The verdict in three sentences
A company relying on a 15-year-old Access database can migrate it to a web application for EUR 15,000 to 45,000 excl. VAT in 2026, depending on the number of tables (10 to 40) and the complexity of forms and reports. The project takes 2 to 4 months, with data moved into PostgreSQL hosted in France and secure access from any browser. Since Office 2016 extended support ended in October 2025, keeping an .accdb file on a network share maintained by a single employee is a real operational risk.
Why migrate now
The scenario is common: an enthusiastic employee built the database in 2010, it handles customers, orders, stock or field jobs, and only that person can change it. Warning signs:
- File corruption happens regularly, with manual compacting every week.
- The 2 GB file limit is getting close.
- Concurrent access beyond 5 to 10 users slows down or locks records.
- No remote access without VPN or remote desktop.
- Undocumented VBA macros, blocked by Microsoft's recent security policies.
- Single-person dependency: retirement or resignation within 2 years.
| Risk | Current Access setup | After web migration |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor support | Office 2016 and 2019 out of support since October 2025 | Maintained open-source stack (PostgreSQL, web framework) |
| Backup | Manual .accdb copy, often untested | Automatic daily backup, 30-day retention |
| Concurrent users | 5 to 10 before slowdowns | 50 to 500 without difficulty |
| Remote access | VPN or remote desktop | Browser, mobile, strong authentication |
| Audit trail | None | Change log per user |
| GDPR compliance | Customer data on a local machine | Hosting in France, role-based access |
2026 cost by database size
Cost depends less on data volume than on the number of tables, forms, printed reports and VBA logic to rewrite.
| Database size | Tables | Forms / reports | 2026 price (excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 10 to 15 | 10 forms, 8 reports | EUR 15,000 to 22,000 | 2 months |
| Medium | 15 to 25 | 20 forms, 15 reports | EUR 22,000 to 32,000 | 3 months |
| Large | 25 to 40 | 35 forms, 25 reports, heavy VBA | EUR 32,000 to 45,000 | 4 months |
| Hosting in France | Server + managed PostgreSQL | EUR 60 to 180 per month | ||
| Ongoing maintenance | Fixes, small changes | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 per year |
The six-step method
| Step | Content | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Database audit | Inventory of tables, relationships, queries, VBA macros, reports | 1 week |
| 2. User workshops | What is really used, what can go (often 30% of screens) | 1 week |
| 3. Data model | Normalisation, foreign keys, duplicate cleanup | 1 to 2 weeks |
| 4. Development | Screens, business rules, PDF and Excel exports | 4 to 10 weeks |
| 5. Data migration | Migration scripts, 2 rehearsals, consistency checks | 1 to 2 weeks |
| 6. Cutover | Access frozen on a Friday, final import, go-live on Monday | 1 weekend |
Migration always runs in parallel mode: a copy is migrated first and users check their figures (order totals, customer count) before the final cutover. The Access file is archived read-only for 12 months.
Mini case study
Nathalie, office manager at a 45-employee industrial parts distributor in Clermont-Ferrand, relies on a 22-table Access database run by Marc, a technician retiring in 18 months. Incidents (corrupted file, re-keying) cost about 6 hours a week for 3 people, or 18 hours at EUR 35 loaded = EUR 630 a week, or EUR 28,000 a year over 44 weeks.
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The migration is quoted at EUR 28,000 excl. VAT plus EUR 120 a month of hosting. Re-keying disappears and sales reps check stock from the road. Payback is about 12 months, not counting the cost of data loss or an unplanned departure (2026 order of magnitude).
FAQ
How much does an Access to web migration cost?
Between EUR 15,000 and 45,000 excl. VAT depending on the number of tables (10 to 40) and the amount of VBA. A medium 20-table database is around EUR 25,000 to 30,000.
Can we keep Access as the front end and move data to a server?
That is a possible intermediate step (linked tables to SQL Server or PostgreSQL) for EUR 3,000 to 8,000, but it solves neither remote access nor VBA dependency. We reserve it for cases where the budget must be spread over 2 financial years.
Will we lose data during migration?
Not if the migration is rehearsed at least twice with consistency checks. Duplicates and badly filled fields (often 5 to 15% of records) are flagged and fixed before cutover.
Where is the data hosted?
In France, in a managed PostgreSQL database at OVHcloud, Scaleway or Clever Cloud, for EUR 60 to 180 excl. VAT per month, with daily backup and encryption.
How long do users take to adapt?
Half a day of training is usually enough, since screens follow the logic of the Access forms. After 2 weeks, over 90% of routine tasks are done without help.
Let's scope your project. Send us an anonymised copy of your database or its list of tables, and we will price the migration between EUR 15,000 and 45,000 excl. VAT with a 2 to 4 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
