Yes and no. The FileMaker platform as well as the new Claris platform can be hosted in the cloud or on premise.

Let’s see the different options.

The FileMaker Platform

The classic FileMaker platform is a pioneer in distributed applications, which means that processing the information is split between the server and the client. This architecture has become very common lately but FileMaker has been doing this since the last century! The FileMaker platform comes with the following components:

• FileMaker Server. It can be hosted in the cloud. Either on Claris’ FileMaker Cloud (requires a specific license), or on a third party platform such as fmcloud.fm (requires only your classic “on prem” license).
  FileMaker Server allows users to connect to custom apps (files) using Web Direct which makes it a real cloud platform, but also via Data API, ODBC, OData, XML, php, and of course via FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go
• FileMaker Pro is a macOS and Windows desktop application that allows you to create custom apps, upload them to the server (host) and use them (data entry, search, report…)
• FileMaker Go is the iOS version of FileMaker Pro, without the authoring features.

To sum up, FileMaker Server can be installed:

• On Claris’ FileMaker Cloud (specific license, running on Amazon architecture on Linux, but not all features are supported)
• On a third party platform such as fmcloud.fm, Triple8, fmphost and others… (fmcloud.fm is the best, needless to say)
• On premise, on a Windows machine, a Mac, or a Linux server.

The Claris Platform

The new Claris platform is slightly different.

Claris Server (the equivalent of FileMaker Server) can be deployed:

• On fmcloud.fm, which is to this date the only hosting service to support Claris Server so far.
• On premise, but only on a Linux server.

But the Claris platform includes two new components, that are cloud only.

• Claris Connect, which was available separately but is now included in the platform.
• Claris Studio, which is deployed by Claris in California only for now, but soon worldwide.

So yes, more and more, FileMaker is a cloud-based platform, but with both the advantages of a desktop app (FileMaker Pro/Claris Pro) or a mobile app (FileMaker Go/Claris Go) and the possibility to work directly in the browser (Web Direct).

The server being now the center of everything, it has become very important to choose the hosting service with care. Performance, and service level are key factors to the success of your Claris FileMaker experience.