Ninox vs. FileMaker:
The full comparison
Below, we've broken down how Ninox and FileMaker compare across every feature that matters. Collaboration, automation, access control, compliance, and more.
Free forever
No credit card
Import CSV
The side-by-side breakdown
Built for business teams, powerful enough for developers. Ninox combines low-code speed with a real scripting layer, so nobody hits a ceiling.
FileMaker
Start Ninox
Core Features
Subscription continuity
Software ceases to function if annual subscription lapses
Freemium entry plan; data always accessible regardless of tier
GDPR compliance
Not certified
GDPR-compliant by design
Who can build
Requires FileMaker scripting and layout knowledge; developer-dependent
Drag-and-drop builder; non-technical users build and modify without IT
AI for building
Not available
AI copilot helps non-technical users build tables, views, and automations
Free entry point
No free tier; annual subscription from $21 per user per month
Free plan available. Paid plans from €25/month
Data portability
Proprietary format; data export requires remapping to another structure
Standard relational structure; RESTful API with CRUD and batch operations
Automation capability
Script triggers and scheduled scripts via FileMaker Server; developer required
Built-in triggers, conditional logic, and scripting; no developer needed
Audit trail
Audit trail is limited; requires custom scripting to implement fully
Audit logging built in
Document generation
Document generation not available natively
Generate contracts, invoices, and reports directly from live records
Access & Security
Mobile access
FileMaker Go app for iOS only; Android not supported
Fully accessible via browser on any device; native app planned
SSO / SAML
Supported via Claris ID and enterprise configuration
SSO, SAML, OAuth 2.0, MFA, OIDC
ISO 27001 certification
Not certified
ISO 27001 certified
Data Structure
Data model
Relational; proprietary .fmp12 file format
Relational tables with defined field types, linked records, and modularity
Record relationships
Supported via table relationships in the schema designer
Native relational links between tables
Data type enforcement
Enforced at field level within the schema
Enforced field types; data integrity maintained automatically
Database size limit
No hard file size cap; performance degrades with complexity and concurrent use
No comparable limit; cloud-native architecture
Records per table
Handles large datasets but performance tied to hosting infrastructure
Up to ~10 million records per table
Data portability
Proprietary format; data export requires remapping to another structure
Standard relational structure; RESTful API with CRUD and batch operations
Data import
Import from CSV, Excel, ODBC sources
CSV and Excel import with structured field mapping on ingestion
Data export
Export to CSV, Excel, PDF, XML
Export to CSV, Excel, JSON via API
Backup and restore
Available via FileMaker Server; requires server setup and configuration
Workspace-level automated backups with restore
Deployment & Access
Deployment model
Desktop client plus FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud
Cloud-native; fully browser-based
Operating system support
Windows and macOS desktop clients required
Any OS via browser
Mobile access
FileMaker Go app for iOS only; Android not supported
Fully accessible via browser on any device; native app planned
Remote access
Available via FileMaker Cloud or self-hosted server with configuration
Available from any location with internet access; no server setup needed
On-premises hosting
Supported via FileMaker Server
On-premises hosting planned alongside cloud
Offline access
Supported via FileMaker Go on iOS
Web only at launch; offline planned on roadmap
Subscription continuity
Software ceases to function if annual subscription lapses
Freemium entry plan; data always accessible regardless of tier
Collaboration
Real-time editing
Supported via FileMaker Server; requires server licensing and setup
Full simultaneous real-time editing; no server setup required
Single source of truth
Achieved via hosted server solution; not available on desktop-only deployments
One live database; everyone works from the same data by default
Concurrent users
Supported; performance depends on server tier and hosting infrastructure
Cloud-native architecture built for concurrent team use
Comments on records
Not available natively; requires custom scripting
Native comments tied directly to records
Email tied to records
Not available natively
Built-in mailboxes; emails linked directly to records
Forms and surveys
Web forms available via FileMaker WebDirect; requires server configuration
Native web-based forms and surveys connected to live data
Calendar and scheduling
Not available natively
Built-in calendar with event-to-record linking
To-do lists and notes
Not available natively
Native to-do lists and notes built into the platform
Notification center
Not available natively; requires scripted alerts
Native notification center
Building & Modification
Who can build
Requires FileMaker scripting and layout knowledge; developer-dependent
Drag-and-drop builder; non-technical users build and modify without IT
No-code building
Not applicable; all customisation requires technical FileMaker knowledge
Full no-code building via visual page builder with widgets and charts
Scripting for power users
FileMaker scripting language; significant learning curve
Built-in scripting layer for logic beyond no-code; lower barrier to entry
Custom UI and views
Layout-based builder; tightly coupled to data structure
Modern page builder with rich widgets, charts, buttons, and role-specific views
Automation
Automation capability
Script triggers and scheduled scripts via FileMaker Server; developer required
Built-in triggers, conditional logic, and scripting; no developer needed
Trigger on data change
Supported via script triggers; requires developer implementation
Native data-change triggers
Scheduled automations
Supported via FileMaker Server scheduled scripts
Native scheduled execution
Access & Security
Role-based permissions
Privilege sets and account-level access management
Org, workspace, and user-level roles with custom permissions
Audit trail
Limited; requires custom scripting to implement fully
Audit logging built in
SSO / SAML
Supported via Claris ID and enterprise configuration
SSO, SAML, OAuth 2.0, MFA, OIDC
Data residency
Configurable via FileMaker Cloud region selection or self-hosted
Configurable; data on German servers.
GDPR compliance
Not certified
GDPR-compliant by design
ISO 27001 certification
Not certified
ISO 27001 certified
AI
AI foundation
AI features added in recent versions via Core ML and external API calls
AI-native from day one; built into the platform core
AI for building
Not available
AI copilot helps non-technical users build tables, views, and automations
AI for end-users
Not available
AI copilot assists end-users in navigating and working with data
Document Management
Document generation
Not available natively
Generate contracts, invoices, and reports directly from live records
Document versioning
Not available natively
Built-in versioning, change control, and tagging
Integration & API
Public API
FileMaker Data API available; OData support included
RESTful API with CRUD, upsert, batch operations, and scoped API keys
Pricing & Access
Free entry point
No free tier; annual subscription from $21 per user per month
Free plan available. Paid plans from €25/month
Hosting Options
Self-hosted via FileMaker Server, or cloud-hosted via Claris Cloud
Cloud-native, with on-premises hosting also planned
Browser Access
Browser access via WebDirect, typically requires additional server licensing and comes with feature and performance limitations compared to the desktop client
Full platform access via web browser (native mobile apps planned for later in 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Create a free account without a credit card and start building right away. The Free plan is available indefinitely for up to 5 users. No trial period, no expiry.
Ninox is ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified, fully GDPR-compliant, and hosted in secure data centers in Germany. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. You own your data — and you can export it as a CSV at any time.
Yes. You can import data from CSV files using our import assistant, which guides you through mapping columns to your Ninox tables.
Yes. Ninox connects to tools like Zapier, Make, and n8n — and offers a public REST API so you can integrate with virtually any system. The Free plan includes 1,000 API calls per month. Team and Business plans scale up to 10,000 and 50,000 API calls per month respectively. For custom or enterprise-level integrations, talk to our team.
Yes. Ninox is AI-native — AI is built into the core of the platform, not a separate add-on. All plans include AI-assisted building so you can describe what you need and Ninox helps you build it. On the Free plan, AI features are available within usage limits. As your team grows, upgrading to a paid plan removes those limits and unlocks the full building experience.
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