Claris FileMaker Pro

What is included in Claris FileMaker Pro?

Custom app builder – Build relational database apps without writing code.
Cross-platform desktop – Develop and run apps on Windows and Mac.
Built-in developer tools – Script debugger, data viewer and custom functions.
AI script steps – Semantic search and external model integration built in.
Core Capacity – Imports Excel, CSV, XML and ODBC data.
Important – Team hosting requires FileMaker Server, sold separately.

What are the main benefits of Claris FileMaker Pro?

Claris FileMaker Pro is a low-code platform for building custom relational database apps that run on Windows and Mac. Teams use it to replace tangled spreadsheets and manual processes with one tailored app for inventory, CRM, scheduling, or job tracking.

No-code start – Build working apps from ready templates fast.
One environment – Data, design and scripting live in one app.
AI without rebuild – Add AI to existing apps without redevelopment.
Data integration – Connect to SQL, REST APIs and Excel.
Multi-device reach – Serve desktop, iPad, iPhone and browser users.
Self-hosted control – Keep data on your own infrastructure.

What does Claris FileMaker Pro do?

Claris FileMaker Pro is a low-code development tool for building custom relational database apps that run natively on Windows and Mac. You design the data structure, layouts, and automation scripts inside one application and save the result as an .fmp12 file. Since version 19, FileMaker Pro includes the developer tools once sold as FileMaker Pro Advanced, so the script debugger, data viewer, and custom functions now ship in the standard product. The 2026 release (version 26) adds AI script steps, semantic search, and image captioning, so apps can query data using natural language. It is most often used to replace spreadsheets and shared documents with a single app for inventory, CRM, scheduling, or job tracking.

Who gets the most value from FileMaker Pro?

FileMaker Pro fits teams that have outgrown spreadsheets but cannot justify a custom-coded web application. A business that tracks orders across several linked Excel files, for example, can rebuild that as one relational app with validation, search, and reporting in days rather than months. It suits internal-operations staff, consultants, and developers who need to ship a working tool quickly and adjust it themselves as requirements change. Because the same file runs on Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone via FileMaker Go, and the browser via WebDirect, one solution can serve office and field workers without separate codebases. It is a weaker fit for public-facing, high-traffic consumer websites, where a standard web stack is more appropriate.

What do you need besides FileMaker Pro to share an app with a whole team?

FileMaker Pro on its own is a single-user and small peer-to-peer tool; production multi-user access requires FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud, licensed separately. Server is what hosts the .fmp12 file, manages concurrent users, runs scheduled scripts, and provides the connections used by FileMaker Go and WebDirect. Without it, browser access through WebDirect and reliable mobile access are not available, even though FileMaker Pro can create those layouts. FileMaker Server 2026 also adds Remote Backup and a Standby Server for disaster recovery, which a standalone FileMaker Pro install does not provide. If only one person uses the app and no sharing is needed, a single FileMaker Pro license is enough.

Can FileMaker apps run on iPhone, iPad and Android?

FileMaker apps run on iPhone and iPad through FileMaker Go, a free app on the Apple App Store, but there is no FileMaker Go for Android. Android and Chromebook users can only reach a solution through FileMaker WebDirect in a web browser, which requires the app to be hosted on FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud. Claris also discontinued FileMaker Runtime, so you can no longer package a solution as a standalone desktop application for people who do not own FileMaker Pro. The iOS App SDK can still wrap a solution as a native app, but it targets iOS and iPadOS only. Decide on device coverage early, because mobile reach depends heavily on whether your users are on iOS or Android.

How is FileMaker Pro 2026 different from earlier versions?

FileMaker Pro 2026 carries version number 26, jumping from the 2025 release (version 22) so the number matches the release year. It expands the AI features introduced in 2024 by adding Google Gemini as a supported model provider and new Insert Image Caption script steps that generate descriptions of stored images. The development side gains a redesigned Layout Inspector and new PDF script steps that remove older workarounds. On the server side, FileMaker Server 2026 introduces Remote Backup and a Standby Server for business continuity. When choosing between versions, note that all current developer tools ship in the single FileMaker Pro product, since Pro and Pro Advanced were combined in version 19.

How do FileMaker Pro, Go, WebDirect and Server fit together?

FileMaker Pro is the tool you build and run apps in; the other parts of the platform handle mobile, browser, and shared access. The table below shows which job each component does and where FileMaker Pro alone stops.

Frequently asked questions about Claris FileMaker Pro

Which operating systems does FileMaker Pro 2026 support?

FileMaker Pro 2026 runs on current versions of Windows and macOS, and the 2026 release added full compatibility with macOS 26 and Windows Server 2025. There is no native Linux or Android desktop client; Linux is supported only for FileMaker Server (Ubuntu) to host apps, while development and daily use still happen in a Windows or Mac copy of FileMaker Pro.

Does FileMaker Pro create automatic backups of my database?

FileMaker Pro itself does not run scheduled or automatic backups; copying the .fmp12 file is your responsibility on a standalone install. Automated, scheduled, and off-site Remote Backups, plus a Standby Server for failover, are features of FileMaker Server 2026 rather than the desktop FileMaker Pro client, which matters if the app holds business-critical data.