Make or buy
Replacing FileMaker: when it pays off and how to make the switch
By Dominik Natter · Last updated on 3 November 2026 · 3 min read
In short
Replacing a FileMaker solution pays off when it is business-critical, depends on one person or has to exchange data with the ERP, customers and other sites. If it runs reliably and maintenance is secured, modernising is often cheaper than replacing. Replacing it with a web application costs CHF 40,000 to 150,000 depending on scope. It works best in stages, and the first stage is live after six to ten weeks.
Signs that the solution is reaching its limits
FileMaker is not a bad tool. Many businesses have used it for years to run a process that no standard product could handle. Problems usually come not from FileMaker itself but from everything that has grown up around the solution.
- Only one person understands the structure, scripts and special cases.
- Data is entered twice in FileMaker and the ERP, or transferred by export.
- Access on the move, for customers or for other sites is impossible or awkward.
- Permissions and traceability no longer meet the requirements of auditors or customers.
- The solution runs on an old version because an update would break scripts or plug-ins.
- Reports for management are put together by hand in Excel.
- Starting point for replacement with a web application, up to CHF 150,000
- CHF 40,000
- Weeks until the first stage is live
- 6 to 10
- Months for the complete replacement
- 3 to 8
- Starting point for the fixed-price discovery phase, up to CHF 9,000
- CHF 4,000
Modernise, standard product or web application
You stay with FileMaker, move the solution to a current version, clean up the data model and scripts and document them.
This is the cheapest option if the process fits and someone can keep maintaining the solution.
A module of your ERP, an industry solution or a tool such as Microsoft Power Apps takes over the process.
This fits if your process largely follows the standard and does not set your business apart.
A new application maps your process, runs in the browser for everyone authorised and is connected to the ERP and accounting.
This pays off if the process is your competitive advantage, several systems have to work together or many people at several sites use it.
Which option fits your situation
| Your situation | Option | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Solution runs reliably, maintenance is secured | Modernise | stay with FileMaker |
| Process largely follows the standard | Standard product | ERP module or industry solution |
| Business-critical, several systems, many users | Custom web application | CHF 40,000 to 150,000 |
| Only one person uses the solution | Usually not needed | document and secure it |
What a replacement costs
Replacing FileMaker with a web application costs CHF 40,000 to 150,000 and takes three to eight months. The deciding factors are the scope of the current solution, the quality of the data and the number of integrations. It starts with a fixed-price discovery phase of CHF 4,000 to 9,000. It delivers the inventory, target picture, stage plan and cost ceiling.
On top of the project cost, allow 15 to 20 percent per year for maintenance and operations. In return, the FileMaker licences fall away once the switchover is complete, and so does the dependence on a single person.
How a replacement runs in stages
01
Inventory
Together with the users, we document what the solution does today, including scripts, layouts and special cases.
02
Target picture
You decide what is carried over, simplified or dropped. Grown solutions often contain functions that are no longer needed.
03
First stage
The area that hurts most is replaced first and is live after six to ten weeks. The rest keeps running in FileMaker until then.
04
Data migration
The data is cleaned, migrated in at least one trial run and reconciled.
05
Integration
ERP, accounting and email are connected, and double entry disappears.
06
Switchover
Training, parallel operation if needed, then the FileMaker file is archived.
What happens to your data
FileMaker data can be exported in full. The structure, however, has often grown over time: fields with several meanings, repeating fields, calculated values and container fields holding documents. That is why migration is a stage of its own.
We set rules for duplicates and gaps, carry over the documents from container fields and check the result in a trial run together with your specialists.
What to watch out for
- Do not switch everything at once. Stages keep the risk small and show the benefit early.
- Do not carry over every function. Anything nobody uses any more is dropped.
- Make sure you receive the source code and documentation, so you do not depend on one person again.
Where this information comes from
Price ranges and duration
The price ranges are guide values excluding VAT and match the price ranges on our service and solution pages. The price depends on the scope of the current solution, the quality of the data and the number of integrations.
Binding price
A price becomes binding with the cost ceiling from the fixed-price discovery phase. It delivers the inventory, target picture, stage plan and cost ceiling.
As of: November 2026.
| Solution runs reliably, maintenance is secured | Modernise | stay with FileMaker |
|---|---|---|
| Process largely follows the standard | Standard product | ERP module or industry solution |
| Business-critical, several systems, many users | Custom web application | CHF 40,000 to 150,000 |
| Only one person uses the solution | Usually not needed | document and secure it |
Frequently asked questions
What happens to the data in Excel or FileMaker?
It is cleaned up and migrated. Migration is a stage in its own right: we analyse the existing data, define rules for duplicates and gaps, and carry out at least one trial run before the switch.
Can we switch over gradually?
Yes, and we recommend it. The area causing the most pain is replaced first, while the old solution carries on for the rest. The benefit shows early and the risk per step stays small.
Who holds the rights to the code and the data?
The data is yours. The source code is kept in a repository you have access to, and the usage rights to it pass to you once the work is paid in full. We rely on widely used technologies such as Next.js, C# and PostgreSQL, so that another team can take the software forward if needed.
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