The verdict in three sentences
A business-critical Access database or Excel workbook maintained by one person is an operational risk, not just a technical issue: their departure or a corrupted file can block invoicing for weeks. A migration to a web application costs USD 16,000 to 49,000 (EUR 15,000 to 45,000, roughly GBP 13,000 to 39,000) and ships in 2 to 4 months, data migration included. Method matters more than technology: inventory of real usage, migration rehearsed on a copy, then cutover on a Friday with a rollback option.
Keep Access or migrate: the risk calculation
Access seems free because its cost is hidden in an employee's time. The table compares both situations for a 25-user SME in the UK or US, as a 2026 ballpark.
| Criterion | 2009 Access database | Web application |
|---|---|---|
| Concurrent users | 3 to 5 before slowdowns and locks | 25 and more without degradation |
| Access outside the office | VPN or remote desktop | Browser, including mobile |
| Role-based permissions | Single password or none | Roles (management, finance, field) |
| Backups | Manual copy of the .accdb file | Automatic daily, 30 days of history |
| Key-person dependency | Total | Documented code maintained by a vendor |
| Cost of a 2-week outage | USD 22,000 to 65,000 of delayed revenue | Restored within hours |
| Visible annual cost | USD 0 | USD 3,300 to 7,600 (hosting + maintenance) |
An Access file is capped at 2 GB, and 32-bit versions cause growing issues with Microsoft 365: incidents rise every year.
Budget by database complexity
Price depends on the number of tables, forms and reports, and above all on business rules coded in VBA or macros.
| Existing setup | Example | 2026 budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Excel workbook | Order tracking, 5 sheets, 20,000 rows | USD 16,000 to 22,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Simple Access database | 10 to 15 tables, 20 forms | USD 22,000 to 30,000 | 2 to 3 months |
| Business Access database | 30 to 50 tables, VBA, 40 reports | USD 30,000 to 41,000 | 3 months |
| Access database with interfaces | + bank import, accounting export | USD 41,000 to 49,000 | 3 to 4 months |
| Migration of 15 years of data | Cleaning, duplicates, free-text fields | Included, USD 3,300 to 6,500 of the total | 2 to 3 weeks |
Printed reports (invoices, delivery notes) are rebuilt as PDFs: allow USD 330 to 870 per template depending on complexity.
The five-step method
Step one is a usage inventory: watch who uses what, because 30 to 40 % of forms in an old database are no longer used. Next comes extracting the business rules hidden in VBA (discount calculations, invoice numbering). Development runs in batches, each validated by users. Data migration is rehearsed at least three times on a copy before the real cutover, with total checks (customer count, revenue per year). Finally, the Access database stays read-only for 3 months as a safety net.
Mini case study
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Sarah, office manager at a 25-person wholesale distributor in Leeds, runs orders, stock and invoicing on an Access database built in 2009 by a colleague who retires next year. It has 38 tables, VBA and 15 years of history. The migration is quoted at USD 37,000, delivered in 3 months, plus USD 5,400 a year in maintenance. Time lost to locks, re-keying and exports is estimated at 12 hours a week for the team, about USD 20,600 a year at USD 33 an hour, or USD 15,200 net of maintenance. Ignoring outage risk, the project pays back in about two and a half years on that gain alone, and within weeks if a single 15-day outage is avoided.
FAQ
How much does an Access to web migration cost in 2026?
The ballpark ranges from USD 16,000 for a structured Excel workbook to USD 49,000 for an Access database with bank and accounting interfaces. Data migration accounts for USD 3,300 to 6,500 of the total.
Will we lose data during the migration?
No, provided the migration is rehearsed at least three times on a copy with total checks. The old database remains available read-only for 3 months.
Can we keep Excel for some tasks?
Yes, the application exports to Excel in one click and can import template files. Still, around 80 % of manual exports disappear thanks to built-in dashboards.
How long is the business interrupted?
Cutover usually happens over a weekend, with 1 to 2 days of interruption. Users are trained in 2-hour sessions the week before.
Why not use a no-code tool?
No-code suits fewer than 10 tables and few business rules, with subscriptions of USD 20 to 55 per user per month. Beyond 20 users, the annual cost often exceeds USD 11,000 and complex VBA rules are hard to replicate.
Let's scope your project. Send us an anonymised copy of your database or the list of tables and forms: we will price the migration between USD 16,000 and 49,000 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.
