LogMeIn Free is gone, but don’t panic: You can find alternative remote-access tools that cost the same low price of nothing at all. Whether you need to access a document, collaborate with a colleague, or support several PCs, try one of these free tools to get back into the game.
TeamViewer
I’ve been using TeamViewer for years to help out family and friends, and it has always been reliable. Simply download the program from the company’s website, and then install it (or run it without installation, if you desire) on both of the PCs you want to connect. During installation, you can also set the program for unattended control.
It is possible to gain access to thousands of TV channels and watch them for free right from your computer. Here is a working list of 5 freeware that can watch TV from your PC using just the software alone. This article explains best five free Remote Desktop Access Software which can be used for personal purpose as well as for business. This software comes with features like full time access to remote computers and servers, you can also do online meetings and it supports up to 25 participants; training sessions and presentations.
For ad hoc use, simply run the program and log in from the controlling computer. The two components will connect, and up will pop a window containing the desktop of the computer to be controlled. TeamViewer installs as both a server and a client, so you can use it to take control or to allow control.
TeamViewer 9’s cooler features include the ability to open multiple remote sessions in tabs (as in a browser), cut and paste between computers via the clipboard, and drag and drop files from your desktop to the remote desktop. It’s a mature, stable, practical tool for anyone’s remote-control needs. Note that you’ll get the occasional message about upgrading to the pay version if you use TeamViewer regularly to connect to a lot of different PCs. You’re on your honor for that one.
Windows Remote Desktop
Although Windows Remote Desktop doesn’t support true screen-sharing (the screen of the controlled computer goes black instead of staying live) the way services such as Join.me and TeamViewer do, this built-in tool is free and fast, and it allows complete remote control over PCs. There’s even Microsoft Remote Desktop for the Mac, so you can remotely access your more artistic acquaintances’ Apple products.
The basic concept behind Windows Remote Desktop is to let users control their office computer remotely so that they can work from home. Hence, although all versions of Windows (Basic, Home, and so on) can establish a Remote Desktop connection and control a PC, only the Professional, Business, and Ultimate versions of Windows can be controlled.
As most office computers are one among many on a network, you need to have the office router tweaked to forward a port (3389) to the PC you want to control. You can edit the Registry to allow control of more than one PC by adding more ports, but that’s a very techie task.
Windows Remote Desktop works great once you’ve set it up, but if you want to control multiple PCs on a regular basis, the next option might be better for you.
VNC
VNC, or Virtual Network Computing, isn’t itself a product, but an open-source remote-control and display technology that’s implemented by Tight VNC (free), Ultra VNC (free) and RealVNC (free and pay), among other parties. VNC isn’t hard to use, but it’s not as simple as Join.me and TeamViewer, which don’t require user knowledge of IP addresses.
To use VNC, install it on both the PCs you want to connect and then set them to listening. To control another PC, simply open the VNC viewer (client), enter the PC’s IP address, and have at it. You may also have to open port 5900 on your firewall and router, and to direct said port to the PC you want to control.
You can use VNC to connect to multiple PCs behind a public IP by opening and using more ports. Most VNC implementations install both the server and viewer software by default, so (as with TeamViewer) you can control in either direction.
Though it’s a tad difficult to set up, VNC is cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), and it works extremely well once installed.
Join.me
Join.me is a meeting service (free and pay) from LogMeIn that also provides remote control. It’s convenient for impromptu support in that all you need on the controlling PC is a Web browser. The user with the computer that will host the meeting (and offer control) simply surfs to the Join.me site, selects Start Meeting, and downloads a file.
After running said file, the meeting originator passes the provided nine-digit passcode to the user or users on the other end, who in turn enter the passcode in the Join Meeting field on the Join.me homepage. The meeting originator’s desktop will appear in the browser. Once remote control is granted, you can chat, send files, and more. Easy-peasy, but note that Join.me isn’t suited for unattended remote control, which makes it only a partial replacement for LogMeIn.
WebEx Free
Most users think of WebEx as a tool for multiuser boardroom meetings, but it’s also perfectly suitable for small-scale, live (not unattended) remote control and support. WebEx works a little differently from Join.me in that installing software is required at both ends, but that’s a relatively painless procedure.
Once users have joined the meeting, initially they can only view the originator’s desktop, but the originator can make another person the presenter, pass control over the mouse and keyboard, and share files, chat, and utilize webcams for face-to-face interaction. There’s a bit of a learning curve if you stray from the main features (available from the usual drop-down panel at the top of the display), but overall WebEx is quite easy to use.
Don’t get spoofed
Because of the popularity of remote-control and remote-meeting services, the Web is rife with spoof sites (those that look very much like the correct one, but aren’t) that will attempt to lure you in if you don’t type the URL correctly. Downloading software from these sites can be dangerous to your computer’s health, as well as to your wallet. Sometimes the bad guys will try to sell you support.
The correct site addresses for the services I’ve mentioned are:
- TeamViewer—http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx
- RealVNC—http://www.realvnc.com/
- Join.me—https://join.me/
- WebEx Free—http://www.webex.com/
Thanks to the growth in distributed and mobile workforces, the ability to access and control a PC remotely is a must for workers and IT administrators alike. That’s why we’ll all miss LogMeIn Free. But if you really love one of these free alternatives, consider throwing a few bucks to the developer. Who knows: Your contribution could help to keep the program going for everyone.
Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
Active3 years, 3 months ago
Consider the need to develop a lightweight desktop DB application on the Microsoft platforms.
It could be done fairly easily with MS Access but I'd like to be able to distribute it to others and I don't want to pay for a runtime license. Scrolling text box myspace.
Requirements:
- easy distribution to others
- no runtime licensing issues
Considerations and Candidates:
- Base from the OpenOffice suite. My concerns were around its stability.
- MySQL + writing custom DB code in C++ or Python or whatever seems like a rather heavy-handed solution.
Question: What are the low cost or free database alternatives to MS Access?
See Also:Open Source Reporting Engines
@Schnapple
Bruceatk kind of hit on what I'm thinking of; it's not so much the DB engine as I want the other niceties that Access brings to the party. The nice form designer, the nice reporting engine etc. But you do raise a very good point about the installation footprint. I had considered that but I've not made any firm decisions about which way I'm going with this yet anyway. It'll probably be something fairly lightweight anyway and a small installation footprint would definitely be a plus.
@Remou,
No I was unaware that the MS Access 2007 runtime is free; thanks for pointing that out. The last time I'd bothered to investigate it (I don't remember when it was) I think it was a fairly expensive license for the runtime because I think they were trying to sell it to Corporate IT departments.
And thanks to everyone else who responded as well; I was completely unaware of those other options you all pointed out.
closed as not constructive by Tim Post♦Nov 18 '12 at 15:52
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28 Answers
SQLlite,
Firebird,
VistaDB (not free),
and SQL Server Compact Edition (not Express)
all come to mind.
Firebird,
VistaDB (not free),
and SQL Server Compact Edition (not Express)
all come to mind.
Another thought: while the original question does ask about desktop databases, its likely some people will land here looking for a database to use with a web site. It's important to remember that these are all in-process databases, and as such are rarely if ever appropriate for use on the web. If you want to build a web site, you really need a database server engine, like MS SQL, Postgresql, MySQL, Oracle, or their brethren. At the same time, those server engines are rarely if ever appropriate for a single-user desktop application.
Joel CoehoornJoel Coehoorn321k100100 gold badges510510 silver badges744744 bronze badges
When people ask about a replacement for Access, a lot of them only think about the database, but what they are really asking about are all of the other features in Access. They usually don't care what database Access is using.
Some of the functionality provided by Access are: Forms, Query Building, Reports, Macros, Database Management, and some kind of language when you need to go beyond what the wizards provide.
SQLite, MySQL, and FireBird are free database back ends. They do not have those additional Access functions built into them. Any free alternatives to Access require you combining something like SQLite and a development language.
Probably the best free option would be SQLite and Visual Basic 2008 or C# 2008 Express Edition. This would have a heavy runtime dependency, so installing on a bare client could take quite the installer.
There really isn't a non-Access option for free with minimum runtime requirements. I wish there was.
I'll be interested in hearing if anybody knows any good alternatives.
eksortso1,09533 gold badges1111 silver badges2121 bronze badges
bruceatkbruceatk4,79322 gold badges2222 silver badges3535 bronze badges
Are you aware that the Access 2007 runtime can be downloaded for free?
Links for newer versions:
FionnualaFionnuala85.9k77 gold badges9696 silver badges133133 bronze badges
Schnapple asks:
Are you referring to the concept of a free database to distribute with an application, or an Access-like 'single file, no installation' database?
Er, nobody who has any competence with Access application development would ever distribute a single MDB/ACCDB as application/data store. Any non-trivial Access application needs to be split into a front end with the forms/queries/reports (i.e., UI objects) and a back end (data tables only).
It's clear that what is needed here is a database application development tool like Access. None of the database-only answers are in any way responsive to that.
Please learn about Access before answering Access questions:
- Access is a database applicationdevelopment tool that ships with adefault database engine called Jet.
- But an Access application can bebuilt to work with data in almostany back end database, as long asthere's an ISAM, or an ODBC or OLEDBdriver for that database engine.
Microsoft itself has done a good job of obfuscating the difference between Access (development tool) and Jet (database engine), so it's not surprising that many people don't recognize the difference. But developers ought to use precise language, and when you mean the database engine, use 'Jet', and when you mean the front-end development platform, use 'Access'.
stimms23.8k2626 gold badges8383 silver badges137137 bronze badges
David-W-FentonDavid-W-Fenton21.4k33 gold badges3939 silver badges5353 bronze badges
To be honest - there aren't any free alternatives to MS Access. At least if you mean database development tool (forms, reports, queries, VBA support etc.). If you think about MS Access as a database engine (you mean MS Jet or ACE in fact) then yes - you have a lot of possibilities. There are a lot of free database engines - the most popular are MySQL and PostgreSQL. I can recommend both - it depends what you want to do.
For writing database frontends C++ is one of the worst choices. You should consider MS Visual C#, MS Visual Basic .NET or.. Even Java/Swing (if we are talking about desktop application). If you think about the web-enabled frontend - consider PHP (with MySQL or PostgreSQL on the backend) or ASP.NET (with MSSQL Server at the backend).
I strongly recommend you not to use C++ for such job. This language is very efficient and flexible, but advanced database frontend development with C++ is not the best idea. C++ is great in system programming, games development, maths and physics simulations, everywhere where efficiency is the key - like real-time applications etc. Frontends don't have to be daemons of speed - they should look nice and have advanced end-user features (like sorting, coloring etc.). If you are looking for free tools - maybe C# Express or Visual Basic.NET Express 2008 would be the proper choice? Or maybe Java/Swing (check the NetBeans IDE)? Maybe SharpDevelop? But not C++.. Leave C++ for the things it suits the best.
![Free program like access to windows 10 Free program like access to windows 10](/uploads/1/2/5/0/125071898/754270346.jpg)
Check out suneido.
I made a fairly complicated GIS app as an experiment with it some years ago (database, complex gui, reports, client/server). It was a pleasant experience (apart from some documentation issues..) and I became productive with it very fast.
I don't use it anymore mainly because:
- it's not really general purpose
- it's not cross platform (windows only)
- I decided to stop exploring exotictechnologies and specialize in somethingmore mainstream.
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Of the Free Software alternatives these haven't been mentioned yet:
- Rekall (not sure about the status of the Windows version currently though)
- Glom (Windows version under development)
I'd also keep an eye on what DB RAD tools the Flex/Air community is coming up with, since with those tools it's possible to get unified desktop and web interfaces.
akaiholaakaihola21.6k55 gold badges5050 silver badges6060 bronze badges
Oracle XE With Application Express.
- Has a nice web based gui,
- Is a 'Real' database
- Will scale beyond a single desktop
- Offers a clear scale path beyond a small team
- Applications as web based, easily accessible.
- Can convert Excel spread sheets into Applications
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You may want to look into SQLite (http://sqlite.org/). All depends on your usage though. Concurrency for example is not its greatest virtue. But for example Firefox uses it to store settings etc.
TillTill20.4k44 gold badges5454 silver badges8686 bronze badges
The issue is finding an alternative to MS Access that includes a visual, drag and drop development environment with a 'reasonable' database where the whole kit and caboodle can be deployed free of charge.
My first suggestion would be to look at this very complete list of MS Access alternatives (many of which are free), followed by a gander at this list of open source database development tools on osalt.com.
My second suggestion would be to check out WaveMaker, which is sort of an open source PowerBuilder for the cloud (disclaimer: I work there so should not be considered to be an unbiased source of information ;-)
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WaveMaker combines a drag and drop IDE with an open source Java back end. It is licensed under the Apache license and boasts a 15,000-strong developer community.
NuBuilder (www.nubuilder.net) might be right.
NuBuilder is a GPLv3-licensed PHP web application that requires MySQL as backend database. Users and programmers both use the web interface.
They promote it as a free, web based MS Access alternative.I'm creating my second NuBuilder application these days. The NuBuilder seems to be very actively developed, and I found it stable and well documented (provided you can stand video tutorials.)
In the context of a programming forum, we don't usually think of the programmer also needing the application portion of the database. Normally a programmer wants to use their own development environment for the business logic and front end, and just use the store, query, retrieval, and data processing capabilities of the database.
If you really want all those other things, then you're talking about a much larger and more complicated run time environment. You're not going to find anything that's 'lightweight' any more. Even MS Access itself no longer qualifies, because it's hardly light weight. It's just lucky in that a lot of users might already have it, making it appear to be light weight.
This doesn't mean you won't find anything. Just that it's not likely to have the same level of maturity or distribution as Access, especially since the underlying access engine is already baked into Windows.
Joel CoehoornJoel Coehoorn321k100100 gold badges510510 silver badges744744 bronze badges
VistaDB has an express version which is free to use and is syntax and driver compatible with SQL Server. VistaDB is a single file and only requires their driver .dll to work in your asp.net or winforms project.
Since it is syntax and datasource compatible you can upgrade to SQL Server if needed.
from their site:
VistaDB is a fully managed and typesafe ASP.NET and WinForms applications using C#, VB.NET and other CLR-compliant languages.
Brian BoatrightBrian Boatright16.7k3131 gold badges7575 silver badges100100 bronze badges
You mentioned Python, have you considered Dabo?
That would avoid much of the grunt work in a custom app.
The Access runtime license has never been all that expensive -- the cost for the developer tools/extensions has been around $300 as long as I can remember (which would be as far back to the Access 2 Developers Toolkit, or ADT), but that gives you the ability to distribute your app with the runtime to an unlimited number of users. As long as your runtime app was used by three or more users, you'd have been saving money (assuming a cost of $100/user to install a full copy of Access).
The runtime for Access 2007 is completely free, but really, the cost before that was not all that great.
Marc Gravell added (in what should have been a comment, in my opinion):
Being free, though, is certainly an encouragement for people to try it out which the $300 price really would have discouraged.
David-W-FentonDavid-W-FentonBeing free, though, is certainly an encouragement for people to try it out which the $300 price really would have discouraged.
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Are you referring to the concept of a free database to distribute with an application, or an Access-like 'single file, no installation' database?
![Free program like access to tv Free program like access to tv](https://www.db-pros.com/HR/HR_Access_Database_Template_screenshot.png)
As in, things like SQL Server Express Edition require things like runtimes to be installed, databases to be created and mounted, entries on people's Start menus that they won't recognize (my wife asked why SQL Server was on her laptop the other day) whereas an Access database can be run in a single file.
I guess what I'm asking is do you want to think of the database as a document you write to or as an instance of something on someone else's machine?
Tom KiddTom Kidd7,9601717 gold badges8080 silver badges124124 bronze badges
What about r:Base? Way back in the day r:Base was a very robust DOS (then Windows) RDMBS and this is pre-Access / pre-Paradox days. Its closest competitor was dBase but that wasnt fully relational, at the time. I developed some very nice r:Base applications AND, like Access today, had a built in report generator, forms facility, queries and table manipulation. To my surprise, its still alive! http://www.rbase.com/ Its got all that access offers, it seems. Might be something for you to consider.
TaptronicTaptronic3,49088 gold badges3939 silver badges5959 bronze badges
Kexi 2007.1.1 may be what you are looking for.
Its express version is free but DB size limited. Full version cost $72.
The description from its home page:Kexi is an easy to use application for visual database design for Linux and MS Windows. Kexi competes with MS Access, FoxPro, Oracle Forms and FileMaker.
Visit http://www.kexi-project.org/about.html for details.
Jakk
What about Microsoft's Visual Studio Express?http://www.microsoft.com/express/default.aspxSQL Server Express is also at that link..
RaintreeRaintree
JoshuaJoshua15.2k2222 gold badges7171 silver badges105105 bronze badges
Also check out http://www.sagekey.com/installation_access.aspx for great installation scripts for Ms Access. Also if you need to integrate images into your application check out DBPix at ammara.com
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Much in line with Aurelio's answer, I now work in Ruby on Rails on some applications that I might formerly have done in MS Access. The back end database for a Rails App. is usually, MySql (works well enough and is available on most shared Web hosting) or PostgreSQL (the better choice when possible).
What you appear to be looking for is not just a database program, but a database with forms, reports, etc (basically an IDE of sorts). I would recommend trying OpenOffice.org Base, which comes with the office suite. It's free and open source. It's nowhere near as polished as access, but it does pretty much the same things.
Plus, if you know access, it will be at least somewhat familiar.
EDIT: Sorry, failed to read that you are considering OpenOffice.org. With regard to stability, I've had it crash and do some 'odd' things when I played with it, but Access has done the same thing. The best way to find out is to play with it a bit and see if it suits you.
I think the database included with OpenOffice.org has the form designer in it. I've never tried writing code for it though. A forum post I saw had a link to a tutorial they said had some code in it.
I started to set up a database for my wife and the interface was coming out pretty good as far as I could tell.
KnoblochKnobloch46411 gold badge66 silver badges1414 bronze badges
I'd the same problem of you. I had a MS access application but I wanted to go to a web application accessible to everybody and without paying money to MS. So I decided to use MySql and Wavemaker (open source) to get the scope.I'm very happy of this decision. and that's the result http://www.mara-database.org/
for sqlite, check out the firefox extension. It offers a serviceable GUI.
Christopher MahanChristopher Mahan5,37199 gold badges4949 silver badges6565 bronze badges
VistaDB is the only alternative if you going to run your website at shared hosting (almost all of them won't let you run your websites under Full Trust mode) and also if you need simple x-copy deployment enabled website.