FileMaker Pro 17: A Big Sur Experience

Since FileMaker Pro 17 and FileMaker Server are not yet natively compatible with Apple's Silicon technology, installing Rosetta was a necessary step during the installation process. I opted for the latest released versions of both software – FileMaker Pro 19.1.3 and FileMaker Server 19.1.2 – to compare their performance on my M1 mini.

To provide a baseline comparison, I also used the most powerful Mac mini configuration available with an Intel processor: a 3.2GHz Core i7 model with 64GB RAM and 2TB SSD storage. In contrast, my M1 mini features 16GB RAM and 1TB flash storage, running the latest macOS Big Sur.

To make my tests more representative of real-world usage, I aimed to simulate a small FileMaker Server environment. So, how do Apple's M1 processor and Intel CPUs compare when it comes to running FileMaker?

In my tests, the M1 mini performed surprisingly well under Rosetta emulation, matching the performance of the latest Core i7 Mac mini. To validate these results, I re-ran a quick test with 1000 records that I had previously used for testing FileMaker Pro 19.1.3 and FileMaker Server 19.1.2.

With our first M1-based Mac mini now available, I couldn't resist the opportunity to test Claris FileMaker's performance on this new hardware. The results were impressive, showcasing the potential of Apple's M1 processor for running FileMaker Pro 17 and FileMaker Server seamlessly.

Filemaker pro 17 big sur