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FileMaker Cloud is designed for teams that want to build and run custom apps without managing infrastructure. It's ideal for developers and IT teams who want to reduce maintenance, scale easily, and stay current with automatic updates.

The primary difference is how the environment is managed. FileMaker Cloud is fully managed by Claris, while FileMaker Server is managed by your team or a hosting provider. FileMaker Cloud includes automatic updates, built-in security, and hosted infrastructure. FileMaker Server offers more control over the environment, including OS-level configuration and custom integrations.

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FileMaker Cloud is built to meet modern enterprise security standards. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and access is controlled through secure authentication with multi-factor support. The platform includes automated backups and is designed to align with recognized compliance frameworks, such as SOC 2® Type 2 and ISO standards.

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FileMaker Cloud runs on AWS infrastructure in multiple regions, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia. You select a region when provisioning your environment to support performance and data residency requirements.

Administrators manage access through the Claris Customer Console. From there, they can invite users, assign roles, create groups, and control permissions across apps and environments.

Server-side plug-ins are not supported in FileMaker Cloud. Client-side plug-ins can still be used locally on the client side in FileMaker Pro, allowing users to continue leveraging certain plug-in functionality within their desktop environment.

Because FileMaker Cloud is a fully-managed service designed for security, reliability, and stability, the underlying operating system is not exposed to admins or users. This means open database connectors (ODBC) drivers and other OS-level configurations cannot be customized. If your deployment requires deeper system-level customization, FileMaker Server may be a better fit.

The Max license tier is designed to support performance and reliability as usage grows. It includes the resources needed to handle more complex apps and higher demand. If your needs are smaller or more cost-sensitive, FileMaker Server or partner-hosted options may provide more flexibility.

FileMaker Cloud does not currently offer nonprofit or education-specific pricing, as it is a fully managed service with included infrastructure and operations. Discounted licensing is available for nonprofit and education organizations using FileMaker Server or partner-hosted deployments.

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You can move apps to FileMaker Cloud directly from FileMaker Pro. Close your files, download them from your current environment, and use Upload to Host to deploy them to your FileMaker Cloud instance.