Database Builder — a free online Access alternative
.accdb files and has no VBA or macros. Moving over from Access →Your data stays on this device. The page loads the SQLite engine (sql.js) and, for Excel files, SheetJS from a public CDN; nothing you enter is sent anywhere. How storage works →
How to build a database in five steps
From an empty page to tables, queries, forms and a printed report — no install, no account, nothing uploaded.
Pick a template (contacts, inventory, sales orders, project tracker), drop in an Excel or CSV file, or begin with an empty database.
Type in the datasheet like a spreadsheet, paste from Excel, then open Design view to set field types, required fields, defaults and indexes.
In Relationships, connect a key to a field in another table. Add a lookup list so you see names instead of numbers.
Use the query designer: pick fields, type criteria like >100 or Like "A*", add totals, or switch to SQL. Save the query and reuse it.
Create forms with subforms and reports you print or save as PDF. Download a .sqlite file, or export Excel and CSV.
Edit in place, paste ranges, sort and filter.
- Navigate
- arrow keys, Tab, Enter, Esc
- Paste
- copy cells from Excel or Sheets
- Types
- AutoNumber, text, number, currency, date, yes/no
- Rules
- required, unique, default, lookup
The grid builds the SQL; the SQL view shows it.
- Criteria
>=100,Between … And …,In (…)- Totals
- Sum, Avg, Count, Min, Max
- Functions
- Date(), Format(), IIf(), Nz()
- Params
:nameasks when you run
Friendly data entry, with related records below.
- Controls
- text, drop-down, check box
- Subforms
- child records you can edit
- Layout
- 1, 2 or 3 columns
- Saving
- each field saves as you leave it
Group, total and send to PDF.
- Grouping
- two levels with subtotals
- Totals
- sum, average, count, min, max
- Paper
- A4 or Letter, portrait or landscape
- Output
- print, PDF, CSV, Excel
Online Access database alternative, explained
Database Builder is a free, browser-based alternative to desktop database software such as Microsoft Access. You create tables, connect them with relationships, ask questions with a visual query designer, enter data through forms and print reports, all inside one web page. Underneath is SQLite 3.45, compiled to WebAssembly by the open-source sql.js 1.10.3 project, so it is a real relational database engine and not a spreadsheet pretending to be one. There is no server: your data is processed on your own device and is never uploaded.
It runs in any current browser on Windows, macOS, Linux and Chromebook, which makes it useful when you are on a Mac without Access, on a locked-down work PC where you cannot install software, or on a tablet.
What it is not
To avoid surprises, here is what Database Builder does not do:
- It does not open
.accdbor.mdbfiles. That is Microsoft's file format. Export your tables from Access instead (see below). - No VBA, macros or event code. Forms and reports are built from options, not code. Data macros, switchboards and ribbon customisations do not exist here.
- No multi-user server. It is a single-user database that lives in your browser or in a
.sqlitefile. Two people cannot edit the same database at the same time. - No linked tables, ODBC or pivot tables. Bring data in by importing files.
- Not made for huge data. The whole database sits in browser memory. Tens of thousands of rows are comfortable; a few hundred thousand work but get slower. Datasheets show up to 200,000 rows and reports up to 50,000.
Moving your data over from Access
The reliable route is through Excel or CSV, which every version of Access can produce:
- In Access, open a table and choose External Data → Export → Excel (or Text File for CSV). Do this for each table you want to keep. Saved queries can be exported the same way when you only need their results.
- Drop the files onto the app above, or use File → Open a file or import data. Each Excel sheet or CSV becomes a table. The import window shows a preview, lets you rename columns, pick types, choose a date order and add an AutoNumber ID.
- Recreate the links in Relationships. If a column holds the ID of a row in another table, connect them and tick show names instead of IDs to get a lookup list.
- Rebuild your queries in the designer. Access criteria such as
Like "A*",Between … And …andIs Null, and functions such asDate(),IIf()andFormat(), work the same way. Access SQL that uses[Table].[Field]brackets and&for joining text is understood in the designer's expression boxes. - Create forms and reports from your tables or queries, then save a
.sqlitecopy as a backup.
Anything that was code in Access (VBA modules, macros, form events) has to be replaced by a query or by a manual step; there is no automatic converter.
What you can do
- Tables — a spreadsheet-style datasheet with keyboard navigation, copy and paste, sort, column filters, find, and a new-record row at the bottom. Design view sets the field type, required, indexed (with or without duplicates), default value and description. Defaults like
=Date()fill in today's date. - Relationships — a diagram where tables can be dragged around and linked one-to-many, with restrict, cascade or set null on delete. SQLite enforces them, so you cannot delete a customer who still has orders unless you chose cascade.
- Lookup lists — a number field can show names from another table, as a drop-down in the datasheet and in forms.
- Queries — design with the grid or write SQL. Saved queries become views, so other queries, forms and reports can use them as a source. Parameter queries ask for values, and action queries (
UPDATE,DELETE,INSERT) ask for confirmation before they run. Save as table turns a result into a new table. - Forms — navigate record by record, search, add and delete. Related tables appear as editable subforms.
- Reports — choose columns, group by up to two fields, add sums and averages, print or save as PDF through your browser's print dialog.
- Import and export — CSV, TSV, JSON, Excel and SQLite in; CSV, Excel, JSON, SQL, a whole-database Excel workbook and a
.sqlitefile out.
Field types
| Field type | Typical use | Stored in SQLite as |
|---|---|---|
| AutoNumber | A unique ID that counts up by itself | INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT |
| Short text | Names, codes, e-mail addresses | TEXT |
| Long text | Notes and descriptions | TEXT |
| Number (whole) | Quantities, counts, foreign keys | INTEGER |
| Number (decimal) | Measurements, rates | REAL |
| Currency | Prices and amounts, shown with the database's currency | REAL |
| Date, Date & time | Dates entered with a date picker | DATE, DATETIME (ISO text) |
| Yes / No | Check boxes | BOOLEAN (0 or 1) |
| Hyperlink | Web addresses that open in a new tab | TEXT |
Because it is SQLite, the file you download is a normal database that any SQLite tool can read. The extra details this app remembers (captions, currency formats, lookup lists, saved queries, forms and reports) are kept in a few hidden tables whose names start with _jb_.
Query criteria cheat sheet
Type these into the Criteria row of the query designer. Criteria on different rows (or) are combined with OR.
| You type | It finds |
|---|---|
Smith or "Smith" | Exactly that text (not case sensitive) |
>100, <=50, <>0 | Numbers, dates or text compared with the value |
Like "A*", Like "*corp*", Like "J?n" | Starts with A, contains corp, J + any letter + n |
Between 10 And 20 | From 10 up to and including 20 |
In ("Belgium","France") | Any value in the list |
Is Null, Is Not Null | Empty or filled-in fields |
Not "Draft" | Everything except Draft |
>10 And <20, "A" Or "B" | Several conditions in one cell |
>=Date()-30 | Dates in the last 30 days |
Between #2026-01-01# And #2026-03-31# | A date range (write dates between # signs) |
Yes, No | Check box fields |
Functions that work in the designer's expression boxes and in the SQL view include Date(), Now(), Year(), Month(), Day(), DateAdd(), DateDiff(), DatePart(), DateSerial(), Format(), Left(), Right(), Mid(), Len(), UCase(), LCase(), Trim(), Nz(), IIf(), Round(), Int(), Val(), Choose() and Switch(). The SQL view takes standard SQLite SQL on top of that, including joins, GROUP BY, window functions and common table expressions.
Where your data lives
The database is held in memory while the page is open. With Keep in browser switched on (the default), a copy is saved automatically in your browser's IndexedDB storage after every change and listed on the Home tab under Your databases in this browser. That storage belongs to this site in this browser on this device: it is not synced, and clearing site data or using a private window removes it. Browsers can also evict stored data when disk space is low.
So treat the browser copy as a working copy and download a .sqlite file (Save .sqlite) for anything you care about. Switch the toggle off if you do not want anything stored; the page then warns you before you close it with unsaved changes. Nothing is sent to a server in either case. The page loads the sql.js engine from cdnjs.cloudflare.com (with jsDelivr as a fallback), the Excel reader from the same CDNs only when you import or export a workbook, and its font from Google Fonts.
Keyboard shortcuts
Arrow keys, Tab, Enter | Move between cells in a datasheet |
F2 or just start typing | Edit the selected cell; Esc cancels |
⌘/Ctrl + C, ⌘/Ctrl + V | Copy cells, or paste a block from Excel |
Delete | Delete the selected records (after confirmation) |
⌘/Ctrl + S | Save the open query or table design; otherwise save the database |
⌘/Ctrl + Enter | Run the query in the SQL view |
Frequently asked questions
Can I open an Access .accdb or .mdb file here?
No. Database Builder is an alternative to Microsoft Access, not a reader for its file format. In Access, export each table to Excel or CSV (External Data, then Export) and drop those files on this page. Each sheet becomes a table. Relationships, queries, forms and reports are rebuilt here with the designers.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. The database engine (SQLite compiled to WebAssembly) runs inside your browser tab. Your tables are kept in your browser's IndexedDB storage if you leave Keep in browser switched on, and you can download a standard .sqlite file at any time.
Does it support VBA, macros or multiple users?
No. There is no VBA or macro language and no shared multi-user server. It is a single-user database that lives in your browser or in a .sqlite file you keep.
How do I get my data out?
Download the whole database as a .sqlite file (it opens in DB Browser for SQLite, DBeaver and most programming languages), export every table to one Excel workbook, or export any table, query or report as CSV, Excel, JSON or SQL.