Access Guru
EXCEL MIGRATION SERVICES

Migrate your Excel spreadsheet to Access, SQL Server, Power Apps or a real web app, without losing the business rules buried in your workbook.

Tell us which workbooks hold your key data and how many people edit them. We reply with a destination recommendation, a timeline and a clear scope.

Request a Free Excel Migration Assessment See All 8 Migration Paths
Request the Excel Migration Checklist [to confirm]
Quick answer

Migrating a spreadsheet to a database means treating the workbook as a temporary source of data. You inventory sheets and macros, design related tables with keys, load and clean the data in a staging area, check totals against the old file, then cut over so people stop typing master data into cells. The right destination depends on your user count, your IT standards and how much VBA you depend on.

EXCEL MIGRATION OPTIONS

Eight Ways to Move On from Excel, and When Each One Fits

There is no single correct destination. Below is the honest trade-off for each path, explained the way we would in a scoping call.

01 EXCEL → ACCESS

Convert Excel Spreadsheet to Access Database

Related sheets become Access tables with forms and queries, so a small team can share data without emailing workbooks.

Excel is excellent for analysis but weak as a system of record. Access adds relationships, validation, forms and reports while staying in the Microsoft desktop environment. We normalise your sheets, remove duplicates and rebuild lookup lists and entry screens so users stop editing raw grids.

Convert Excel Spreadsheet to Access Database Services →
At a glance
Best for
Departmental multi-user apps
Multi-user
Yes
Rebuild effort
Low to moderate
Timeline
Agreed after audit
  • Turns flat sheets into related tables
  • Multi-user entry without emailing workbooks
  • Forms and reports replace fragile dashboards
  • Stays in the Microsoft desktop stack
02 EXCEL → SQL SERVER / AZURE SQL

Migrate Excel Spreadsheet to SQL Server and Azure SQL

Normalise workbook data into SQL tables when IT requires a server database or when concurrency exceeds what Access suits.

SQL Server removes size limits and slow opens, adding indexes, backups and security roles. We map columns to typed fields, validate the import and connect the front end you need next. Organisations that know Access is not the final destination choose this to avoid migrating twice.

Migrate Excel Spreadsheet to SQL Server Services →
At a glance
Best for
Larger data and IT-driven standards
Multi-user
Yes
Rebuild effort
Moderate
Timeline
Agreed after audit
  • Skips Access when a server is required
  • Handles larger data and more users
  • On-premises or managed cloud
  • Pairs with Power BI, Power Apps or custom apps
03 EXCEL → MYSQL

Migrate Excel Spreadsheet to MySQL

Load cleansed Excel data into MySQL when the front end will be PHP or another open-source stack.

We extract sheets into normalised tables, map text, date and number quirks into proper types, and validate counts and relationships before cutover. Helper columns and pivot caches are reviewed so junk structure does not become permanent.

Migrate Excel Spreadsheet to MySQL Services →
At a glance
Best for
Open-source and PHP rebuilds
Multi-user
Yes
Rebuild effort
Moderate
Timeline
Agreed after audit
  • No per-user licensing
  • Natural fit for PHP rebuilds
  • Needs a type and cleanup pass
  • Formulas and VBA move into the app layer
04 EXCEL → POSTGRESQL

Migrate Excel Spreadsheet to PostgreSQL

The same work as MySQL, with stronger defaults for constraints, types and complex reporting.

Excel silently accepts mixed types and blank keys, but PostgreSQL will not. That friction is useful: we surface duplicates, orphaned lookups and bad dates, then fix them once in the new schema.

Migrate Excel Spreadsheet to PostgreSQL Services →
At a glance
Best for
Data integrity and complex reporting
Multi-user
Yes
Rebuild effort
Moderate
Timeline
Agreed after audit
  • Strong constraint enforcement
  • Suits analytical workloads
  • Cleans years of data drift
  • Works with .NET, Python, Node or PHP
05 EXCEL → POWER APPS

Convert Excel Spreadsheet to Power Apps

Move from Excel as a Power Apps data source to Dataverse-backed apps with real security and relationships.

Many teams connect Power Apps to an Excel table first, which works until concurrency and file locks appear. The lasting pattern stores data in Dataverse or SQL Server and rebuilds screens with proper validation and roles.

Convert Excel Spreadsheet to Power Apps Services →
At a glance
Best for
Microsoft 365 teams that outgrew Excel tables
Multi-user
Yes
Rebuild effort
Moderate to high
Timeline
Agreed after audit
  • Retires fragile Excel data sources
  • Mobile and browser forms
  • Runs on Dataverse or SQL Server
  • Complex logic may become flows
06 EXCEL → POWER BI

Convert Excel Reports to Power BI Dashboards

Replace emailed pivot packs with a governed Power BI model and scheduled refresh, while Excel remains for ad-hoc analysis.

If the pain is reporting rather than data entry, Power BI is often the right destination. We shape report-ready tables, define measures and publish dashboards your team can filter without breaking someone else's sheet.

Convert Excel Reports to Power BI Dashboard Services →
At a glance
Best for
Recurring reports that should be live and shared
Multi-user
Yes, for readers
Rebuild effort
Low to moderate
Timeline
Agreed after audit
  • Ends manual pivot refreshes
  • Live, shared dashboards
  • Can start on Excel, then move to a database
  • Links with our Excel reporting work
07 EXCEL → WEB APP

Convert Excel Spreadsheet to a Custom Web App

Rebuild a VBA-heavy workbook system as a web application with a real database behind it.

There is no honest one-click converter, because macros and UserForms do not map to browsers. This is a software project: schema, data migration, roles, then interface. The workbook becomes your requirements document, with every sheet and macro inventoried first.

Convert Excel Spreadsheet to Custom Web App Services →
At a glance
Best for
Excel and macros that became a business system
Multi-user
Yes
Rebuild effort
High
Timeline
Agreed after audit
  • Right when Excel has become a core system
  • Backend on SQL Server, MySQL or PostgreSQL
  • Full control over roles and integrations
  • Highest effort, for critical workflows
08 EXCEL → PDF

Convert Excel Spreadsheet to PDF / Print Export

Exporting to PDF is fine for a one-off handoff, but it is not a migration.

Excel's built-in export preserves the printed layout, which is the fastest way to send a snapshot to a client or auditor. It cannot replace a shared database, because a PDF cannot be updated, filtered or appended to.

At a glance
Best for
Static distribution
Multi-user
No
Rebuild effort
Trivial
Timeline
Minutes
  • Built into Excel
  • Preserves print layout
  • No editing or querying
  • A snapshot, not a data store
How it works

The Same Disciplined Process, Whichever Platform You Choose

01

Discovery & workbook audit

Inventory sheets, named ranges, external links, pivots and VBA.

02

Destination selection

Match user count, IT standards, budget and interface needs to the right platform.

03

Data model design

Normalise grids into tables, keys and validation rules.

04

Load, cleanse & validate

Staging import, deduplication, type fixes and reconciliation against Excel totals.

05

Rebuild entry & reporting

Forms, apps, dashboards or web screens as the destination requires.

06

Cutover & support

Parallel run, go-live and training, with Excel kept for analysis only.

Quick reference

Every Path, Side by Side

Destination Best for Multi-user Effort Timeline
Access Departmental apps Yes Low–Moderate After audit
SQL Server & Azure SQL Larger data, IT standards Yes Moderate After audit
MySQL Open-source rebuilds Yes Moderate After audit
PostgreSQL Integrity and complex reporting Yes Moderate After audit
Power Apps Microsoft 365 teams Yes Moderate–High After audit
Power BI Live shared reporting Yes (readers) Low–Moderate After audit
Custom Web App Macro-heavy systems Yes High After audit
PDF / Print Export Static distribution No Trivial Minutes

Timelines vary with sheet count, formula and VBA complexity, and data quality. Request a free assessment for a scoped estimate.

Frequently asked

Excel Migration Questions, Answered Plainly

How do I migrate an Excel spreadsheet to a database?

Inventory the workbook, design related tables, load data into staging, validate counts and totals against Excel, then cut over entry to the new system. A single flat sheet can be imported yourself, but linked sheets and multi-user needs call for a structured migration.

When should I move from Excel to a database?

When several people edit the same data, when reports depend on merging "final" files, or when you need an audit trail. Two or more of the signs above usually mean it is time.

What is the best database to migrate Excel into?

There is no single best. Access suits departmental apps, SQL Server suits larger data and IT standards, open-source databases suit web stacks, Power Apps suits Microsoft 365, Power BI suits reporting, and a web app suits VBA-heavy systems.

Excel vs Access vs SQL Server: which should I choose?

Keep Excel for analysis. Choose Access for shared forms without a server project, and SQL Server when IT, scale or enterprise reporting requires it. We map this in the assessment.

Can I convert Excel to a database myself?

Yes for one clean sheet, using import wizards or CSV loading. Once you have related sheets, macros and live users, flat dumps cause rework, and a scoped migration pays for itself.

How much does it cost to migrate Excel to a database?

It depends on the destination, the number of sheets and the amount of VBA. We quote after a short assessment. [Pricing detail to confirm.]

How long does an Excel migration take?

Reporting projects are usually shorter than back-end projects, and web rebuilds take longest. We give a realistic timeline after reviewing your workbook. [Typical ranges to confirm.]

Will I lose data when migrating from Excel?

No, if the work uses controlled copies, staging tables and validation before cutover. Source workbooks stay untouched until you approve go-live.

What happens to my Excel formulas and VBA macros?

Lookups become relationships and queries. Calculations may become views or application code. VBA is reviewed case by case and rewritten or retired, because databases and browsers do not run VBA.

Can we keep using Excel after migration?

Yes, for pivots and ad-hoc analysis connected to the new backend or to Power BI. Excel should stop being where people type master data.

Do you migrate Excel for companies outside Belgium?

Yes. We work with organisations across Europe, in English, French and Dutch.

LET'S FIND THE RIGHT FIT

Not Sure Which Path Fits Your Spreadsheet?

Tell us which workbooks hold your key data and how many people edit them. We reply with a destination recommendation, a timeline and a clear scope.

Request a Free Excel Migration Assessment Request the Excel Migration Checklist