Hi, all,

Not exactly an outlining question, but I want to find a new database app for use on my MacBook. I currently use TapForms, but I've got the Intel version, which will soon no longer run on my Silicon MacBook. I've never been overly happy with TapForms anyway, so I figure this is a good time to move my data to a new app. I mostly use it to manage memberships for an historic society I volunteer with, so I need to be able to print mailing labels from the app. (I long for the days of Bento, which was perfect... until it was abandoned by Apple). Any suggestions?

Thank you.

Steve

Ninox may be more polished than TapForms, but I hate to say anything bad about TapForms. It's about the only choice for an old school database app.

However, Ninox puts your databases where it wants them. As I recall, syncing between devices isn't easy.

Easy Data Transform will do many of the things you would do with database tables.

I tried Libre Office Base long ago. I seem to remember it was workable. Libre Office as a whole doesn't suit my taste (a personal problem, I'm sure), so I don't use anything from that suite.

A report and form system sitting on top of sqlite would be pretty awesome, but I haven't found anything I like.

Tap Forms has a Silicon version, Tap Forms Pro, which, of course, is a subscription app at $50 per annum. I find this particularly annoying since the developer over the years has gone lengthy periods with bare minimum or zero support for the app.

If the membership base is on the smaller end, you might consider AirTable. The free tier supports a fair amount of data.

Or you could ask Claude to make you a small spec-built app to support your membership work.

Ninox seems like a good all-in-one choice but remember that Tap Forms Pro ($50/yr) is Apple Silicon-native. I'm not sure how you're doing mailing labels now but export to CSV is easy and then you could use a label designer/printer like Swift Publisher, or you could use Apple Pages, or even just export into a folder in Apple Contacts and print from within Contacts.

A free option is LibreOffice, which is surprisingly capable.

Thanks everyone. I've tried Ninox before and didn't get along with it. I can print labels directly from Tap Forms, which is handy. I prefer to avoid the CSV export option, though if necessary, I can do that. But I am going to try LibreOffice.

I do think it is weird how few good database options there are for Macs.

Panorama X (https://www.provue.com/ is very capable. It might be an overkill, but if I needed a database, that's what I'd use

Seconding Panorama X. Is data validation required, and does it need to be a local (non-web) app?

If not, I’d push Fibery or Coda, I’ve generally been happy with both in the past.

I have tried Panorama X in the past. It surely is a capable database, but overkill for my needs, especially at the cost. I will take a look at Fibery. Thanks, everyone.

I need to be able to print mailing labels from the app.

It this is the principal task, then manage your addresses in Excel, and use Avery (the label company) Design and Print Online to ingest your data and produce printable labels ready to print from a browser onto your label stock. Design and Print Online is free.

Airtable is pretty slick. But it is online and that may not suit. Not sure what capabilities it has for label printing.

--
Andy Brice
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Paul Korm wrote:

>I need to be able to print mailing labels from the app.
It this is the principal task, then manage your addresses in Excel, and use Avery (the label company) Design and Print Online to ingest your data and produce printable labels ready to print from a browser onto your label stock. Design and Print Online is free.

Since Stephen is on Mac if you're going to use a spreadsheet for contacts you can't do better than with the Free Apple Numbers app. It looks less like a scary grid of data and more like a graphic design canvas and has Contacts templates for it. But I think it's probably a pain for printing labels.

Apple Contacts, which I mentioned earlier, is partly dedicated to printing labels. File > Print > Style:Mailing Labels, then under the Layout tab select your label brand/product#, and under the Label tab you can customize font, add graphics etc. (You can either build a Contacts database in the app, or import a CSV from anywhere.)

Numbers also works with Avery Online by exporting your Contact table to CSV, and on the Avery website tpying in your label product# and uploading the CSV file, whereupon you'll get a PDF you can open and print locally.

A friend of mine told me about Grist (https://www.getgrist.com which reminds me of a browser-based version of FileMaker Pro. It's built on an open source core, seems to store its data in SQLite, so you can examine it with tools like DBeaver, is scripted with Python, has a way to build forms interactively, and seems to have contributions from the French government. I have not used it, but my friend says he's built a useful app used by multiple people.

Apple Pages will read an Apple Numbers spreadsheet as a merge source. Printing to labels from a Numbers spreadsheet merged into a Pages document should be an easy exercise. You can find Pages templates at avery.com that should make it painless, more or less.

When I wage war with bureaucracies, I build a spreadsheet of contact information. Each time I write a letter, I add a checkbox column with the date and title of the letter I'm sending.

Filtering based on the appropriate checkbox column yields a list of my targets. When Pages does a mail merge against a Pages spreadsheet, it uses the current view.

Numbers is great. I like the model of an infinite canvas with as many tables as I want. I like the Categories feature, and particularly like the way Categories and pivots update with edits. Excel pivot tables are static snapshots, at least as far as I've been able to tell.

Pages doesn't support styles to my hellishly OCD demands. It's nice, it's pretty, but my soul cries out for more control.

We recently evaluated a number of database alternatives as we seek to move from our (ancient) FileMaker system to something more flexible. We looked at Ninox, Coda, Airtable and Grist, but eventually decided on SeaTable. So far we've been pleased, even impressed. It's an online service, of course, but very fast and pleasant to use. The relational aspects are very user-friendly – you can set up relationships very fast and easily, and there's a nice overview if you want to double check them. The free tier is already very comprehensive. Import/export functions are also broad and flexible.

Incidentally I am also exploring Seatable. It is somewhat tricky but at least it can be self-hosted, which is a testament to the ethos of the team. It is also the group that has developed Seafile, a great syncing utility I have been using for years.

Hi Stephen,
We added a Table view to SheetPlanner in 5.4 and we will add a form view in 6.0.

Form view is complete but we wont release 6.0 for a while.

I can send you a beta if you like.

Peter

Ah, I haven't seen Seafood – thanks for the tip!

Prion wrote:

Incidentally I am also exploring Seatable. It is somewhat tricky but at least it can be self-hosted, which is a testament to the ethos of the team. It is also the group that has developed Seafile, a great syncing utility I have been using for years.

Peter,

I have long admired SheetPlanner and bought a license several years ago. However, where I could really use the app was for my day job, where we use Windows PCs. Now you've given me a good idea for finally making use of your fine software. Having forms will be helpful down the road, but isn't necessary at this point. I will use the current official release. Thank you.

Steve

SheetPlanner wrote:

Hi Stephen,
We added a Table view to SheetPlanner in 5.4 and we will add a form view in 6.0.

Form view is complete but we wont release 6.0 for a while.

I can send you a beta if you like.

Peter

Thanks Stephen,

6.0 with forms will be a free upgrade when it ships.

Peter

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

Peter,

I have long admired SheetPlanner and bought a license several years ago. However, where I could really use the app was for my day job, where we use Windows PCs. Now you've given me a good idea for finally making use of your fine software. Having forms will be helpful down the road, but isn't necessary at this point. I will use the current official release. Thank you.

Steve

SheetPlanner wrote:
>Hi Stephen,
>We added a Table view to SheetPlanner in 5.4 and we will add a form view in 6.0.
>
>Form view is complete but we wont release 6.0 for a while.
>
>I can send you a beta if you like.
>
>Peter