Time to upgrade? When to move to a newer version of FileMaker

Upgrading isn't about chasing the latest version number for its own sake. It's about keeping your solution secure, compatible with the devices your team actually uses, and able to talk to the other systems your business depends on. If any of the signs below sound familiar, it's worth a conversation.

Your operating system has moved on

This is the most common trigger. Apple and Microsoft release new versions of macOS and Windows every year, and older FileMaker versions are only ever tested and supported up to a certain point. Buy a new Mac or PC, or let an existing one update, and a FileMaker version from several years ago may refuse to install, crash on launch, or behave unpredictably. When "it worked on the old machine but not the new one" starts happening, your version has aged out of its supported operating systems.

Your mobile users are stuck

If your team uses FileMaker Go on iPhones or iPads, mobile compatibility can force your hand faster than anything else. FileMaker Go tracks the current iOS release, and older editions get retired from the App Store. Once a device updates to a version of iOS that only the latest FileMaker Go supports, that Go app may no longer open files created for a much older version of the platform, leaving field staff without access until the solution is brought up to date.

Support and security updates have ended

Claris supports each major version for a defined window. Once that window closes, there are no further updates, including security patches. For a system that holds customer records, financial data or anything commercially sensitive, running on an unsupported version means known vulnerabilities stop getting fixed. Newer versions also keep pace with modern security standards such as current TLS encryption and the ability to encrypt files "at rest" on servers and devices.

You want to host it, or your host is upgrading

Client and server versions have to be compatible. If you're moving your solution to a managed, hosted environment, or your hosting provider is upgrading their FileMaker Server, very old client versions simply won't connect. Planning an upgrade alongside a move to hosting is often the ideal time to do both at once.

Integrations are starting to fail

The accounting packages, web services and payment providers your business relies on keep evolving too. Newer FileMaker versions bring far better ways to connect to them: native JSON handling, the cURL options for calling web APIs, the Data API, and more. If you're finding it harder to integrate FileMaker with the rest of your stack, an older version's limitations are often the reason.

Everyday friction is adding up

Sometimes there's no single dramatic failure, just a slow accumulation of niggles. Reports run slowly, staff invent workarounds, and features you read about simply aren't available in your version. Each newer release has added genuinely useful capabilities that reduce clicks and manual effort. When your team is working around the software rather than with it, the productivity you're leaving on the table usually outweighs the cost of upgrading.

How we make upgrades painless

Upgrading an established solution is more than clicking "install". We test your files against the target version and resolve anything the newer engine handles differently. Since we're in there anyway, we also optimise the solution and take advantage of newer features. The result is a system that not only runs on today's hardware and devices, but works better than it did before. In most cases your team carries on exactly as they did, just faster and on a supported footing.

Not sure which version you're on, or whether it's time? Get in touch and we'll take a look →