FileMaker Pro vs CiviCRM

Question

Hello,

I would like some input about these two softwares since we are trying to change our current Access database, which has brought many problems and is completely outdated (it was built 10 years ago). These are the 2 options we have in mind and being a non-profit organization (20 employees), it's quite a big decision in particular in terms of costs. Due to the type of business, we will need several hours of development too. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much in advance,

Silvana

Answer 1

Hello,

I would steer clear of filemaker pro for several reasons.

1. It costs money, which being a non-profit organisation could be better spent elsewhere.
2. You can only use File maker pro on the one computer. If you need it on another computer you will have to fork out for a filemaker server licence.
3. It can get slow with lots of records.
4. It's proprietary, so there's no avenue for troubleshooting under the hood if problems arise down the track

The CiviCRM looks good.

1. It's web based which means you can have unlimited users accessing your database
2. It's open source, which means finding a developer to do the transfer of your existing database will be easier.
3. Because its open, any features it may not have can be built in.
4. It's free!

Tim

Answer 2

The above response is not quite correct, because you have to have a server only with more than 10 seats (although most developers will recommend to have server as soon as you can, because of better reliability and backups). But with your 20 seats you'll need it anyway. With 20 seats you also qualify for volume license, which is slightly cheaper and, being non-profit, you may qualify for non-profit/educational discount. See FileMaker buying FAQ. There's no numbers there though, so you need to request a quote to get an exact price.

The disadvantage of FileMaker is that you'll have to make the database yourself, while the CiviCRM seems to have ready-to-use functionality. FileMaker offers some free templates, but they're normally very simple. FileMaker consultants' fees vary from $20 to $150+ per hour, depending on their class and experience, although many give discounts to non-profits. FileMaker has advantages too, of course; it's generally faster than web apps, as a desktop app it has more familiar interface, decent printing capabilities, etc., but it's difficult to weight these without knowing more details about your needs.

Answer 3

Web apps do produce significant savings for cash-strapped non-profits; however, in our experience, since a number of our clients reside in countries with poor or non-existent infrastructure, the savings haven’t quite materialized. If cost is a primary concern, and infrastructure is not an issue, by all means go with CiviCRM. FileMaker is NOT cost-effective (short or long term) and being proprietary software, you are locked in and have little control over the functionality