LibreOffice and MS Access comparison/compatibility (1 Viewer)

My team is planning a database that needs to be accessed by individuals whose computers run on different operating systems. I typically use MS Access, but this will pose a problem for other team members. They were hoping to use LibreOffice. I searched older threads, but couldn't find much recent info in there, and I was hoping for some thoughts, if any of you have used both programs.


The database will have hundreds of data fields, likely structured as follows:

• single data table linked to multiple forms, navigating between forms with buttons
• several subforms linked to separate tables, for data collected repeatedly at multiple time points
• many relationships and lookup tables
• conditional formatting on the forms, or possibly reports, to assist us with categorizing records based on multiple criteria from the data entered

Before I invest the time in learning how to use LibreOffice, can anybody offer some general thoughts about the following?

• Is LibreOffice powerful enough for the database that I describe? Are there certain limitations, or things that we would expect to be able to do in Access, that we couldn't do in LibreOffice?
• If LibreOffice fairly similar to MS Access? What learning curve can I expect?
• EDIT - Never mind this last question, but I'll leave it in for future reference for others - another team member was not able to open in LibreOffice even a simple flat Access database with a couple of lookup tables. Is it all possible for some of us to work with MS Access, and some with LibreOffice, interchangeably? I think someone suggested this to me. I'm not sure if I can just open and save it in one program if it's been developed in another.

Thanks in advance.

you may also find this comparison link of interest

https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/tools/microsoft-access-alternatives-at-a-glance/

Note that most comparisons are actually based on the rdbms (i.e. the tables and queries), not the front end development of forms and reports.

you can put your access db on a terminal server and connect to that from apple and other devices. you would need to compare the costs of using TS against the cost of redeveloping your app from scratch - plus other costs of maintaining a (presumably web based) back end