Service · Brisbane and Australia-wide

MS Access Database Replacement

Your business runs on an Access database. It works, but only one or two people understand it, it struggles when several people use it at once, and support for Access 2021 ends on 13 October 2026. We help you pick the right next step, then do it without losing data or stopping work.

What the 13 October 2026 deadline means

On 13 October 2026, Microsoft stops releasing security updates and fixes for Access 2021. Access 2016 and 2019 already stopped on 14 October 2025. Your database will still open the next morning. The risk is slower and quieter: no more security patches, and a growing chance that a Windows or Office update breaks a form or report that nobody knows how to fix.

Access in Microsoft 365 is still supported. So this is not a reason to panic. It is a good reason to decide what happens to your database before it decides for you.

Signs it is time to act

  • You get "database is locked" or corruption errors when several people use it
  • Staff can't use it from home, on the road or on a phone
  • The person who built it has left, and nobody wants to touch it
  • Data is typed into Access and then again into Xero, MYOB or a spreadsheet
  • Backups depend on someone remembering to copy a file
  • Your insurer, auditor or a big client is asking about unsupported software

Your three options, from cheapest to most complete

Not every Access database needs to be rebuilt. We will tell you which option fits, even if it is the cheapest one.

1. Upgrade Access and keep going

Best if a few people use it in one office and it rarely breaks.

Move to Access in Microsoft 365 or Access 2024. We check your forms, queries, reports and code still work on the new version and fix anything that doesn't.

Cost: Licence cost plus a short compatibility check, usually a few hours of work.

2. Move the data, keep the Access screens

Best if it's slow, the file corrupts, staff work remotely, or backups worry you.

Your tables move to SQL Server or Azure SQL. Staff keep using the Access screens they know, but the data sits in a proper database with backups and more users at once.

Cost: Usually a few days to a few weeks of work. Fixed quote after we see the database.

3. Replace it with a web app

Best if staff need it on phones or from home, it needs to talk to Xero or MYOB, or nobody can change it anymore.

We rebuild it as a secure web app that works in any browser. Your data moves across, reports become live dashboards or PDF exports, and staff log in with their Microsoft 365 accounts.

Cost: Most small and medium databases cost AU$25,000 to $80,000. Larger systems can cost more.

How a replacement works

  1. Review. We go through your tables, forms, queries, reports and any macros or VBA code. You get a short written summary of what is there and what each option would cost.
  2. Fixed quote. You see the price before any build work starts.
  3. Build alongside. The new system is built while your team keeps working in Access as normal.
  4. Move the data. Migration scripts run repeatedly in a test copy until every record count matches.
  5. Run both. Old and new run side by side for 2 to 4 weeks so you can compare results.
  6. Switch over. We cut over with a rollback plan and keep the old Access file read-only for reference.

For your IT person

Data usually moves to SQL Server, Azure SQL or PostgreSQL. New apps are built with ASP.NET Core or Next.js and hosted in Australian data centres on Azure or AWS. Sign-in uses Microsoft 365 (Entra ID). VBA logic is rewritten and covered by tests, not copied line for line. Excel exports stay, because people rely on them. Integrations with Xero, MYOB and other tools use their official APIs.

Who you will work with

Hireadev is run by Ryan Brooker, a Brisbane software engineer. You deal with the person who writes the code, not an account manager. If you are in South East Queensland, we can sit down with your team at your office and watch how the database is really used before we quote.

Want the longer version? Read our guide to Access 2021 end of support or the Access to web app migration playbook.

MS Access replacement FAQ

No. It will keep opening and running. What stops is Microsoft's security updates and bug fixes for Access 2021. Over time that raises your security risk and the chance that a Windows or Office update breaks something.
Open Access, go to File, then Account, then About Access. If it says Microsoft 365, you are still supported. If it says 2021, support ends 13 October 2026. If it says 2016 or 2019, support already ended on 14 October 2025.
Not as of today. Access is still included in many Microsoft 365 plans and there is an Access 2024 version. The deadline is about older versions, not Access as a whole. That is why upgrading is a real option for some businesses.
Most replacements take 8 to 24 weeks, depending on the number of tables, reports and how much logic lives in macros or VBA code. You keep using Access the whole time, so there is no gap in your day to day work.
We move the data with scripts we can run again and again until every record count matches. Then both systems run side by side for 2 to 4 weeks so you can compare results. The old Access file is kept read-only so you can always look back.
Yes. We can meet in person anywhere in South East Queensland and work remotely with businesses across Australia.
A copy of the database (or a screen share if you'd rather not send it), a list of who uses it and what for, and any reports you rely on. We are happy to sign an NDA first.

Related

Book a free 30-minute Access review

Show us your database over a call or in person. We'll tell you which of the three options fits and what it will roughly cost. No obligation.

Book my free Access reviewRead the Access 2021 guide