Move your FileMaker app to a modern web SaaS platform
Hitting FileMaker's ceiling? We migrate your databases to a custom web app — faster, mobile-first, integrable, and free of per-seat licenses.
Zero service interruption
All historical data preserved
Live in 1 to 3 months
The contrast is immediate
On the left, a typical FileMaker interface. On the right, what your users get after migration.
Dense interface, record-by-record navigation, not built for mobile.
Dashboards, instant search, mobile-ready, API integrations.
Why move away from FileMaker?
FileMaker is a great prototype tool — but quickly becomes a ceiling once usage grows.
Per-user licenses that add up
Expect roughly €200 to €500 per user per year (excl. VAT) depending on the Claris plan, plus the server and maintenance. At scale, total cost often surpasses a properly hosted web app.
Limited performance at scale
With tens of thousands of records or dozens of concurrent users, response times degrade noticeably.
Weak web and mobile capabilities
WebDirect mimics the desktop UI but stays slow, sluggish and far from a true mobile-first responsive UX.
Modern integrations are painful
No native webhooks, restricted API, complex SSO, little observability. Plugging Slack, Stripe, HubSpot or n8n requires real workarounds.
Claris vendor lock-in
Proprietary format, logic locked in scripts only a FileMaker developer can read, licence prices set by a single vendor: the longer you wait, the costlier the exit.
Hard to evolve
FileMaker scripts, no native Git versioning and the lack of automated tests make any change risky past a certain scale.
What you gain with a custom web SaaS
A modern application built around your real processes — freed from FileMaker's constraints.
Predictable, controlled cost
Fixed hosting cost + unlimited users. No more per-seat licensing.
Performance and scalability
Properly indexed PostgreSQL, caching, CDN. Sub-second page loads, even with millions of rows.
Modern, mobile-first UX
Responsive web interface, keyboard shortcuts, instant search, WCAG-compliant accessibility.
Native integrations
REST/GraphQL APIs, webhooks, SSO (SAML/OIDC), Stripe, Slack, Google Workspace, n8n. Everything the SaaS ecosystem expects.
Security and compliance
Fine-grained RBAC, full audit log, encryption at rest, GDPR-compatible hosting, optional HDS or ISO 27001 paths.
AI-ready
Your data becomes usable by AI agents (RAG, copilots, automations) — impossible directly from FileMaker.
Our migration method
A 5-step approach that de-risks the switch and preserves the value of your existing solution.
Existing-system audit
Inventory of tables, scripts, layouts and workflows. We map what's critical vs accessory, the technical debt and UX opportunities.
Mapping and redesign
Target PostgreSQL schema, entity modelling, UX rework on key screens. We don't copy the existing — we simplify it.
Iterative development
Short sprints, bi-weekly releases, continuous validation with your business users.
Data migration
ETL from FileMaker (CSV export or Data API), cleanup, recomputation, integrity checks. No historical data lost.
Cutover + support
Double-run for a few weeks, end-user training, post-cutover support, then gradual FileMaker decommissioning.
Typical engagement
Common mission profile — typical numbers for an SMB running FileMaker for 5+ years.
An SMB with 20 to 50 staff uses a legacy FileMaker solution: clients, contracts, projects, scheduling, invoices. Five to ten modules, around 80,000 records, several critical business scripts.
Claris licensing costs going up, slow performance on long lists, field team without mobile access, no way to plug Stripe to automate payments.
React + Node.js + PostgreSQL web app, hosted on AWS or GCP. Google Workspace SSO, Stripe webhooks, open API for future integrations, native mobile responsive.
Live in 2 to 3 months thanks to AI-assisted development, a few weeks of double-run, FileMaker licences dropped. Screens 3 to 5× faster, field team autonomous on mobile, project paid back in under 2 years by the licence savings.
The stack we use
Proven, open, evolvable choices — so you never depend on a single vendor again.
100% free and open source software
PostgreSQL
React
JavaScript
Node.js
Python
Docker
Frequently asked questions
With AI-assisted development, expect 2 to 4 weeks for a small application, 1 to 3 months for a business application (15 to 50 tables) and 3 to 5 months for a mission-critical one, from audit to cutover, with releases every 2 weeks.
No. We run in double-run mode: your FileMaker solution stays operational throughout development, and cutover happens over a short window with synchronized data.
Yes. A progressive module-by-module migration is often safer. We start with one target domain (e.g. CRM), validate it, then move the rest.
FileMaker scripts aren't reusable as-is, but their business logic is documented during the audit and cleanly reimplemented on the backend, with automated tests.
As an order of magnitude, excl. VAT: €5k to €12k for a small application, €12k to €30k for a business application, €30k to €60k and up for a mission-critical one. With no per-seat licence, the project often pays for itself in under 2 years beyond twenty or so users. The free audit gives you a precise quote.
Yes. We host by default in European cloud regions (AWS Paris, GCP Belgium or OVH France) and provide a processing register, DPA and everything needed for a GDPR audit.
Let's talk about your migration
Send us a message with a few details about your FileMaker solution. We come back within 24 to 48 hours with a first analysis and project estimate.
Request an audit