Replacing a Microsoft Access database or Excel workbook with a web app
Your tables, queries, forms and VBA rules rebuilt as a web app your whole team can use in a browser. Data hosted where you choose, every change logged, and the code in your name.
What changes
- VBA rules keptWritten down, rebuilt and tested
- Hosted where you chooseUK or EU region, with an audit trail
- Yours to keepCode, database and hosting in your name
Many UK businesses still run on an Access database or a large Excel workbook that someone built years ago. It works, but only on the office PC, only for one person at a time, and nobody wants to touch the VBA.
Krira Digital rebuilds these as web apps. We read every table, query, form and macro, write down the rules in plain English for you to check, and rebuild them so the new app gives the same answers as the old file. Then your staff use it in a browser, from the office, home or site.
We are a small software studio in Belagavi, India, and work with UK firms remotely during your working day.
What replaces Access in 2026, and when each one is right
| Power Apps | No-code app builder | Custom web app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Firms already on Microsoft 365 with simple forms | Simple tables and forms over a spreadsheet | Real business rules, many users or printed documents |
| Your VBA logic | Rebuilt in Power Fx and flows | Only what the builder's settings allow | Rebuilt in code and tested against your file |
| Users outside your company | Extra licences | Depends on the plan | Any number, with their own logins |
| Ongoing cost | Per-user licences | Monthly subscription | Hosting only, unless you want changes |
| Who owns it | You, inside Microsoft's platform | The vendor's platform | You: code, database and hosting |
No-code examples include Noloco and SpreadsheetWeb. Check current licence terms with Microsoft and each vendor.
How the switch works
- 1We map the old fileEvery table, query, form, report and VBA module, written down as rules in plain English for you to sign off.
- 2Run old and new side by sideYour staff keep using Access or Excel while the new app is tested with a copy of your real data, and the results are compared.
- 3Move the data and switchRecords are imported and totals checked. Once the numbers match, the team moves over and the old file becomes read-only.
What you get that Access can't do well
What an Access or Excel replacement costs in the UK
| Figure | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward Access migration in London | £15,000 to £30,000, over 8 to 14 weeks | kolonell.com (a software vendor) |
| Simple internal tool, lowest price | From £15,000 | softomatesolutions.com (a software vendor) |
| Contractor rate for Access to SQL work | £450 a day | A contract listed on itjobswatch.co.uk |
| Krira Digital | Fixed quote in GBP after a short call | We are based in India; compare our quote with the figures above |
The price goes up with the number of tables, forms, reports and VBA modules, the state of the data, and any links to other systems.
Software we have built from sheets and data
A fixed quote, agreed before we start
Send us the Access file or workbook, or a copy with dummy data, and we reply with questions. After a short call you get a fixed quote in GBP and a date, in writing, paid in three stages: start, review and launch.
Questions
What should I use instead of an Access database?
If you are already on Microsoft 365 and the forms are simple, Power Apps can work. For simple tables, a no-code builder such as Noloco or SpreadsheetWeb is quick. If the database holds real business rules, needs many users or people outside the company, or prints documents like quotes and invoices, a custom web app is usually the better long-term fit.
How are our VBA macros and hidden rules carried over?
We read every VBA module, query, macro and form event, and write each rule down in plain English for you to check. Then we rebuild them in the new app and run your real data through old and new side by side until the results match.
Can staff keep using Excel during the switch?
Yes. Your team keeps working in Access or Excel while the new app is tested with a copy of the data. After the switch, any list can still be exported to Excel, and sheets can be imported. See Excel to web app.
Where is the data hosted, and is it UK GDPR compliant?
You choose the region; for UK firms that is usually a UK or EU data centre. Every change is logged in an audit trail, access is by personal login, and backups run daily. Your own adviser should confirm your UK GDPR position.
How much does it cost to replace an Access database in the UK?
Published UK figures run from £15,000 to £30,000 for a straightforward London Access migration (kolonell.com), with £15,000 quoted as a floor for a simple internal tool (softomatesolutions.com). The size of the database, the VBA and the state of the data drive the price. We give a fixed quote in GBP after a short call.
How long does an Access to web app migration take?
One UK vendor puts a straightforward Access migration at 8 to 14 weeks. It depends on the number of tables, forms and reports and how clean the data is. Your quote from us includes a fixed date.
Who owns the code?
You do. The code sits in a repository in your account, and the database and hosting are in your company's name. If you later move to another developer, they can take it over.
Tell us what you need.
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