TrustRadius Insights for Microsoft Access are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.
Pros
Efficient Database Management: Users have praised the software for its ease of database system management, reporting, and analysis capabilities. Some reviewers found the reporting functionalities and data manipulation tools easy to use, requiring minimal training.
Enhanced User Experience: The graphical interface was highlighted as a key factor that improved user experience and made database management more efficient. Reviewers particularly liked the drag-and-drop components for designing forms and reports, eliminating the need for coding knowledge.
Customizability and Flexibility: Customizability was a key strength mentioned by users who emphasized the ease of creating entity-relationship diagrams and customizing forms and reports. Some users appreciated the software's flexibility in accommodating various business logic requirements and automation needs.
[Microsoft] Access has all of the functionalities needed to build concise applications for small offices or needs. The ability to utilize other database platforms like SQL Server is a plus. The ability to create full functioning applications in less than an hour is a big plus. There isn't much you can't do with [Microsoft] Access if you understand that it isn't meant to be an enterprise tool.
Pros
Works on pretty much same SQL scripts
Forms and reports are easy to customize and edit.
Cons
High learning curve
Limited support
No new enhancements
Likelihood to Recommend
[Microsoft] Access allows you to create places to store data in an easily retrievable fashion, allowing multiple users and form views for display and data entry, reporting, and data analysis. Easily mitigable to SQL Server, as you continue to grow. I've turned many an [Microsoft] Access database into a front-end for SQL Server. The Application looks and behaves like the other Office products, making it's introduction to new users fairly simple and straight forward. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
VU
Verified User
Manager in Engineering (Hospitality company, 51-200 employees)
I work in the global programs department at a state university. I am not an expert, I don't know coding, but I do have extensive experience with Microsoft Access. Microsoft Access is being used in our department for databases to keep data about attendance at events, services performed, club dues and fees, the department bank account, and department orders. (I don't know if anyone else at the university uses it; most use MS Excel). I not only use Microsoft Access in my current position, I also used it extensively in my previous position (medical researcher) and built for the department an orders database, cell storage and retrieval database and a database for shipments of standardized adult bone marrow stem cells in liquid nitrogen to researchers all over the world. I am the only one in our current department who knows how to use Microsoft Access and thus I'm the only one who uses it, but I use it for the benefit of the department by quickly pulling up information that has to be tracked for reports needed for grants that we work under and other types of information. I designed and created all the elements used in the databases, tables, forms, reports, and macros. I've input all the data from the different events, clubs, services, and departmental accounts. I recently created the orders database so that the person in our department who does the orders can quickly enter all the order information that is input into our university order system into the database and then quickly find specific info about those orders. I find Microsoft Access helps our department function more efficiently.
Pros
Generates information about department events, services, orders, etc. quickly and in report form.
Easy to design forms and reports with drag and drop components. You don't need to know coding.
The ability to link tables and queries to get all the info needed for forms and reports
Forms and reports are easy to customize and edit.
Easily report your data grouped and sorted by any field
Cons
Microsoft Access has not really changed at all for several years. It might be nice to see some upgrades and changes.
The help info is often not helpful. Need more tutorials for Microsoft Access to show how to do specific things.
Be careful naming objects such as tables, forms, etc. Names that are too long can get cut off in dialog boxes to choose a table, form, report, etc. So, I wish they would have resizable dialog boxes to allow you to see objects with long names.
I wish it could show me objects that are not in use in the database for current queries, tables, reports, forms, and macros. That way unused objects can be deleted without worrying about losing a report or query because you deleted the underlying object.
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Access is very well suited for collecting and organizing data in tables, and then using those tables to build relationships between tables using a common field, so you can build queries to find specific types of data over several related tables. Having a relational database is the best way to customize queries, forms, and reports. There are some built-in statistical or mathematical functions, which allow you to generate meaningful statistics to a certain degree. For generating reports and forms on specific related data, Microsoft Access is much better suited. It is less appropriate for statistical analysis, creating charts, and graphs. Microsoft Excel is much better for charts, graphs, and utilizing formulae
and statistical functions to visually present data in graphic form.
Microsoft Access is being used in selective departments as of now [...] but is [...] being used in almost all branches of our company. We have data coming in from multiple sources, and Microsoft Access makes it really easy to collate and format the data [...] so that it can be processed into usable forms.
Pros
Easy integration
User-friendly
Very easy to use
Cons
Sometimes files get corrupted
Backups are often required
Slows down the system
Likelihood to Recommend
Although Microsoft Access may have a few shortcomings, [...] the pros [really] outweigh them and make this a perfect choice for a database management software. The user interface is fairly simple and can be used by anyone, with minimal or zero knowledge about SQL. It is also easy to learn and grasp if you're just getting started with database management.
VU
Verified User
Team Lead in Finance and Accounting (Banking company, 201-500 employees)
We use Microsoft Access to backlog data and information for our entire company. Microsoft Access helps keep information in a concise location for easy reference. This way, we don't have to spend hours going through filing cabinets or folders when looking for old information.
Pros
Stores Data
Groups Data for Easy Reference
User-Friendly
Cons
Marketing
Customer Outreach
IT
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Access is great for scenarios in which you have a vast amount of records/information to store. For example, we have thousands of backlogged bid proposals to different GCs for several projects. Trying to maintain all of these files in a filing cabinet or even an Excel spreadsheet would be nearly impossible. Microsoft Access makes it possible.
For a long time, we used Microsoft Access [for] many [in-house] applications from engineering requests to IT Assets[,] etc. Over time, we migrated many of [these applications] to MS SQL server or the cloud. However, we continue to use MS Access with ODCB Data as MS Access provide[s] a quick way to build fully functional applications with the least amount of effort.
Pros
Quickly build forms and reports
Easy user interface with familiar tools
Least amount of programming
Cons
Multi-user support
Useful features are often removed from newer versions
Likelihood to Recommend
Simple applications that do not require [a] huge amount of data storage.
VU
Verified User
Executive in Information Technology (Mining & Metals company, 51-200 employees)
Microsoft Access is being used in our organization as organized data access tool from databases of different functions of organization to abstract graphical reports and information distribution. We usually get data and records from different resources and use MS Access to format and compile gathered data in presenting manner. We are using Microsoft Access in IT and Engineering departments of the organization and have benefitted by this easy to use and comprehensive data access tool.
Pros
[Microsoft] Access can be linked directly with other Microsoft applications to get all sort of data formats.
Easy configuration and interface
Can easily import and compile data from different resources.
Cons
Not ideally perfect for large databases.
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Access is a decent and productive data access and analysis tool and can be well suited for small to medium sized organization. It can manage normal databases very effectively and generate business value reports for the enterprises. It is not an ideal option for the organizations with larger databases.
Many different use cases can be applied to Microsoft Access. More recently we have been using this to perform automatic joins when the input files will not change. This will eliminate the need for end users to utilize vlookups as they would normally. Since these types of joins can happen at any level of the organization, we are using access for the more localized locations where network connectivity isn't available and they can rely on a local database structure.
Pros
Combining files
Search large datasets quickly
Roll out to single or multiple locations with limited ease and implementation cost
Cons
Scalability between different versions
2GB Size limit before SQL migration needed
Lack of availability to access via the web without SharePoint
Corruption of files can happen, leading to VB being erased. Frequent backups are needed
Likelihood to Recommend
Can be utilized for large and small tasks, just depends on the use case. If the goal is to create a user frieldly front end for a SQL Database, this is the way to go. The size limitations can become an issue down the road, only if the system is not setup efficiently.
We use Microsoft Access in some of our projects, and for educational purposes mainly. The graphical interface seems to help students understand RDBMS concepts a bit easier, and also allows quick database design. This is a nice tool for smaller projects and bigger products as well - being able to download it from the cloud and part of Office 365 makes it an excellent candidate for "first database".
Pros
Graphical interface makes design easier.
Good introduction for database design concepts.
GUI allows less room for errors.
Cons
Concurrent users accessing a database makes it really slow.
Requires Windows, and Office.
Likelihood to Recommend
For educational purposes, creating and maintaining an Access database can be a good introduction for new learners. The GUI allows to visualize RDBMS concepts like table, connections, queries. Non-programmer personnel can understand how this math model works without writing SQL, but also allows a smooth transition from WYSIWYG to SQL-based commands.
We currently use Microsoft Access as a front end to some of our databases that are in other formats and link the tables. This allows us to create queries and reports in a simple interface that many of our staff can use with some training and once the ODBC connections have been set up. There are times when we want to cross-reference data between different data sources, and Access allows us the ability to link/import multiple sources to achieve our analysis goals.
We also currently use Access throughout the workforce when there are specific departmental needs for collecting data.
Pros
Links to existing data sources
Allows for importing of data from different data sources
Lets you create queries and reports without having to know proprietary database syntax
Cons
For the average user, better assistance with table relations
Some sort of prompt when creating reports and queries that they should be based off of queries as to provide more flexibility rather than from tables
More advanced reporting tools
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Access is best suited as a front end to other databases as well as for small to medium databases where the user determines that they have gone beyond the design and function capabilities of Excel. Microsoft Access is less suited when there is a need for heavy database use and complex data queries. All in all, for the average Office user who needs a database program, Access is a solid choice.
Microsoft Access is used for multiple databases throughout the organization. One main use is the bill of materials for projects. We use it to manage revisions of the bill of materials. Each revision has a table within the bill of material and we are able to run a comparison between revisions and produce a cover sheet which shows the differences. This is very useful in tracking changes and maintaining up to date documents. This also helps with processing document changes and it makes revising the bill of materials quick and easy. Also, Microsoft Access is used for our parts catalog in Autocad Electrical. There are multiple tables within the database and this is where we put part numbers and descriptions for these parts. This is used when a bill of materials report is run on a circuit diagram.
Pros
One good aspect of Microsoft Access is how the software can be customized for different applications. This is very useful because we are able to use this software for multiple applications, which makes it cost-friendly.
Another strong point of Microsoft Access is the skill required to customize, the amount of programming required is less than most other database programs. This is good for a beginner looking to get into database management.
Microsoft Access is one of the more cost-friendly database applications, and most of the time it comes with Microsoft Office. Other database programs can be expensive and not as easy to use.
Cons
One downfall of Access is some of the bugs I have encountered using this software. Sometimes our database becomes corrupt and we have to restore from a backup. This can be time-consuming and the worst part is sometimes work is lost if the database is not backed up for a couple of days.
Another issue I have encountered with Access is sometimes the database will think someone has it opened and it then becomes read-only. This causes issues if someone has to make a modification and it thinks someone else is working on it. It will tell you the last person who had it opened, but sometimes it is not correct.
Access also has some issues with performance on larger databases, it can take a little bit to open databases with a lot of data. It sometimes also freezes while loading some items.
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft Access is very useful for multiple applications but it is most useful in my case for managing bill of materials, and part databases for electrical components. It definitely makes managing and updating databases quick and easy. Access has some issues, and I believe if you have very large databases, it can sometimes slow down and not be the best choice. Also, if you have very custom databases, with many macros running, it can be a bit slow.
VU
Verified User
Engineer in Engineering (Industrial Automation company, 201-500 employees)
