The verdict in three sentences
An ageing Microsoft Access database is a silent operational risk: one PC, one file, no reliable backup and an original developer who is usually impossible to reach. In 2026, a custom web application rewrite for an SME in Toronto costs EUR 20,000 to 45,000 (about USD 23,000 to 52,000) for 25 concurrent users, with a 3 to 4 month timeline. Power Apps is faster to start but becomes expensive and limited as soon as the business logic goes beyond a few forms.
Why your 2009 Access tool has become a liability
The pattern is common in manufacturing, distribution and service SMEs: an Access tool built in 2009 by an intern or a freelancer handles quotes, production tracking or client files. It works, but only on the accountant's PC, with a shared .accdb file that corrupts as soon as two people open it. Windows and Office 365 updates regularly break the VBA macros.
Three signals should trigger the decision: the file exceeds 1.5 GB (the hard limit is 2 GB), nobody in-house can edit the VBA code, and the team re-keys data into Excel because there is no remote access. From that point, every month of delay increases the cost of data migration, because inconsistencies pile up.
| Symptom | Concrete risk | Estimated hidden cost (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Only one PC can open the database | Standstill if the PC fails | 2 to 5 days of downtime, EUR 3,000 to 8,000 in lost business |
| .accdb file close to 2 GB | Corruption, data loss | Partial recovery, EUR 1,500 to 4,000 in emergency services |
| Undocumented VBA macros | No further changes possible | Excel workarounds, 4 to 8 hours of re-keying per week |
| Original developer unreachable | No maintenance handover | Prior code audit EUR 1,500 to 3,000 |
| No remote or mobile access | Remote and field work impossible | Double entry, 1 to 3% invoicing errors |
| No change log | Privacy non-compliance, disputes | Exposure during a regulatory audit (PIPEDA in Canada) |
Power Apps or custom web app: the numbers
Microsoft naturally pushes Power Apps, the low-code tool in the 365 suite, as the successor to Access. It makes sense for simple forms. As soon as the tool contains pricing calculations, approval workflows or complex PDF outputs, custom development wins, especially over 5 years.
| Criterion | Power Apps + Dataverse | Custom web application |
|---|---|---|
| Build cost | EUR 8,000 to 20,000 | EUR 20,000 to 45,000 |
| Licences for 25 users | EUR 20 to 40 per user per month, i.e. EUR 6,000 to 12,000 per year | Hosting EUR 80 to 250 per month, i.e. EUR 1,000 to 3,000 per year |
| Total cost over 5 years | EUR 38,000 to 80,000 | EUR 25,000 to 60,000 (maintenance included) |
| Complex business logic | Limited, Power Fx formulas | Unlimited |
| Migration of 15 years of data | Possible, heavy manual clean-up | Tested migration scripts |
| Code ownership | Microsoft lock-in | Source code handed to the SME |
| Time to go live | 6 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 months |
| Mobile and field access | Adequate | Dedicated responsive interface |
The item that blows budgets is not development but data migration. Fifteen years of Access history contain duplicates, free-text fields used as dates and orphan tables. Allow 15 to 25% of the total budget for the audit, clean-up, migration scripts and two dry runs before cut-over.
How a EUR 20,000 to 45,000 budget breaks down
| Work package | Share of budget | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Audit of the existing tool and VBA reverse engineering | 8 to 10% | EUR 2,000 to 4,000 |
| Functional design and mock-ups | 10 to 12% | EUR 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Web application development | 45 to 50% | EUR 9,000 to 22,000 |
| Data migration and clean-up | 15 to 25% | EUR 3,500 to 9,000 |
| Testing, acceptance, training for 25 users | 8 to 10% | EUR 2,000 to 4,000 |
| First-year maintenance and hosting | flat fee | EUR 1,500 to 3,500 |
The typical schedule fits in 14 to 16 weeks: 2 weeks of audit, 2 of design, 8 of development in increments, 2 of acceptance with Access and the web app running in parallel, then cut-over on a Friday evening.
Mini case study
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Sophie, office manager of a 38-employee building materials distributor in Toronto, runs quotes and orders in a 2009 Access database. She estimates 6 hours of weekly re-keying into Excel, 270 hours a year, valued at EUR 35 per loaded hour: EUR 9,450 per year. Add two outages in 2025 that cost roughly EUR 5,000 in delayed orders. The chosen web rewrite costs EUR 32,000, plus EUR 2,400 per year for maintenance and hosting. With an annual gain of about EUR 12,000 net of maintenance, payback comes in 2 years and 8 months, before counting the removal of the risk of losing the entire database.
FAQ
Can we keep Access running during the transition?
Yes, and it is recommended. Both systems run in parallel for 2 to 4 weeks of acceptance testing, with a weekly dry-run migration to check that 100% of records are carried over.
What if the original developer cannot be found?
A 5 to 8 day reverse-engineering audit documents tables, queries and VBA macros. It costs EUR 1,500 to 3,000 and sharply reduces the risk of missing a hidden calculation rule.
How many concurrent users can a web app handle?
A standard web app on PostgreSQL easily supports 25 to 200 concurrent users on hosting costing EUR 80 to 250 per month. Access becomes unstable beyond 5 to 10 connections.
Is there funding available for the rewrite?
In Canada, the Canada Digital Adoption Program and provincial programmes have historically offered advisory grants and interest-free loans for digital projects. Check current eligibility before signing the quote, because funding is rarely retroactive.
How long between the decision and go-live?
Allow 3 to 4 months for a scope of 15 to 25 screens. A simpler project, under 10 screens, can be delivered in 8 to 10 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Send us an anonymised copy of your Access database and we will price the audit, the data migration and the web app with an indicative budget and a realistic schedule. 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.
