4D (also known as 4th Dimension) is a combined relational database management system and integrated development environment for building and running database-driven business applications. It supports standalone and client/server deployment via 4D Server and targets teams that prefer an integrated platform over assembling separate database, backend, and frontend stacks for custom line-of-business apps.
Published Sep 3, 2026
| Aspect | 4D (4d.com) | Claris FileMaker | Microsoft Access (typical context) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Published server licensing and product pricing available from the vendor; license details vary by region/program | Subscription and licensing vary; published per-user subscription pricing available from the vendor and referenced on third-party pages | Often bundled within Microsoft 365/Office plans; standalone licensing varies |
| Best For | Developer-led custom business apps on an integrated DB + IDE platform; organizations already using 4D | Citizen-developer and small-to-mid team database apps with Mac/iOS ecosystem ties | Departmental apps, quick prototypes, smaller-scale internal databases (with known scaling limits) |
| Key Strength | Integrated platform, long product lineage, supports client/server, vendor ecosystem (KB/docs/training) | Ease of use, broad recognition in SMB, large consultant ecosystem | Ubiquity in Office environments; low incremental cost for many organizations |
| Key Weakness | Perception as legacy/proprietary; smaller modern review footprint; integration/migration friction discussed in community | Licensing/pricing complexity complaints; sometimes seen as expensive at scale | Not ideal for modern web/mobile multi-user scale; maintainability risk |