USE AN ACCESS 2013 APP IF …
- Your organization is using Office 365 with SharePoint Online
- You have the time and budget to convert your databases tables, queries, forms and reports into a SQL/Web compatible format
- Everyone who needs to create or modify an Access app has a copy of Access 2013.
- The problem you’re trying to solve doesn’t require advanced database features like VBA or automation of Outlook, Word and Excel.
- You want the latest version of Access and are willing to be upgraded automatically every few years.
- Your reporting needs are very basic
USE AN ACCESS REMOTE DESKTOP DATABASE IF …
- Your organization is not using SharePoint or your Office 365 plan does not include SharePoint Online.
- You want complete control over the look and feel of the database user experience.
- Your users want to bring their own device (iPad, Nexus, Kindle) to the Access application.
- You enjoy using the Access Form and Report Wizards.
- You need advanced features, such as Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) or need to extend your application with email (Outlook) and charts (Excel)
- You don’t mind waiting for the next release of Access to use the latest features.
- You have complex reporting needs, beyond the simple summary reports provided in Access apps; for example, you need to integrate other databases into a report, or format the report.
Thanks for this analysis. This is the most informative comparison I have yet seen.