A good replacement database is Postgres. It is small and very inexpensive - $0.00. AFAIK it will scale with SQLServer and you avoid the hassle of licensing etc. We are rewriting our application in Java/Groovy and using JavaDB (aka Derby or CloudScape) as the backend. Groovy compiles to Java code and because it is dynamic it allows all the things that VFP does - Macro Substitution etc. Unfortunately, screens are a PITA in Java. Groovy is a MUCH easier language to use than Java, but you can't get away from Java's propensity to manage objects on the screen for you. We are also using the Eclipse IDE from IBM which is free. However, nothing is a fast as VFP for creating and/or maintaining a program.

Java/Groovy programs will run on virtually any desktop and installation is a snap- they do not use the registry in Windows.