When to use one or the other

Use Access when you:

• Require a relational database (multiple tables) to store your data.
  
  
• Might need to add more tables, in the future, to an originally flat or nonrelational data set.
  
  
• Keep a very large amount of data (thousands of entries).
  
  
• Keep data that is mostly text.
  
  
• Rely on multiple external databases to derive and analyze the data that you need.
  
  
• Need to maintain constant connectivity to a large external database, such as one built by using Microsoft SQL Server.
  
  
• Want to run complex queries.
  
  
• Need many people working in the database and you want robust options that expose that data for updating.

Use Excel when you:

• Require a flat or nonrelational view of your data (that is, you do not need a relational database with multiple tables).
  
  
• This is especially true if that data is mostly numeric - for example, if you want to maintain a financial budget for a given year.
  
  
• Want to run primarily calculations and statistical comparisons on your data - for example, if you want to show a cost/benefit analysis in your company's budget.
  
  

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