Is there a cheap or free alternative to filemaker?

It really depends on what you hope to do.

Numbers is a spreadsheet application - not a database. The same is true of Microsoft Excel, people often assume that spreadsheets are databases, they are not – the fields are not really linked like in a database (you can sort each row independently). Pages is a word processor/ page layout, not even close to a DB.

You can see lists of similar apps at this site…

http://alternativeto.net/software/filemaker-pro/?platform=mac

It might help you find a suitable database.

Just visit the 'Official site' as download like that one can bundle other junk in software downloads - get it from the source.

The mac App store also has several DB apps

You also need to consider how you can export the data, storing images in a DB can make it difficult to migrate to other database types.

A relevant question is what you need to do with the information in those two fields.

If you just want to be able to store and retrieve the information then a simple "flat file" database app will do the job. A Numbers table does in fact behave like a true flat file database but, as you say, it is not practical for storing and retrieving images.

If you need to be able to relate the information in the two fields to other information and produce queries and reports combining the information then a true "relational" database is needed.

I've had good luck with Tap Forms as a successor to Bento, the discontinued "personal" database app from Filemaker, Inc. It's on the Mac and iOS App Stores.

SG

Check out NeoFinder

http://www.cdfinder.de/en/info.html

Well,

You can my mysql and php and Javascript on you mac to make a local, web-based database. I't a little work to get set up but mysql is free and and, by all definitions, a real database.