Ninox Database App Reviews

I was pleased to find that someone had finally produced a true relational database for OS X besides Filemaker Pro. I have been using FMP 11 for several years and actually delayed upgrading to 10.11 (I was running 10.8) because I read that FMP 11 wouldn’t work on it. So I started looking for a replacement. I came across Ninox and after reading some of the reviews, I asked for a demo version, which the authors were happy to set up for me online. I spent a few hours re-creating most of my FMP database. Yes, the UI leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you’re coming over from the FMP camp. But for under $30 I got 85% of the functionality and I didn’t have to spend days on the forums or YouTube or Lynda.com trying to learn just the basics. The interface takes a bit of getting used to, but there is a lot of power in setting up different views so I can see my data the way I need to look at it. If you can’t figure the interface out at first glance, do a Google search on “Ninox tutorial.” The tutorial videos give the basics of how to get a relational database up and running in just a few hours. They explain many of Ninox’s features and give you the essentials for getting started. The developers respond very quickly to any inquiries about how to set up formulas, and they are open to suggestions on how to improve their program. They just don’t have 100 coders (like FMP) who can create tutorials, implement new features, answer customer inquiries, generate templates and run a business all at the same time. If you think of this product as a version 2.0 that has room for some improvements, it will temper your expectations. I’m happy because I don’t have to shell out $250 every other year for another version of FMP that is overkill for the databases that I’m managing. For my databases, FMP is like buying an 18-wheeler to drive a mile and buy a gallon of milk. Ninox fills the gap between managing data on an Excel spreadsheet and a full-blown relational database like FMP. Lastly, since Ninox can save databases to iCloud, I don’t have to buy my wife a $250 copy of FMP in order to access our database to look up someone’s address. She has Ninox installed on her Macbook and can access our database whenever she needs to. I look forward to seeing Ninox mature, but in the mean time, I am happy to be able to manage my data for a bargain price!