Legacy Rescue · FileMaker

FileMaker Modernisation UK: A Safe Exit Plan

FileMaker is alive and well; that is not the problem. Claris supports each release for roughly two years, so old deployments fall out of support quickly, the standalone runtime died with FileMaker 18 in 2021, and the 2025 licensing changes retired the licence types many old systems were bought under. When a FileMaker system stops fitting, we rebuild it as a modern web application you own outright.

Book a free Legacy Risk Audit Back to Legacy Rescue
The facts

Is FileMaker end of life?

No. Claris shipped FileMaker 2026 in June 2026 and develops the platform actively. The risk is version-level: support lasts roughly two years per release, so everything up to FileMaker 2023 is already unsupported and FileMaker 2024 follows in June 2026. The standalone runtime ended with FileMaker 18, which was never certified for Windows 11.

Current release FileMaker 2026, June 2026
Support window Roughly two years per release
FileMaker 2023 and older Out of support
Runtime solutions Ended with FileMaker 18, 2021
Legacy licences Several types retired in 2025
Old versions age out fast
SYSTEM STATUS FILEMAKER
VERSION . . . . : OUT OF SUPPORT
RUNTIME . . . . : DISCONTINUED
LICENCE TYPE . : RETIRED
UPGRADE PATH . : BUY AGAIN
PRESS ANY KEY TO WORRY
Sources: Claris: FileMaker 19.6 end of support · Claris: support policy · Claris: runtime end of life · IT Jobs Watch: FileMaker
Staying costs too

The risks of staying on FileMaker

  • The two-year treadmill Each release is supported for roughly two years, and new clients are not supported against old servers, so staying current means lockstep upgrades on a schedule you do not set.
  • The runtime is gone Standalone runtime applications lost their creation tooling with FileMaker 18, which left support in June 2021 and was never certified for Windows 11.
  • Licensing lock-out Upgrade pricing now starts at FileMaker 2024, and the 2025 restructure retired several legacy licence types. Reviving an old deployment means buying in again.
  • Subscription dependency Annual user licences stop working if the subscription lapses. A business-critical system that can be switched off by a billing event deserves a harder look.
  • A thin talent pool IT Jobs Watch counted 13 UK permanent adverts citing FileMaker in the six months to June 2026. Maintenance expertise is getting harder to source.
Honest trade-offs

Your exit options, compared

OptionWhat it means RiskVerdict
Stay Keep paying and keep upgrading in lockstep. Legitimate while the system fits; costs and forced upgrades compound. Fine, until it is not.
Refactor Upgrade to current FileMaker and tidy the solution. Back in support, still on the treadmill and the per-user pricing. Right for committed FileMaker shops.
Replace Off-the-shelf package, migrate the data. Bespoke workflows built up in FileMaker rarely fit a package. Works for simple systems.
Rewrite Rebuild as a modern web application you own outright. Managed by the parallel run; the FileMaker system stays live meanwhile. Our method.
The process

How the migration runs

  1. Audit

    A free 30 minute call plus a written one-page risk summary.

  2. Roadmap

    Code and data audit, migration options, fixed-price proposal. £1,950, credited against the build.

  3. Parallel run

    Your old system stays live until the new one has proven itself.

  4. Cutover & aftercare

    Switch over when ready. We stay on hand.

FileMaker specifics: .fmp12 files open in current FileMaker Pro for clean per-table extraction, and hosted systems expose ODBC and the Data API. Older .fp7 and .fp5 files take a staged conversion first. Scripts and layouts convert to nothing, so the logic is re-documented and rebuilt; full-access credentials are the one thing to locate before anything else.

The safety net

The parallel run is the proof.

We do not ask you to trust a brochure. Your FileMaker system stays live and primary while the new one runs alongside it, reconciled record by record until the comparison is boring. Cutover happens when you say so, with the old system kept as a fallback.

Read the Field Notes
Asked by FileMaker owners

Questions

Our old runtime application has no licence. Can the data come out?
Usually, yes: runtime solutions use the same underlying files, which a licensed copy of FileMaker Pro can open, provided full-access credentials exist. Locked solutions without them are a known complication; we scope that before quoting.
Why leave a product that is actively developed?
Many businesses should not, and if FileMaker still fits, upgrading is the right answer and we will say so. The exit case is about ownership: no subscription treadmill, no lockstep upgrades, no per-user pricing on a system you depend on.
Can you read our old .fp7 or .fp5 files?
Yes, via a staged conversion through the intermediate formats, with the conversion log checked at every step.
Do our scripts and layouts migrate?
No, nothing converts them. The behaviour is re-documented from the running system and rebuilt. That work is priced honestly in the Roadmap.
How long does a FileMaker migration take?
The Roadmap gives a range for your system. The old system stays live throughout, so the timeline carries no downtime risk.

Get a straight answer on your FileMaker system.

Book a free Legacy Risk Audit
Replies within one working day, from the engineer, not a sales team.