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Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access is a desktop relational database bundled with certain Microsoft Office plans. It sits around #16 in real-world database usage (roughly 4.8% share) — a long-lived staple for small-office tools like inventory trackers and internal forms, usually built by non-specialist staff rather than professional developers.

📌 Quick facts
Type: Desktop relational database
Made by: Microsoft (part of Office)
License: Paid (bundled with certain Office plans)
Hosting: Windows desktop only
Primary use case: Small, single-office tools — inventory trackers, forms, simple internal apps

Jump to: Example query Getting started Best for

Example query

Access has its own SQL dialect, editable through its visual Query Designer or written by hand:

SELECT Customers.CompanyName, Orders.OrderDate, Orders.Total
FROM Customers
INNER JOIN Orders ON Customers.CustomerID = Orders.CustomerID
WHERE Orders.OrderDate >= #1/1/2026# -- Access SQL uses # to delimit date literals
ORDER BY Orders.OrderDate DESC;

Getting started

Access comes with Microsoft 365 Business/Enterprise plans, or can be bought standalone — there's no free tier:

# open Access, then either:
# 1) create a blank desktop database, or
# 2) start from a built-in template (contacts, inventory, tasks)

🎯 Best for
Small, single-team internal tools maintained by office staff rather than developers — never for production software, multi-user web apps, or anything that needs to scale beyond one office.