# Microsoft Access Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra

> With the help of Capterra, learn about Microsoft Access Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Database products and more.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/233275/Microsoft-Access/pricing

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# 

 Microsoft Access Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on March 13, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

Microsoft Access

## What is Microsoft Access?

Database management system that allows users to store and manage data and create database-powered apps.

## What is Microsoft Access used for?

[Database](https://www.capterra.com/database-management-software/)

Overall rating

Based on 205 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

91%

Neutral

8%

Negative

1%

Pros & cons

Simple multi-source database integration

Intuitive relational data management

Performance issues with large databases

Contact vendor  
for pricing

Free trial  
not available

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## Compare with a popular alternative

Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status.

### Microsoft Access

4.4 (205)

VS.

[4.6 (2,222)](https://www.capterra.com/p/146652/Airtable/reviews/)

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Starting Price

$20

Per User, Per Month

Free Trial

Free Version

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

Ease Of Use

4.0 (205)

Ease Of Use

4.4 (1,974)

Value For Money

4.2 (138)

Value For Money

4.5 (1,505)

Customer Service

3.9 (129)

Customer Service

4.4 (1,431)

## Microsoft Access alternatives

[Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/)

[4.6 (1,974)](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/reviews/)

Starting price

$13748.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

97%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/)

[MySQL](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/)

[4.6 (2,094)](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/reviews/)

Starting price

$2000.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

96%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/11482/MySQL/)

Highest Rated

[Google Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/)

[4.7 (2,259)](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

96%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/268690/Google-Cloud-Platform/)

[MongoDB](https://www.capterra.com/p/127374/MongoDB/)

[4.7 (468)](https://www.capterra.com/p/127374/MongoDB/reviews/)

Starting price

Contact vendor for pricing

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

99%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/127374/MongoDB/)

[View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/233275/Microsoft-Access/alternatives/)

## Who uses Microsoft Access?

Based on Capterra reviews from the past 4 years

Talk to a software expert

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tailored to your business needs

## Pros and Cons

Simple multi-source database integration

81% positive reviews out of 74

Most reviewers find database access straightforward, with easy integration from Excel, SQL, and other sources.

Lauren C

Cofounder, 2 - 10 employees.

"I find it really useful as a database to link lots of spreadsheets when there is a lot of data."

Performance issues with large databases

80% negative reviews out of 25

Most reviewers report large database management is slow, unstable, and lacks scalability for bigger datasets.

Chuck K

Software Engineer, 1 employee.

"Its performance starts lagging when your database starts getting somewhat large."

Intuitive relational data management

79% positive reviews out of 52

Most reviewers indicate data management is user-friendly, supporting large datasets and flexible relational linking.

Luis T

business operative assistent, 11 - 50 employees.

"Microsoft Access is a widely used desktop database management system that offers a range of features for creating, managing, and analyzing data"

Efficient customizable reporting tools

87% positive reviews out of 31

Most reviewers describe report creation as fast, customizable, and easy to update for periodic analysis.

## Features

Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically.

Data Storage Management

4.4 (132)

63.64% of 132 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Manage and store data in a database

Access Controls/Permissions

4.2 (89)

65.17% of 89 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems

Data Connectors

4.2 (73)

60.27% of 73 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Connect to big data sources

Customizable Fields

4.4 (61)

65.57% of 61 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Customize data fields to support various needs and use cases

Data Visualization

4.1 (58)

56.90% of 58 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Graphical representation of data

Data Dictionary Management

3.9 (47)

53.19% of 47 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Stores definitions of the data elements and their relationships (metadata) and how they are retrieved for the user

Microsoft Access 12 features

Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems

Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities

Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases

Customize data fields to support various needs and use cases

Connect to big data sources

Stores definitions of the data elements and their relationships (metadata) and how they are retrieved for the user

Manage and store data in a database

Graphical representation of data

Active monitoring of systems, applications, or networks

Database management based on relationships between data

Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns

Create, design and manage workflows for repetitive tasks

Get Advice

We can help you find the software with the features you need.

Features

4.4 (205)

4.4

Based on 205 reviews

## Pricing

Value for money

4.2 (138)

### Starting price

Contact vendor  
for pricing

Free trial  
not available

Value for money

4.2 (138)

4.2

Based on 138 reviews

## Integrations

[

Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/)[

Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/)

Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation

Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs.

## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

3.9 (129)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

3.9 (129)

3.9

Based on 129 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.4

Based on 205 reviews

Filter by rating

5(104)

4(82)

3(17)

2(1)

1(1)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

Parsa G.

AI Data and Insight Analyst

Information Technology and Services

### "User-Friendly Database Management with Scalability Limitations"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

August 28, 2025

I would rate Microsoft Access as a robust and versatile database management tool, suitable for small to medium-sized projects.

Pros

Its user-friendly interface and integration with other Microsoft Office products make database management and reporting accessible for non-technical users.

Cons

Limited scalability and performance issues arise with larger datasets, making it less suitable for extensive database projects.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Chuck K.

Software Engineer

Information Services

### "Great tool for smaller databases."

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

August 21, 2025

Overall it is a great tool if you are starting with a small dataset. Also, because of the integrated forms, it is easy to provide this in a central location to do structured data collection from multiple people.

Pros

Access is simple to use and made setting up relatively small databases quick and easy. Having integrated forms also made it easy to move the database around as needed.

Cons

Its performance starts lagging when your database starts getting somewhat large. I also sometimes had struggles getting other tools to connect to it.

Alternatives considered

[Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.capterra.com/p/1417/SQL-Server/)

[Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/)

Reasons for choosing Microsoft Access

We needed more power than spreadsheets could provide but given we were working with smaller datasets, SQL Server was overkill as well as more work to set up.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AB

Aaron B.

Manufacturing Engineer

Automotive

### "ACCESS review"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

July 11, 2025

The hole experience is very good with access, in my case I use it to handle welding data for several hundreds of robots in a body shop. I use access for this data handling and it is easier to do this task in access than in any other software, for instance excel. And also make depth and complicated link within information easier.

Pros

I think microsoft access has a lot more pottential than all people realized, it was a very good tool to handle and manage large data bases. Many people do not know this product exist and that is a shame, at the same time most people do not actually handle such a large data base so that excel does not meet their needs. Access has been a power full tool do handle and take care of my large data bases tasks, and its potential for automatization

Cons

At this time with this software in specific, I actually have not find any problem or complain about access it, works well for data storage and data handling, and it is compatible with microsoft apps and others.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AU

Anonymous User

QA Analyst

Computer & Network Security

### "Microsoft access database usage"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

April 24, 2025

Its easy and convenient to use, make primary keys, preoare data and upload them to a database

Pros

The options to easily create a database abd write queries and retrieve data

Cons

Unable to connect with non microsoft tools

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

US

Uwe S.

Administrator

Civic & Social Organization

### "Access für kleine Datenbanken."

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

5/10

March 27, 2025

Für kleine Datenbankanwendungen ist es eine recht gute Lösung.

Pros

Access ist eine verhältnismäßig einfach zu bedienende Datenbankanwendung.

Cons

Die Performance bei großen Datenbanken ist eher langsam.

Switched from

[dBASE 2019](https://www.capterra.com/p/246175/dBASE-2019/)

Access war einfacher in der Bedienung und am Ende auch moderner.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

RS

RICARDO S.

Sales Representative

Computer Software

### "Flexible and powerful."

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

March 6, 2025

It has been my preferred developing platform for years.

Pros

It is super easy to develop any kind of application using VBA.

Cons

You cannot create executables, this forces you to have MS Access installed on the PC where you want to run your application.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AK

Alexander K.

Administrator

Information Technology and Services

### "Gutes Tool für Datenbanken"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

March 6, 2025

Im Großen und Ganzen lassen sich damit sehr schnell einfache Datenbanken erstellen

Pros

Am Besten sind die umfangreichen Möglichkeiten

Cons

Stellenweise ist es kompliziert, hier vor allem die Beziehungen

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

CB

Caitlyn B.

Office Administration

Construction

### "I have always been a fan of Access"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

February 19, 2025

Pros

I love the functionality of it. We used it to make a database for our customers. It worked really well! Highly recommend for anyone looking to create a database.

Cons

It was no longer supported and so we lost our database and had to switch to an online provider.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

KD

Kevin D.

Broker

Transportation/Trucking/Railroad

### "Evergreen - Access"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

3.0

3.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

January 20, 2025

Positive with an improvement in office workflow

Pros

Access is a full-fledged database program will all of the necessary features

Cons

Sometimes its a bit difficult to know why an item is ending up in paste-errors.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

TW

Tonji W.

Sales

Consumer Goods

### "Access the list and the report "

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

January 19, 2025

Working with Access can be as small as creating a table listed with names, address, and telephone number to as big as analyzing report information in a big company.

Pros

It stores, creates reports and tables. It uses tables to store data and you can share the created reports.

Cons

Limited at working with other databases it has some restrictions.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

[View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/233275/Microsoft-Access/reviews/)

Popular comparisons

[Microsoft SQL Server vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/1417-233275/SQL-Server-vs-Microsoft-Access)[MySQL vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/11482-233275/MySQL-vs-Microsoft-Access)[Airtable vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/146652-233275/Airtable-vs-Microsoft-Access)[Google Cloud vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/233275-268690/Microsoft-Access-vs-Google-Cloud-Platform)[MongoDB vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/127374-233275/MongoDB-vs-Microsoft-Access)

[PostgreSQL vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/48791-233275/PostgreSQL-vs-Microsoft-Access)[Oracle Database vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/5938-233275/Oracle-Database-vs-Microsoft-Access)[DbVisualizer vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/197030-233275/DbVisualizer-vs-Microsoft-Access)[Amazon RDS vs Microsoft Access](https://www.capterra.com/compare/192201-233275/Amazon-RDS-vs-Microsoft-Access) 

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