--- title: Claris FileMaker Reviews meta_title: 'Claris FileMaker Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 578 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Claris FileMaker works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.5 review_count: 578 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-07-07' parent_category: name: Rapid Application Development (RAD) url: https://www.g2.com/categories/rapid-application-development-rad --- # Claris FileMaker Reviews **Vendor:** Claris **Category:** [Workplace Innovation Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/workplace-innovation-platforms) **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 578 ## About Claris FileMaker Make tech work for you, not the other way around. The Claris platform is uniquely suited to help businesses like yours build, test, and rapidly iterate customized, integrated solutions faster and more efficiently than any other platform on the market. Unlike other software applications out there that are too lightweight and not customizable or too complex and rigid, Claris is flexible enough to meet your specific and evolving needs. Organizations just like yours — whether they’re SMBs, nonprofits, or educational institutions — use Claris apps to help them run their business the way they want and thereby significantly boost productivity and efficiencies across the board. Learn more — www.claris.com ## Claris FileMaker Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users value the **ease of use** of Claris FileMaker, facilitating quick setup and customization for diverse business needs. (9 reviews) - Users value the **flexibility** of Claris FileMaker, enabling continuous updates and seamless integration for evolving business needs. (8 reviews) - Users love the **easy creation** capabilities of Claris FileMaker, transforming ideas into tailored solutions effortlessly. (7 reviews) - Users value the **integration capabilities** of Claris FileMaker, enabling seamless connections with various applications for enhanced efficiency. (7 reviews) - Users value the **customizability** of Claris FileMaker, enabling personalized solutions and seamless feature additions for various needs. (6 reviews) - Users appreciate the **flexibility and ease of customization** in Claris FileMaker, enabling tailored solutions without extensive programming. (6 reviews) - Users value the **seamless integration** capabilities of Claris FileMaker, enhancing efficiency and workflow across various platforms. (6 reviews) - Automation (5 reviews) - Customization Options (5 reviews) - Users value the **easy integration** of Claris FileMaker with other APIs, enhancing its versatility and functionality. (5 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find the **learning curve steep** with Claris FileMaker, especially in coding and managing complex layouts. (4 reviews) - Users face **navigation difficulties** with Claris FileMaker, particularly in managing complex layouts and multiple files effectively. (3 reviews) - Users often find **cost issues** concerning Claris FileMaker, particularly with charges for web API transactions and limited accessibility. (2 reviews) - Users experience **database limitations** with Claris FileMaker, hindering the full potential and speed of their applications. (2 reviews) - Users find **difficult customization** in Claris FileMaker, particularly with tab-order settings and layout design challenges. (2 reviews) - Users find the **pricing structure too high** for small businesses, particularly when scaling with more users. (2 reviews) - High Complexity (2 reviews) - Limited Customization (2 reviews) - Limited Features (2 reviews) - Users feel the **missing features** in Claris FileMaker limit their ability to fully utilize the product's potential. (2 reviews) ## Claris FileMaker Reviews ### 1. Custom Solutions Made Easy with Claris FileMaker **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** curtis h. | owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 07, 2019 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** I like how Claris FileMaker has allowed us to create our own software solution, which has been really beneficial in saving us time and money. The platform has a ton of support to help us along the way, and building a solution is quick and easy, letting us avoid the bloat and issues of other solutions. Setting up Claris FileMaker is also pretty easy. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** It has a steep learning curve when first starting out if you are not familiar with software development. **Recommendations to others considering Claris FileMaker:** its worth it **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** I find Claris FileMaker allows us to create custom software solutions quickly and easily, saving time and money, and solving our specific needs without the bloat of other solutions. ### 2. Versatile but Steep Learning Curve **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Jonathan C. | Technology Support Technician, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 03, 2026 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** I use Claris FileMaker for an app that manages our inventory, creation of repair tracking, and archiving. I also appreciate it for API calls to Mosyle. Claris allowed us to create an interactive platform for many users to input data. I like the ease of design ability and breadth of options. It's easy to create buttons, prompt windows, and well-designed features for our users. The initial setup of Claris FileMaker was simple. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** Sometimes the knowledge base or learning of Claris is hard. It involves very in-depth coding without simplification for the designer or manager on site. **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Claris FileMaker to manage inventory, repair tracking, and API calls. It creates an interactive platform for data input. I appreciate the ease of design and options, which make creating user-friendly features simple. ### 3. Powerful, Flexible, and Essential for Cross-Platform Data Management **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Caibin Z. | Application Architect, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 20, 2025 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** Claris FileMaker is a powerful and flexible tool that truly supports cross-platform development for custom database applications. Its speed and ease of implementation make it an excellent choice for managing complex data in a range of sectors, such as research, academia, and finance. Beyond simple data management, it can function as a central data hub for organizations by integrating smoothly with existing databases. Whether for daily administrative tasks or strategic data analysis, FileMaker applications can become an essential part of a user's everyday workflow. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** As long as Claris keeps investing in FileMaker Web Direct and the server, making web application development easier and staying current with performance and web technologies, I find there is nothing to dislike about FileMaker. **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** I have developed various management systems for the organization, including solutions for grants management, research data management, mouse colony tracking, core facilities ordering and product sales, faculty evaluation and fund applications, clinical trial budget tool, resident data management, equipments schedule management, as well as student course evaluations. ### 4. All-in-One Database, Tasks, and Reporting in One Place **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** kaiyu w. | R & D batch adjuster, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 30, 2026 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** manage all the database, task, report together **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** very great system for production, research, quality control and financial **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** track the historical database for reference while produce the new formula ### 5. The best database software for easy development and user experience. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Higher Education | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 19, 2025 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** If you're thinking about the ease of use your customers for your customers FileMaker is for you. It's really intuitive to use especially when doing queries / searches. It gives them the ability to easily access and process their own data. This is on top of how easy it is to develop and implement solutions. If you need support then it's easy to train others to help you develop. The team at FileMaker are constantly adding new features to the software. The software has been around for over 40 years and is supported by Apple so you know it will be around for a long while. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** I used to not like the yearly update cycle but that has been changed to updates made throughout the year which I prefer. **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** I have many different customers which have different needs. FileMaker is flexible enough to develop solutions for many different needs. For example I've created CRMs, financial workflow apps, and event planning apps. ### 6. The Power of Filemaker for small business !! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Nick B. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 06, 2025 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** I developed my first Filemaker database 1979 for my first business a recruitment company. That FM-v0 was developed on a MacPlus which had an orange screen and was ex the DevTeam. While we now longer have a Recruitment business in our group of companies - I have developed custom FM data bases for each of our subsquent busubness - through 4 x Construction & Development companies to Business Consulting. Those FM solutions have covered Scheduling / staff timing/task recording - and in case of Business Consulting a CRM database with 800+ fields of information ... Best FM feature -- that you can literally add fields/features into a live FM Served database without any disruption to standard Users -- other than maybe for layout changes. What this has meant to our business - is that a new 'need' can you 'prototyped' and 'tested' live -- and either adopted or adapted --- this is a huge time-saver!! **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** As long as Claris continues to offer & support FM Server that we can run internally on our own MacMini Server - with external VPN access when needed --- then there is absolutely nothing to dislike about Filemaker. Note : historically there were changes on ownership - and emphasis on (only) cloud-based external Servers which we found unsettlingly !! Remember : Many many users of Filemaker must have (presumedly) embraced the ease of creating and growing their own databases and related functionality ... This feels possibly unique in the databaseApp world .. so please never loose sight of Filemaker's uniqueness !! **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** We can start by setting up a basic database to meet a specific need -- and then grow that database's functionality of literally 30+ years, ### 7. Claris FileMaker: my primary application for my professional income. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Dennis B. | CEO, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 04, 2024 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** The product versatility is almost unmatched in the universe of business software. I've used it since 1985 as it has evolved and matured through several companies before being acquired by Apple in 1989. I am a member of a worldwide commubnity of developers which I rely on extensively. While there are newer, cheaper, low-code startups they don't offer a comparable breadth of features and historical sucess. My FileMaker toolbox is my most important business asset. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** The company tends to be more focused on the introduction of new features than on the quality control of their existing in-market products. **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** Impossible to answer this question. Each and every client situation is unique. ### 8. The possibilies with Filemaker are endless and you can start small **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** BRA A. | Coordinator and In-house developer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 23, 2025 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** FileMaker is an exceptionally accessible platform that's easy to customize for those who are curious and have moderate tech skills. It has the potential to revolutionize the way an organization operates. You can begin with a simple database and, as you grow more comfortable, scale up to create complex software solutions that can meet a wide range of needs. Additionally, FileMaker offers the ability to connect with external systems and applications through APIs. Overall, it's a robust platform supported by a fantastic community of developers. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** The options for designing a layout could be better. Hiding and sliding objects or making layouts responsive and web-like isn't easy. **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** It let's us build tools that are specific to our organizations workflow and there's no solution on the market that we could run our entire business on. ### 9. Reflections on 25 Years of FileMaker Development **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Chong-Bing L. | Director, Computer Software, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 23, 2025 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** Its rapid development capabilities. You can instantly build what people need, and it’s especially powerful at solving and adapting to system problems across all kinds of industries. It works well for everyone—from complete beginners to experienced developers—and it’s a great starting point for anyone learning database languages. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** 1. Even though FileMaker has been around for 40 years, it’s still not widely adopted globally. I believe the single-user version of FileMaker Pro should be free, so more people can try it. Once people start using it and see its value, they’ll likely invest in FileMaker Server. 2. I wish FileMaker Go had an Android version. **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** This platform has allowed me to help clients solve a wide range of problems and develop various custom systems, such as ERP and CRM solutions. ### 10. Easy to get started and the power to solve unique problems, all in one. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 06, 2025 **What do you like best about Claris FileMaker?** This is a product that a regular business can get started with on their own, or work with a consultant to build exactly the kind of system they want. I've yet to have to say no to any idea a client has had for the unique needs of their business. My favorite compliment is when they exclaim how much time has been saved by using Filemaker. It is easy to get started, and really fun to work with, and the community fostered by Claris, consisting of other developers sharing and collaborating on tools & resources; makes this a family as well. **What do you dislike about Claris FileMaker?** Warning: Enjoying what you do for a living may impede on your time for socializing. **What problems is Claris FileMaker solving and how is that benefiting you?** For my own business I love the fact that I can modify my system on the fly as the needs of our business change and grow. I love doing the same thing for my clients; whatever the business they are in, or how wild there imagination can be, there will be a way to bring the new idea to life and increase profit, from automating services or improving their workflow. ## Claris FileMaker Discussions - [Can I create a correlation between inventory and customer database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-i-create-a-correlation-between-inventory-and-customer-database) - 4 comments, 1 upvote - [What is the best way to integrate with Google Calendar?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/13940-what-is-the-best-way-to-integrate-with-google-calendar) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [Hello how easy is it to apply for help with framework coding in our files?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12192-hello-how-easy-is-it-to-apply-for-help-with-framework-coding-in-our-files) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [What is FileMaker Licensing for Teams?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/licensing-for-teams) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [Sending the same message to a found group.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/33205-sending-the-same-message-to-a-found-group) - 1 comment - [View Claris FileMaker pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/claris-filemaker/reviews/claris-filemaker-review-762269?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-11+19%3A38%3A21+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=0436735a-a750-49ee-93e8-f148017b36bd&secure%5Btoken%5D=e6b9ef8c0ebb79942016c679eefd6cee7f4f3870b9898df4a63f949314656946&format=llm_user) ## Claris FileMaker Integrations - [Apple Mail](https://www.g2.com/products/apple-mail/reviews) ## Claris FileMaker Features **Administration** - Application Deployment - Native Deployment - Data Security - Access Control - Scalability - Lifecycle Management **Functionality** - Ease of Use - File Management - Multi-Language Support - Customization - Straight-Out-the-Box Functionality - Help Guides - Patching & Updates **Application Design** - UI Code Extending - Programming Code Extending - Customized Branding - Application Templates - Workflows **Automation** - Workflow Automation - Workflow Mapping - Real-Time Updates **Data Control** - Data Migration - Data Synchronization - Data Security **Development** - Application Templates - UI Code Extending - WYSIWYG Editor - Collaborative Development **Publishing** - Application Deployment - Platform Compatability - Lifecycle Management **Agentic AI - Low-Code Development Platforms** - Adaptive Learning - Natural Language Interaction - Proactive Assistance ## Top Claris FileMaker Alternatives - [Salesforce Headless 360 Platform (formerly Salesforce Platform)](https://www.g2.com/products/agentforce-360-platform-formerly-salesforce-platform/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (3,784 reviews) - [Quickbase](https://www.g2.com/products/quickbase/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (1,509 reviews) - [Zoho Creator](https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-creator/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (153 reviews)