Free online ACCDB to SQL converter

What the ACCDB format is

.accdb is the Microsoft Access database format introduced with Access 2007. It can contain tables, queries, relationships, indexes, macros, forms, reports, attachments, multivalued fields, and other Access-specific objects in one file.

Microsoft Access creates and opens ACCDB files, while applications using the Microsoft Access Database Engine can read many of them. ACCDB is common in small business databases, departmental desktop applications, legacy projects, and Windows data exports.

What the SQL format is

SQL is a database language, not a single standardized file format. An .sql file is normally a plain-text script containing statements such as CREATE TABLE, INSERT INTO, ALTER TABLE, and CREATE INDEX.

A script can be inspected, edited, archived, placed under version control, and executed without Microsoft Access. SQL syntax and data types vary by database engine, so a script generated for MySQL may require changes before it runs on PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MariaDB, or SQLite. Select the destination dialect before conversion when the tool provides that option.

How to convert ACCDB to SQL

Using the 101convert.com converter

For a simple conversion without installing software, use the free converter on 101convert.com. Upload the .accdb file, select SQL as the output, choose a target dialect if available, start the conversion, and download the resulting .sql file. This approach is suitable for ordinary tables that do not contain confidential data requiring local processing.

Review the generated script before importing it. Online conversion may not preserve Access forms, reports, VBA, relationships, attachments, encrypted databases, or unusual field types.

Using mdbtools locally

mdbtools is a command-line option for Linux and macOS and can also run in compatible Windows environments such as WSL. Install it through the operating system's package manager, then list the source tables:

mdb-tables -1 database.accdb

Generate a schema for the destination engine. The supported backend names depend on the installed mdbtools version; common examples include mysql and postgres:

mdb-schema database.accdb mysql > schema.sql

Export each table as SQL data statements, replacing Customers with a table listed by mdb-tables:

mdb-export -I mysql database.accdb Customers >> data.sql

Repeat the export for every required table, then combine the schema and data in that order:

cat schema.sql data.sql > database.sql

On Windows PowerShell, the equivalent combination is:

Get-Content schema.sql, data.sql | Set-Content database.sql

Import the result with the destination client's command-line tool, for example:

mysql -u user -p target_database < database.sql

Use the corresponding client for PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or SQLite. Check the mdbtools documentation for the exact backend and export options supplied by your version.

Using Microsoft Access and ODBC

Access can transfer tables directly to a destination database through ODBC, but it does not offer a universal command that saves an entire ACCDB database as a portable SQL script. To perform a live ODBC transfer, use External Data → New Data Source → From Other Sources → ODBC Database, select the destination driver, and choose to import or link as appropriate.

For a script rather than a live transfer, use a database migration tool, Python with an Access ODBC driver, or another local program to read the tables and generate destination-specific CREATE TABLE, INSERT, index, and constraint statements. This method provides control over type mappings, selected tables, transformed values, key definitions, and foreign-key order. For SQL Server specifically, Microsoft's SQL Server Migration Assistant for Access can migrate Access data and schema directly, although it is not a general-purpose SQL-script exporter.

Compatibility and quality checks

• A normal SQL script can represent table data, column definitions, primary keys, and some indexes. Access forms, reports, macros, navigation objects, VBA code, saved queries using Access-specific syntax, and user-interface settings do not become portable SQL.
• Access types need destination-specific mappings. Yes/No may become a Boolean or integer, AutoNumber needs an identity or sequence equivalent, and Long Text, attachments, multivalued fields, OLE objects, and calculated fields may require redesign or separate exports.
• Access expressions, reserved words, spaces in identifiers, date literals, wildcard characters, and Boolean values differ from those of other database engines. Inspect and, if necessary, edit the generated statements before execution.
• Foreign keys may prevent data loading if parent rows are not created first. Create tables, load data, verify keys, and add or enable foreign-key constraints afterward when dependency order causes errors.
• Linked tables are references to external data, not necessarily data stored in the ACCDB file. Confirm that the converter reads the linked sources and export those sources separately when required.
• Password-protected or encrypted ACCDB files, damaged databases, unsupported newer features, and very large files may require Microsoft Access or the Access Database Engine for local extraction.
• Keep the original file unchanged and test the script against a new destination database. Compare row counts, null values, dates, Unicode text, duplicate keys, auto-generated IDs, indexes, and relationships before using the migrated database.