Replace FileMaker with a modern web app — keep the data, drop the licensing
Migrate every record, calculation, script and container from your .fmp12 into a modern React / Vue + Node.js + PostgreSQL or SQL Server web application. Hosted in your Azure or AWS. PWA replaces FileMaker Go. Fixed-price. Code is yours.
- Every record, calc & script preserved — zero data loss
- Per-user Claris licensing — gone on cutover day
- You own the code — not locked inside a .fmp12 file
- Lowest prices Fixed cost · no monthly SaaS bills · founder-led overhead
- High quality Sandbox-first · weekly demos · reconciled pre-launch
- Fast delivery Quote in 48 hours · live in weeks, not months
- Latest tech Latest APIs · v2 REST native · you own the code
- Xero
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- Stripe
- Square
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Power BI
- Deputy
- ServiceM8
- Simpro
Real benefits, by solving real FileMaker problems.
- No Per-User BillClaris user-connection licensing climbing every time you hire
- Modern Web StackLocked into FileMaker script steps & calculation engine
- Real Mobile AppFileMaker Go limitations · App Store dependency · clunky on web
- Proper IntegrationsData API rate limits · awkward webhooks · brittle ODBC bridges
- You Own The CodeBusiness locked inside a .fmp12 file only Claris software can open
Six FileMaker replacement capabilities
From the first .fmp12 inspection through the parallel-run weeks where your team uses both side-by-side, to the day FileMaker Server is finally switched off — built so your business outlives the .fmp12 file.
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Functional Re-Spec
Your FileMaker layouts, value lists, scripts and portals translated into a modern web UI — the things your team actually uses, not a pixel-perfect copy of the 2014 layout. Tabbed forms, portals, found-set behaviour all carry over.
- Layout → modern web UI
- Scripts → server logic + jobs
- Portals → table relationships
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Data Migration & Validation
Every record from your .fmp12 (or .fp7 / .fp5) migrated with referential integrity, calculation history preserved where it matters, attachments and container fields moved to S3/Blob storage. Row-by-row reconciliation reports.
- Records · calcs · containers
- Container → S3 / Blob storage
- Row-by-row reconciliation
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Modern Web Stack
React or Vue front-end, Node.js + TypeScript back-end, PostgreSQL or SQL Server database, hosted on Azure or AWS. Real engineering — easy to hire for, easy to extend, no proprietary scripting language to learn.
- React / Vue + TypeScript
- Node.js + PostgreSQL / SQL Server
- Azure / AWS · CI/CD
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Mobile-First (PWA)
Progressive Web App installable on iOS & Android — replaces FileMaker Go without the App Store dance. Works offline, syncs when reconnected, push notifications. The mobile experience the field team actually wants.
- Installable PWA · iOS · Android
- Offline-capable · auto-sync
- Push notifications
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Integrations & APIs
Real REST & GraphQL APIs without FileMaker Data API rate limits. Native sync with Xero, MYOB, HubSpot, Salesforce, Stripe, Square, Shopify, WooCommerce, ServiceM8, Simpro — plus any internal SQL Server, REST or SOAP endpoint.
- Native Xero · MYOB · CRM sync
- Stripe · Square · payments
- REST / GraphQL APIs · no rate-limits
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Hosting & Code Ownership
Hosted in your Azure or AWS account — never locked inside FileMaker Server or Claris Cloud. Source code lives in your GitHub or Azure DevOps from day one. Take it to another developer at any time.
- Your Azure / AWS · your bill
- Your GitHub from day one
- No vendor lock-in
A FileMaker replacement project, end to end
Three stages. Parallel-run before cutover. FileMaker stays read-only after cutover as a safety net. Delivered personally by the founder.
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Week 0
FileMaker Audit
15-minute scoping call. We map every layout, table, value list, script and external service connection — plus user count, FileMaker Server / Cloud setup and current pain points. Fixed-price quote inside 48 hours.
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Weeks 1–N
Rebuild & Parallel-Run
Two-week sprints with weekly demos. The most-used workflow ships in Sprint 1. Data sync from production .fmp12 runs nightly during parallel-run so the new app is always loaded with realistic data when your team tests it.
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Cutover
Live Cutover & Support
Cutover on a planned window with tested rollback runbook ready. FileMaker stays available read-only as a safety net for the first week. 30 days of post-cutover support included. Code lives in your GitHub from day one.
Before you book the scoping call
How much does it cost to replace FileMaker with a custom web app?
Fixed-price after a 15-minute scoping call and a short discovery session. A focused replacement of a single-database, sub-200-table FileMaker solution takes 6–12 weeks. A multi-database, multi-portal FileMaker solution with deep integrations and many scripts takes 12–24 weeks. Cost is known before any code is written.
How long does it take?
Small FileMaker solution (< 30 tables, < 50 scripts, single team): 6–10 weeks. Standard business FileMaker app (30–150 tables, complex scripts, 3–5 integrations): 10–16 weeks. Large multi-team FileMaker platform (200+ tables, hundreds of scripts, FileMaker Go users, server scripts, plugins): 4–8 months. Sprint demos every two weeks — your team uses real working software the whole way, not waiting for cutover day.
Will the replacement look and work like our FileMaker app?
Functionally yes, visually modernised. Tabbed forms, portals, value lists, found-set filtering, summary reports — all carry over. The 2014-style FileMaker UI gets replaced with a clean modern web interface your team will actually enjoy using. Print layouts (the painful ones) become PDF templates.
What happens to our FileMaker scripts, calculations and custom functions?
Re-spec'd and rebuilt in the modern stack. Server-side scripts become Node.js endpoints or scheduled jobs. Layout scripts become front-end logic. Field calculations become computed columns or SQL views. Custom functions become reusable code. Behaviour preserved; the underlying language changes from FileMaker to JavaScript/TypeScript + SQL — both easier to maintain and easier to hire for.
What about FileMaker Go on iPad / iPhone?
Replaced by a Progressive Web App. Installable to the home screen on iOS and Android (no App Store review process), works offline with auto-sync, supports camera/signature/barcode capture, push notifications. For most FileMaker Go use cases (field data capture, sign-offs, photo upload) the PWA experience is significantly better — and there's no per-device licensing.
After migration, do we still pay per user?
No. The new app is yours. The only ongoing cost is your cloud hosting bill and optional ongoing maintenance with us (month-to-month, never locked-in). The Claris per-user-connection bill goes away on cutover day.
Should we stay on FileMaker, try Claris Studio, or go custom?
All three are valid. Stay on FileMaker if your solution is small, stable and the licensing isn't painful — don't fix what isn't broken. Claris Studio is the right path if your needs fit its hosted model and you want minimum migration risk. Custom is right when (a) per-user licensing is painful, (b) you've outgrown FileMaker performance/scale, (c) you need integrations or mobile experiences FileMaker can't deliver, or (d) you want one stack across web + mobile + reporting. We'll say honestly which one fits.
Do we own the code? What if we want to leave you?
Yes. Source code, schema (DDL/migrations), tests, deployment scripts — all yours in your GitHub or Azure DevOps from day one. No per-user subscription to us. Take the codebase to another developer or in-house team at any time. We structure projects (clean architecture, documentation, no proprietary frameworks) so another team can pick it up. Your FileMaker .fmp12 stays read-only available as a long-term reference / rollback artefact.
Best value · quote in 48 hours · code is yours · zero obligation
