Is Microsoft Access in the Cloud a Dream?

The short answer is yes.

MS Access ruled the world of do-it-yourself database applications for two decades since its inception in the early 90s. However, around 2010, when cloud computing started to go mainstream, Access struggled to keep up by virtue of its legacy technology.

Microsoft made a valiant effort, and briefly launched “Access Web Apps”, the online counterpart of MS Access. It also gained a following, given the thirst for an online version of Access. However, after a few years of struggle of trying to keep it relevant, Microsoft broke the hearts of many die-hards by fully retiring Access Web Apps in early 2018.

Microsoft has since been focusing its efforts on pushing users towards Powerapps, its new application which serves the same market. However, PowerApps is vastly different in structure, causing widespread discontentment among Access users.

But let’s not be sad

The bright lining is that there are an array of solutions very similar to Access in structure, which have always been built as cloud products to serve as a “Microsoft Access Alternative”. Some examples are:

For a more detailed list of Access alternatives in the cloud, please read the following article: