The short answer
Move the data into a managed cloud database, then rebuild the forms and reports as a web app.
Use Azure SQL or PostgreSQL for the data, and give the new app proper logins, permissions and an audit trail. Do it in phases while the Access database keeps running, and rehearse the data move before go-live. For simple databases, Power Apps or an off-the-shelf SaaS product may be enough.
Almost every mid-sized Australian business I work with has at least one Access database doing something important: job tracking, quoting, a compliance register, stock or member records. Someone clever built it, they have usually moved on, and it works well enough that nobody wants to touch it. Then the file corrupts, or the one person who understands it goes on leave, or the auditor asks who can see the data. That is usually when I get the call.
Signs it is time to move
If two or more of these sound familiar, the database has become a business risk.
- More than a handful of people use it at once, and it slows down or locks records.
- Staff want to use it from home, on a tablet or on site, and the VPN workaround is painful.
- The file has corrupted at least once, or the backup is a copy someone makes on Fridays.
- Anyone who can open the file can see and change everything.
- It needs to share data with Xero, a CRM or a website, and today someone re-keys it.
- Only one person understands the VBA code behind it.
Your three main options
Each one suits a different kind of database. The deciding question is how much of your business logic lives inside it.
Power Apps
with SharePoint or Dataverse
Microsoft’s own path. It gets harder once you have complex VBA logic, heavy reporting or external users, and per-user licences add up.
Best when: The database is small, the forms are simple and every user already has Microsoft 365.
Off-the-shelf SaaS
buy instead of build
Many Access databases are home-grown CRMs, job trackers or stock systems. Buying is often cheaper than building, but you change your process to fit the product and pay a subscription forever.
Best when: A mainstream product already does about 90% of what the database does.
Custom web app
cloud database plus browser screens
The data moves to Azure SQL or PostgreSQL and the screens are rebuilt for the browser. It is the most flexible option, and AI-assisted development has made it far cheaper than it was a few years ago.
Best when: The database encodes how your business works, or you need external users and integrations.
The migration, step by step
This is the order we run it in. Skipping the first two steps is the most common reason these projects go over budget.
- 1
Inventory everything
List every table, query, form, report, macro and VBA module, plus every linked table and spreadsheet that feeds it. Then find out which ones people actually use. Many Access databases carry years of dead objects.
- 2
Find the business rules
The important logic often lives in VBA behind a button or in a query someone built years ago. Write each rule down in plain English and check it with the people who use the system.
- 3
Cleanse the data
Expect duplicates, inconsistent spelling, free-text fields used for several purposes and missing values. Fix what you can at the source and agree rules for the rest.
- 4
Redesign the schema
Do not copy the Access tables one for one. Fix the structure now with proper keys, relationships and data types. It is far cheaper than fixing it later.
- 5
Rebuild forms as web screens
Start with the screens people use every day. Remove the steps that only existed because of Access limitations.
- 6
Add permissions and an audit trail
Give each person their own login, limit what each role can see and change, and log who changed what. For compliance, this is often the biggest improvement.
- 7
Run in parallel
Keep the Access database live while the new system takes over one area at a time. Compare outputs until everyone trusts the new one.
- 8
Cut over with a rehearsal
Migrate the data at least twice in test before the real move, with reconciliation reports that prove every record arrived. Keep a read-only copy of the old database for reference.
Common traps
Hidden VBA logic
Discounts, validation, numbering schemes and emails sent from code are easy to miss. If the rebuild skips them, people notice on day one.
Linked tables and spreadsheets
Many Access databases pull from Excel files or other databases on a shared drive. Each link needs a proper replacement or an import.
Reports
Reports are often the real reason people use the database. Rebuild the ones that matter, and check whether Power BI is a better home for the rest.
Moving the file to SharePoint
Putting the .accdb file in a synced folder is not a migration. It tends to cause corruption and fixes none of the security problems.
What it costs
A simple Access database can move for a modest budget. One that runs a core process usually sits inside the typical range for a legacy modernisation project in Australia.
We start with a two-week Modernisation Assessment. It gives you the inventory, the business rules catalogue, a recommendation between Power Apps, SaaS and a custom build, and a fixed price for each phase. One of our CTOs leads the assessment and the rebuild, with a small team of AI-driven developers doing the build.
Step 1 · about 2 weeks
Modernisation Assessment
A$9,500 to A$15,000 + GST, fixed
Inventory, business rules catalogue, a recommended option and a fixed price for each build phase.
Common questions
Can a Microsoft Access database be moved to the cloud?
Yes. The data moves to a managed cloud database such as Azure SQL or PostgreSQL, and the forms and reports are rebuilt as a web application. Staff then use it from any browser with proper user accounts and permissions. Simply copying the Access file to OneDrive or SharePoint is not a real migration and often corrupts the database.
Should I use Power Apps to replace Access?
Power Apps can work well for simple Access databases with a few tables and forms, especially if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and the users are internal. It struggles when the database has complex VBA logic, heavy reporting, many users or external users, and licence costs can rise quickly. A custom web app suits those cases better.
How long does it take to migrate an Access database to a web app?
A small database with a handful of forms can move in a few weeks. A database that runs a core business process, with VBA logic, linked tables and dozens of reports, usually takes two to four months delivered in phases. A two-week assessment gives you a firm timeline and a fixed price before you start.
