Get Your Workgroup into Gear: Four Free Database Apps
December 18th, 2007 (4:00pm) Samuel Dean 17 CommentsTweet This
Workgroups of all sizes can often benefit from a shared, centralized database that everyone can keep up to date. In fact, for some workgroups, a tiny amount of time invested in building a shared database can have huge payoffs in terms of viewing sophisticated reports, planning, completing projects, and more. The good news is that you can build your own custom database for free with numerous applications. However, there are lots of catches involved with many of the free database offerings, and limits on the size of your databases are among the most common. In this post, I’ll round up four very robust, free database offerings, one of which imposes no size limit at all.
IBM’s DB2 Express-C is an excellent free database choice for many web workers. There is no size limit on your databases, and if you eventually decide your workgroup needs support, you can pay a very low annual cost for it. DB2 Express-C is a fully relational and XML data server, for Windows or Linux users. You’re not restricted by any type of universal template; instead, it’s very easy to create your own database applications, customized for your group.
Another popular free database choice to look into is Oracle Database XE. Unlike IBM’s offering Oracle’s does impose a limit of 4GB of user data, but that’s enough for many small workgroups and Database XE is one of the nicest environments to build a database in. Also, although the database is downloadable, there is a nice browser-based interface for managing your databases. There is also a free version for Mac OS X.
Microsoft’s SQL Server Express Edition is a free offering and is freely distributable. I would recommend this choice for a workgroup that wants a robust database application quickly, because Microsoft goes above and beyond at supplying training and tutorial materials as well as starter database schemas. For example, you watch over nine hours of video instruction on starting a database aimed at absolute beginners. You can also read case studies on useful databases built with the product. Like Oracle’s database, though, Microsoft’s only lets you build 4GB databases for free.
Finally, Zoho DB & Reports is an excellent way to get a workgroup going with a database, and since it’s an an online database, Mac and Linux users are invited to the party along with Windows users. You can view a number of sample databases built with it. Note that you can’t currently import a file larger than 1MB with it, so if you already have a lot of data you may want to look into something else.
Do you have any good tips on free databases?
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Since when does Microsoft SQL Server run on Linux?
You missed the king of free databases – MySQL.
Yeah…both MySQL and PostgreSQL are capable databases without the limits of these other “free” offerings. Any particular reason why they weren’t mentioned?
Yea, MySql needs a mention as well as SQLite and PostgreSQL.
Good points that MySQL should have a mention, and I am aware of it although I’m not a user. However, if you Google “MySQL No Longer Free” you’ll get lots of results about how the company has steadily been moving away from a free model, especially with its Enterprise Edition, which you can’t use for free beyond a free trial anymore. Their Community Server is still free, and worth a mention, but especially in the past year, they’ve been steadily moving toward paid business models.
Samuel
Although mySql is the “king” of databases when it comes to bloggers and freelancers,
I’ll throw a vote in with SQL Server EE. I use it for my blogs and websites and it has served well thru those occasional Digg-Reddit-StumbleUpon combo attacks.
OK it’s not free (just cheap), and compared to the suggestions above it lacks technical muscle, but for most light use DabbleDB.com provides a wonderful alternative to desktop databases IMO. Just a dumb name- try suggesting to your boss that something called “Dabble” is a good idea for something important!
There is also a new open source console available for DB2 Express-C available on sourceforge.net. It is written in PHP and is completely customizable through XML profiles.
I don’t believe that free service is good. Why should they care about your data security then? You don’t pay them anything and they probably need money to maintain solid technical support. We collaborate in Wrike.com and this service is really secure. It saved our data for us when we ad a couple of serious problems with our server.
Callister, there is a HUGE difference between data security and disaster recovery. It sounds like you are talking about disaster recovery which is great, however, it is only a sub-set of an overall data security model.
The good(or bad) thing about managing your own RDBMS is that your are responsible for both its security and recovery. If those features are important and you know what you are doing, most of the systems mentioned in this post (and many in the thread) are excellent and provide a great deal in the way of security and recovery.
Hi
Following the gmail model, we provide a free online database at http://www.gobblerecords.co.uk. Its similar to zoho but 100% free.
Enjoy…
Anyone interested in building database apps quickly and easily should look at http://www.springbase.com. It has a free option, too.
Hello, People,
please, consider using MyTaskHelper.com
Just want to let you know about new one Free Online Database Application, main benefits and features:
- you can create complex web-forms
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- again you can embed Widget-form for adding some records to your site, and another widget for integrating your collected data
- you can add validations, to be sure your users add proper data, for example Email validation, uniqueness etc
for example – you can create form for bug-trucking, with task name/priority, attach screenshot, dates etc,
put it into your site – and you have bug-trucking system for free!
Please, see more on about page.
- And it’s all for FREE
Please, feel free to contact me at any time with any questions/suggestions or just to talk about system ;)
Have a good day ahead!
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Thank you,
Sincerely,
Andrew Shenderuk