifully. Using it in the context of galleries or other spaces where it has been set up is a dream. It allows relatively easy searches in many categories, allowing you to create very specific, isolated keywords to find things later (such as their price, year created, subject matter, title, name of creator etc). It's very useful.

Cons:

This software is not easy to set up. I did a trial run at my house, as an artist myself, to see if I could use filemaker for my own inventory needs. Once I had the software downloaded, I found it exceedingly complicated to begin to create the boxes/ qualifiers with which I wanted to be able to add data. I don't consider myself a novice with softwares. I think I'm fairly capable on a computer and even after watching a few YouTube tutorials I ended up giving up on the prospect of using this at home. It seems more relevant for businesses where there is someone well-versed in database softwares to adapt it to yoru specific needs.

The best cross-platform rapid application development framework out there!

Comments: We have been developing custom B2B apps extensively on this platform for over 15 years and use it internally for our own business.

Pros:

You can quickly and easily design powerful and sophisticated custom applications that run on Mac, Windows, iOS, and the Web. You develop once and deploy the same base code on all platforms, customizing your forms according to each platform's needs. Their iOS runtimes take great advantage of Apple technologies like: the buit-in GPS hardware and external iBeacons for location/geolocation based workflows  the built-in camera for snapping photos and reading 2-D Barcode (barcode scanning) multi-touch, for gesture-triggered actions and capturing on-screen signatures Their Server and Cloud products are among the easiest to deploy and maintain. Their proprietary WebDirect technology is the easiest and fastest way to deploy web-based applications for workgroups that I have ever seen. Their suite of built-in web-integration capabilities spans the gamut: PHP, cURL, REST APIs, XML, and WebDirect.

Cons:

Lack of a built-in push notification mechanism, either thru their Servers or via the host OS. Also, their Cloud product could benefit from Load Balancing support.

My Most Valuable Tool

Comments: Excellent customer support and a vast library of online k knowledge and solutions.

Pros:

I have been using FileMaker since probably 1988. That would be 32 years. It is the most valuable tool in my office. I can easily create a database to manage specific information. I have databases I set up early on that I still use. I created a time and billing program when Macs still ran on system 9, and it has worked ever since with no modifications. I have been using FileMaker in court to win cases since the first Apple laptop computer. Kf you want command of your information, FileMaker is the tool to help you do it.

Cons:

1. It does not work well with Adobe Acrobat. When I import pdf's I am unable to annotate them or even highlight passages. 2. FileMaker server requires ports used for web hosting. I had to set up my website host computer at a separate location. I am sure I could have found a workaround, but that is beyond my ability.

Claris Filemaker Pro

Comments: Our overall experience with FileMaker has been very rewarding because of the amount of training help available.

Pros:

Ease of use makes the learning curve of this product easier to deploy than other products.

Cons:

The biggest problem with Filemaker has to do with upgrading. When Claris issues a new major upgrade, previous templates cannot use the new upgrade. Your templates have to be recreated in the upgraded version to take advantage of any new features.

FIleMaker - Tasty - Great

Comments: I cannot learn this product fast enough. The ability for FileMaker to talk to anything else on the internet is just amazing. It has help our business grow quickly without the overhead and everyone just loves what it can do.

Pros:

How easy it was to go mobile within minutes of deployment. Data that was traditionally tied to PC and servers was suddnely in the hands of our team out in the field. With no training we had mobile apps overnight.

Cons:

The WIndows platform is a bit behind vs. the Mac. You can detect that support for WIndows is certainly there but always behind. It is slowly gaining ground though.

Awesome tool for our rentalhouse

Comments: I can't imagine an another tool that is so helpful for us. As a developer/user I can easily fix a lot of things on the fly while I am working. Not the best thing, but for small and annoying corrections it's ok. (Like layout fixes)
There are a lot of tutorials and learning materials online. It helps us to save hours and hours every day.

Pros:

Filemaker gives us a really easy to develop environment. You can start with a blank canvas, sketch up something, use it, and refine it. Even if it called low code, you can do a lot of advanced things.

Cons:

I wish I can have more help from the support. Our company wants to step up and invenst into this platform. Maybe I should reach out the awesome community instead of our direct contact. We had troubles connecting different kind of databases to our current solution. You have to really know what are the limitation of the software.

The best solution to do application.

Comments: Filemaker helps the developer to create applications more easily, in addition, for the client it is cheaper if the application is developed in less time. The Filemaker interface makes designing and organizing easier and we can create designs more quickly.

Pros:

Easy do applications and understand the application. Easy interface to work. Share a database between different users. Strong security. Multiplatform, you can develop in Windows, Mac, Web and smartphone. Very customizable layouts, scripts and database.

Cons:

Limited on some occasions. If your solution is very simple, is possible that Filemaker is not a platform for you.

Great way to stay organized and up to date

Comments: Great product. Keeps production high, everything extremely organized and easily accessible, and will handle all of your needs.

Pros:

My favorite part about this software is the amount of things you can accomplish using it. I work for a facilities maintenance company and we track all of our emergency and normal schedule work orders, our contractors, and all of our customers as well. It stays organized, up to date, and we maintain a high production rate using it.

Cons:

The only thing I dislike is the main interface can be a little intimidating when first learning it as there is a lot going on, and a lot of tabs and buttons that can easily change settings and usage. But, once you get to know it, it gets easier and easier and will be a great asset to your company.

Great Platform For The Right Use Cases

Comments: I use it daily for development tasks for a platform that my company runs on. We are always adding features as user requests come in, as well as modernizing legacy features to make use of better ways to accomplish given tasks that available with newer versions of the platform.

Pros:

Feature set is quite large. Very easy import/export of data. Great tool for proof-of-concepts for large systems, or for small to mid-size applications.

Cons:

Initial login interface is not very customizable. To truly make a custom login, you have to essentially "log in" with a dummy account, go to a specified layout, and then re-log in with the credentials supplied by the user. This opens up potential security holes. Using the native security virtually eliminates this gap, but leaves little to no customization of initial user experience. The FileMaker platform is still not easy to replicate asynchronously, and it does not scale all that well to multiple widespread locations without serious effort.

Filemaker as a low code platform

Comments: Is an excepcional platform to develop quickly small or medium projects, to test user cases or interfaces (GUI) , and overall, if you want to integrate different types of platforms on a single project.

Pros:

Definitely, is very quick to implement. Every little or not so little change takes almost nothing comparing to others platforms.

Cons:

Is not as robust as other platforms, is not transactional, queries are not as fast as on other platforms, script editor is not very handful, has a limit on the size of the DB.

A comfy tool to develop your ideas

Comments: We have developed a solution that generates dynamically medical informs with multiple data about the sick person on a record time through the development tools that filemaker provides to the developers and the way that de customer can test the improves.

Pros:

- The easy way that you can plasmate a sketch of your idea. - The results that you obtain with a minimum of knowledge on aplications development - The way to develop apps that can works on a Mac or PC and iOS Platform

Cons:

- The absence about more colours at the scripts interface. - Versions history. - More control finding and changing variable names or script steps for example.

Filemaker Database

Comments: I use Filemaker for client lists and also for file references. Each file I allocate a number to it and enter it into Filemaker and at any given time, I can look up that file and see where it is at - it might be in my re-sub system, filed away or in my 'Action' trays - makes life a lot easier and quicker.

Pros:

Filemaker is easy to set up your database and very easy to get reports on what data you want. You can set up a form style data entry platform and customise to your liking. I find this easier to use than using a spreadsheet style layout.

Cons:

There isn't anything negative about this software that I have found.

I've tried life with FM and without, and I like it better with! :)

Comments: Saves me HOURS of my week! :)

Pros:

While mail mergers are handy, FileMaker templates are still the way to go! It can cut down multiple step processes to just one button click once you set it up the first time. You also don't have to re-enter data and risk inconsistencies. We've even used ours to set up automatic report exports we used to have to do manually every day. Such a time saver!

Cons:

Like any software, there's a lot to learn here. But once you get the basics down you can set up some great layouts and scripts to make your life easier!

Great database application with so many options!

Pros:

The customization that you can achieve for your own application is great. This can be use for so many different things within a company. I used it to build an al inclusive app for our field personnel. Time keeping, safety tracking & training, crm, project management, inventory and scheduling all in one application our managers could use on their mobile devices.

Cons:

Hosting and license cost is pretty high even for a mid size business.