Own Your SystemStart here
Free review call
30 minutes. No cost, no obligation.
- A look at what your system does and who uses it
- An honest view on whether moving is worth it
- Whether to move it all or one part first
Claris FileMaker™ to web app, without the upheaval
Moving off FileMaker is easier than you think.
Your FileMaker system already shows exactly how your business works. We use it as the blueprint and rebuild it as a web app your business owns outright.
Free 30-minute call. If staying on FileMaker is the right call for you, we’ll say so.
Sound familiar?
FileMaker got you this far. Plenty of firms built something on it years ago that still runs the whole business today, and that’s exactly why moving is easier than it looks: the hard thinking has already been done.
These are the usual signs a business has outgrown its platform, rather than its system.
Seven signs, three themes
Cost and control
Renting, on someone else’s terms
- The licence is a cost that never ends. Every year it renews, and every new starter adds another user. However long you’ve paid, the software is still rented.
- The terms are someone else’s to set. Licence models, tiers and prices are decided by the platform, and they change from time to time.
Data and features
Boxed in by the platform
- Your data lives in one platform’s format. Getting it into other tools, reports or systems usually takes extra work.
- You want it to feel like a modern app. Screens that look right on a phone, a laptop and a big monitor are hard work on any layout-based platform.
- You’re limited to the features it ships. New capabilities, including AI tools, arrive when the platform adds them.
Your people
Who can use it, and who can fix it
- Half the team isn’t on an iPhone. FileMaker Go runs on iPhone and iPad. Claris’s own guidance notes that around 70% of script steps are supported in WebDirect.
- One person really understands it. Maybe a colleague, maybe an outside developer. If they moved on tomorrow, it would be hard to replace them.
If three or four of these ring true, it’s worth a conversation about what owning your system would look like.
Book a Free Review CallYour FileMaker system is already the specification.
Most software projects spend weeks working out what to build. You’ve already done that. Years of decisions about how your business works are sitting in your Claris FileMaker file. That makes it the best possible starting point for its replacement.
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We read what you have.
Tables, relationships, scripts, layouts and reports tell us how your system works, so we’re not starting from a blank page.
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Your data comes with you.
Every record moves across into a standard database, and we check the numbers with you before you switch.
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It still looks familiar.
We keep the screens, steps and reports your team relies on, and tidy up the bits everyone works around.
| In your FileMaker file | In your web app |
|---|---|
| Tables | A standard database |
| Relationships | The same links between records |
| Scripts | The steps your team follows |
| Layouts | Screens that work on any device |
| Reports | The reports you rely on |
What everyone works around gets tidied up on the way.
No big-bang switch.
FileMaker keeps running while the new system is built and tested. Your team carries on as normal, and you choose the day you switch.
Nothing is switched off until you say so
FileMaker
Your web app
Not ready to move everything? Start with one part.
Pick the part that would make the biggest difference, such as the job sheets your engineers fill in on site, or the customer portal you’ve always wanted. We build that as a web app first, connected to your existing data, while the rest of the system carries on in FileMaker. If it works for you, we move the next part. If not, you’ve lost very little.
Good first candidates
- Something people need on Android phones or out of the office
- Something customers or suppliers need to log into
- The part of the system that’s slowest or most awkward to use today
What changes when you own it
Your system does the same job it does today. What changes is who it belongs to, and what it costs to grow.
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Paying for it
On FileMakerLicences renewed every year, for as long as you use it.
A web app you ownYou pay to have it built. After that, hosting and support, with no licence fees.
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Taking someone on
On FileMakerAnother user on the licence.
A web app you ownAnother login, at no extra licence cost.
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Phones and tablets
On FileMakerFileMaker Go on iPhone and iPad, or the browser via WebDirect.
A web app you ownWorks in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, Android included.
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Ownership
On FileMakerYour files run on licensed software.
A web app you ownThe code, the data and the hosting accounts are in your business’s name.
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New features
On FileMakerWhen the platform adds them.
A web app you ownWhenever you need them, including any AI service you choose.
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Making changes
On FileMakerNeeds a FileMaker developer.
A web app you ownBuilt with widely used web technology that many developers know.
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Your data
On FileMakerStored in FileMaker’s own file format.
A web app you ownStored in a standard database you can export whenever you like.
Renews every year
What will FileMaker cost you from here?
Move the sliders to match your business. It’s a rough sum using your own numbers, not a quote.
FileMaker licences, next 5 years
£13,863
That’s about £231 a month, and at the end of it the software is still rented.
- Year 1 renewal
- £1,944
- Year 5 renewal
- £3,647
- Licences in year 5
- 20
What if that money went into a system you own?
A rebuild is paid for once. After that it’s hosting and support, with no per-person fees. On the call we’ll put a real figure next to this one.
An illustration only. Licence rates are Claris UK retail prices for annual licences, excluding VAT, with volume pricing applied as your numbers grow; your own contract may differ. Set the price rise to 0% to assume prices stay put. It assumes new starters join at the start of each year and leaves out discounts, add-ons, hosting and developer time.
Two ways to start
Any work we quote is a fixed price, with no per-user licence fees afterwards.
If you want it in writing
Migration assessment
For when you want the detail in writing before deciding.
- Your file, reviewed Tables, scripts, layouts, reports and integrations.
- A written plan What moves, in what order, and what changes.
- A fixed price For the rebuild, plus a clear yearly figure for hosting and support.
The assessment fee comes off any rebuild booked within 60 days.
How the free review call works
You don’t need to prepare anything technical. Bring your FileMaker system, or just describe it.
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Tell us what it does
Fill in the form with a line or two about your system, how many people use it and what you’d like to change. We’ll reply within one working day to book a time.
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Show us around
A 30-minute call, by video or in person. Share your screen and walk us through how your team uses it day to day.
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Get a straight answer
We’ll tell you whether moving makes sense for you, and whether to move it all or start with one part. If it does make sense, we’ll suggest the next step.
Book a Free Review Call
Free, and no obligation afterwards.
Who you’ll be talking to
Own Your System is run by an established software company based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. We design, build and look after web systems that businesses run on every day, and we hand over everything they need to own them outright.
You’ll speak to the people who would actually plan and build your new system, not a salesperson. We work with businesses across the UK, by video or in person.
Is this the right fit?
Yes, if this sounds like you.
- Your business runs on a FileMaker system every day, for jobs, orders, customers, stock or bookings
- Several people use it, and the team is growing
- You want everyone to use it from any device, including Android phones
- You’d rather own your system than keep renewing licences for it
Probably not, if:
- It’s a small FileMaker file one or two people use, and it does everything you need
- You need a website or online shop built on WordPress, Shopify, Wix or Squarespace
Not sure? Ask anyway.
If we’re not the right people, we’ll say so straight away.
Moving away from FileMaker: questions people ask
Won’t a rebuild cost more than just paying the licences?
Sometimes, yes, especially for a small team. That’s why we give you a fixed price and a yearly running cost, so you can compare it properly with your renewals over the years ahead. The calculator above gives you a first rough idea. If staying put makes more sense, we’ll tell you.
We love how quickly we can change screens in FileMaker. Will we lose that?
Making a change will mean asking a developer rather than doing it yourself in Layout mode. In return, the screens are built to work on any device, and changes are made in widely used technology that many developers know. If quick in-house tweaks matter to you, tell us on the call and we’ll talk through how we handle them.
Isn’t moving away from FileMaker a big risk?
It’s lower than it sounds. FileMaker keeps running while the new system is built and tested, you choose when to switch, and you can start with just one part.
Will we lose any of our data?
No. Moving every record across is part of the job. We check counts and key totals with you before you switch, and your FileMaker files stay as they are.
Will the team need retraining?
A little. We keep the screens and steps your team already knows wherever it makes sense, and we walk everyone through the new system before switch-over.
Do we have to stop using FileMaker straight away?
No. Some businesses move in stages, and some keep parts in FileMaker for a long time.
What does it cost to replace FileMaker?
It depends on what your system does, so we don’t guess before we’ve seen it. You’ll get a fixed price in writing, plus a clear figure for hosting and support afterwards.
Will it work on Android phones and tablets?
Yes. It runs in the web browser, so it works on any modern phone, tablet or computer.
Can it work without an internet connection?
A web app needs a connection by default. If your team works somewhere without signal, tell us on the call and we’ll talk through the options for those jobs.
Are you connected to Claris?
No. Own Your System is independent and isn’t affiliated with, sponsored or approved by Claris International Inc.
Book a free review call
Tell us a little about your FileMaker system. We’ll reply within one working day to find a time that suits you.
Rather talk now? Call 01462 558585