Best Alternatives For Crystal Reports: 9 Top Tools for Data Visualization

While Crystal Reports has been a popular tool for many years, it may not be the most efficient or user-friendly option for modern businesses.

Fortunately, there are many alternatives available that offer more advanced features and capabilities.

In this post, we’ll explore the best alternatives to Crystal Reports, including their key features and benefits. Whether you’re looking for a drag-and-drop dashboard builder or advanced analytics and real-time insights, we’ve got you covered.

Understanding SAP Crystal Reports

SAP Crystal Reports is a business intelligence tool that allows you to create and customize reports from various data sources. It has been a popular choice for businesses for many years due to its flexibility and ease of use. Crystal reports allows users to design and generate reports with ease, providing a wide range of features for formatting, grouping, and sorting data

Crystal Reports is a powerful tool that can help businesses generate custom reports and visualizations from various data sources. With Crystal Reports, you can create reports that range from simple lists to complex charts and graphs.

Images source: SAP Crystal Reports

Why Look for Alternatives?

While Crystal Reports has many benefits, there are several reasons why you may want to consider looking for alternatives:

• Cost: Crystal Reports can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses. There are many alternative reporting tools available that offer similar features at a lower cost.
• Compatibility: Crystal Reports may not be compatible with all data sources or platforms. If you need to work with data from a specific source or platform, you may need to look for an alternative tool that is better suited to your needs.
• Ease of use: While Crystal Reports is generally easy to use, some users may find it difficult to navigate. If you’re looking for a reporting tool that is more user-friendly, you may want to consider an alternative.
• Limited features: While Crystal Reports has many features, it may not have all the features you need for your specific reporting needs. If you require more advanced features, you may want to consider an alternative tool.

Overall, SAP Crystal Reports is a powerful reporting tool that has been used by many businesses for years. However, if you’re looking for an alternative that is more cost-effective, compatible with your specific data sources, easier to use, or has more advanced features, there are many options available.

Best Alternatives to Crystal Reports

When it comes to reporting tools, Crystal Reports has been a popular choice for many businesses. However, there are several alternatives available that offer similar or even better features. Here are some of the best alternatives to Crystal Reports:

1. Tableau

Tableau is a powerful business intelligence software that allows you to connect to various data sources, blend them together, and create interactive visualizations. It offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of features that help you gain meaningful insights from your data.

Tableau is a great alternative to Crystal Reports if you’re looking for a tool that can handle both data analysis and reporting.

Example of a impact report in Tableau

Image source: Tableau Impact Reports

Features of Tableau

• User-friendly interface: Tableau’s intuitive interface makes it easy to create and manage reports and dashboards, even for non-technical users.
• Advanced data visualization: Tableau offers a wide range of data visualization options, including interactive charts, maps, and graphs, that make it easy to understand and analyze data.
• Real-time reporting: Tableau’s real-time reporting capabilities provide up-to-date insights into business performance.
• Customizable: Tableau’s customizable dashboards and reports make it easy to tailor your reporting to your specific business needs.
• Secure: Tableau’s robust security features ensure that your data is kept safe and secure.
• Mobile access: Tableau’s mobile app makes it easy to access reports and dashboards on-the-go.

---

2. Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Power BI is another popular business intelligence tool that offers a suite of features for working with data. It provides seamless integration with Microsoft products and enables you to create interactive dashboards, reports, and visualizations.

With Power BI, you can easily share your reports with others and collaborate on data analysis projects. It’s a great alternative to Crystal Reports if you’re looking for a tool that’s easy to use and provides accurate results.

Features of Power BI

• Real-time reporting: Power BI’s real-time reporting capabilities provide up-to-date insights into business performance.
• Advanced data visualization: Power BI offers a wide range of data visualization options, including interactive charts, maps, and graphs, that make it easy to understand and analyze data.
• Customizable: Power BI’s customizable dashboards and reports make it easy to tailor your reporting to your specific business needs.
• User-friendly interface: Power BI’s intuitive interface makes it easy to create and manage reports and dashboards, even for non-technical users.
• Secure: Power BI’s robust security features ensure that your data is kept safe and secure.
• Mobile access: Power BI’s mobile app makes it easy to access reports and dashboards on-the-go.

---

3. Qlik Sense and QlikView

Qlik Sense and QlikView are two powerful data visualization tools that enable you to create pixel-perfect reports and dashboards. They offer a wide range of features, including drag-and-drop report building, natural language querying, and data integration.

With Qlik Sense and QlikView, you can create reports that are both visually appealing and informative. They are great alternatives to Crystal Reports if you’re looking for a tool that provides accurate data analysis and reporting.

Features of Qlik Sense and QlikView

• Data connectors: Wide variety of data connectors, including cloud-based platforms like AWS and Google Cloud
• User-friendly interface: Qlik’s intuitive interface makes it easy to create and manage reports and dashboards, even for non-technical users.
• Advanced data visualization: Qlik offers a wide range of data visualization options, including interactive charts, maps, and graphs, that make it easy to understand and analyze data.
• Real-time reporting: Qlik’s real-time reporting capabilities provide up-to-date insights into business performance.
• Customizable: Qlik’s customizable dashboards and reports make it easy to tailor your reporting to your specific business needs.
• Secure: Qlik’s robust security features ensure that your data is kept safe and secure.
• Custom calculations: Ability to create custom calculations and metrics using Qlik’s expression language

---

4. Sisense

Sisense is a reporting solution that helps you create reports and dashboards that are easy to understand and visually appealing. It offers a wide range of features, including drag-and-drop report building, data integration, and user-friendly dashboards.

With Sisense, you can create reports that provide accurate data analysis and help you make informed decisions. It’s a great alternative to Crystal Reports if you’re looking for a tool that provides accurate results and a user-friendly interface.

Features of Sisense

• User-friendly interface for creating reports and dashboards
• Wide variety of data connectors, including cloud-based platforms like AWS and Google Cloud
• Advanced data visualization capabilities, including interactive charts, maps, and graphs
• Ability to create custom calculations and metrics using Sisense’s formula language
• Robust security features to ensure data is kept safe and secure
• In-chip technology that allows for faster data processing and analysis
• Ability to handle large and complex data sets with ease
• AI-powered analytics that provide insights and recommendations based on data trends
• Mobile app for on-the-go access to reports and dashboards

---

5. Domo

Domo is a cloud-based reporting solution that enables you to create reports and dashboards that provide meaningful insights into your data. It offers a wide range of features, including data integration, drag-and-drop report building, and collaboration tools.

With Domo, you can create reports that are both informative and visually appealing. It’s a great alternative to Crystal Reports if you’re looking for a tool that provides accurate results and a seamless user experience.

Example of a report dashboard from Domo

Features of Domo

• User-friendly interface: Domo’s intuitive interface makes it easy to create and manage reports and dashboards, even for non-technical users.
• Advanced data visualization: Domo offers a wide range of data visualization options, including interactive charts, maps, and graphs, that make it easy to understand and analyze data.
• Real-time reporting: Domo’s real-time reporting capabilities provide up-to-date insights into business performance.
• Customizable: Domo’s customizable dashboards and reports make it easy to tailor your reporting to your specific business needs.
• Secure: Domo’s robust security features ensure that your data is kept safe and secure.
• Mobile access: Domo’s mobile app makes it easy to access reports and dashboards on-the-go.

---

6. Tibco Jaspersoft

Tibco Jaspersoft is an open-source reporting tool that enables you to create reports and dashboards that are both informative and visually appealing. It offers a wide range of features, including data integration, pixel-perfect reports, and user-friendly dashboards.

With Tibco Jaspersoft, you can create reports that provide accurate data analysis and help you make informed decisions. It’s a great alternative to Crystal Reports if you’re looking for a tool that’s easy to use and provides accurate results.

Example of a dashboard in JasperReports

Features of Jaspersoft

• Drag and drop functionality to design reports
• Support for data filtering and conditional formatting
• Interactive report generation via different graphs and charts
• Share reports in multiple formats like PDF, XLS, ODT, XML, etc.
• Restrict the access with the multi-tenant management
• Open-source community edition available for free
• Ability to handle large and complex data sets with ease

---

7. Metabase

Metabase is an open-source business intelligence tool that offers advanced data visualization and reporting capabilities. It is a great alternative to Crystal Reports for organizations looking for a more modern and intuitive reporting solution.

Metabase allows you to connect to a wide range of data sources, including SQL databases, MongoDB, and Google Analytics. Metabase offers a simple, intuitive interface that allows you to create charts and dashboards quickly and easily. It offers a range of visualization options, including bar charts, line charts, and pie charts.

You can also share your reports with your team and schedule them to run automatically.

Example of user interface in Metabase

Example of a dashboard in Metabase

Features of Metabase

Metabase offers a number of benefits for users looking for an open source drag-and-drop report builder, including:

• Easy to use: Metabase’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create custom reports and dashboards, even for non-technical users.
• Flexible: Metabase supports a wide range of data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, and cloud services.
• Customizable: Metabase allows you to customize your reports and dashboards with a range of formatting options and visualizations.
• Collaborative: Metabase allows you to share your reports and dashboards with others, and collaborate on them in real-time.
• Free and open source: Metabase is completely free to use, and its open source nature means that you can customize and extend it to suit your needs.

---

8. QueryTree

QueryTree is another open-source reporting tool that offers a wide range of features, including data integration, user-friendly dashboards, and drag-and-drop report building.

With QueryTree , you can create reports that provide accurate data analysis and help you make informed decisions. It’s a great alternative to Crystal Reports if you’re looking for a tool that’s easy to use and provides accurate results.

Example of data visualization in QueryTree

Features of QueryTree

• Easy to use: QueryTree’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create custom reports and dashboards, even for non-technical users.
• Flexible: QueryTree supports a wide range of data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, and cloud services.
• Customizable: QueryTree allows you to customize your reports and dashboards with a range of formatting options and visualizations.
• Collaborative: QueryTree allows you to share your reports and dashboards with others, and collaborate on them in real-time.

---

9. Holistics

Holistics is a cloud-based data reporting and analytics platform that allows you to create, manage, and deploy reports. With Holistics, you can connect to a variety of data sources, including SQL Server, and create reports in a variety of formats, including PDF, Excel, and HTML.

The tool also provides a range of features, such as data modeling, data analysis, and data visualization.

Features of Holistics

• Integrations: Connect various data sources and embed reports into any application.’
• Easy to use interface: Even non-technical users can easily build professional reports.
• Visual report builder: Drag and drop fields to create visual reports fast.
• Customizable: Flexible templates allow tailoring reports to any business needs.
• Secure centralized management: Admins have full control and visibility of reports.
• Real-time insights: Get up-to-date metrics across desktop and mobile.

---

Summary: 9 Crystal Reports Alternatives

Tool	Open-source	Features
Tableau	No	– Drag-and-drop visualizations, dashboards, stories – Connects to various data sources – Advanced analytics and calculations – Interactive dashboards and visuals – Tableau Server/Online for deployment – Mobile apps for iOS/Android
Power BI	No	– Drag-and-drop visualizations, dashboards, reports – Connects to various data sources – Advanced analytics using DAX – Data modeling and transformations – Power BI Service for sharing – Mobile apps for iOS/Android
Qlik Sense/View	No	– Associative data model for exploration – Drag-and-drop visualizations, dashboards – Connects to various data sources – Advanced analytics using Qlik expressions – Sharing via Qlik Sense/View server – Mobile apps for iOS/Android
Sisense	No	– Drag-and-drop visualizations, dashboards – Connects to various data sources – Embedded analytics via web widgets – In-memory analytics for speed – Sisense Cloud for sharing – Mobile apps for iOS/Android
Domo	No	– Low-code app building for business users – Connects to various data sources – Embed analytics into workflows/apps – Governance and security controls – Domo Everywhere for mobile
Tibco Jaspersoft	Yes	– Design reports via Jaspersoft Studio – Connects to various data sources – Deploy to Jaspersoft Server for sharing – Mobile viewer apps for iOS/Android
Metabase	Yes	– Visual query builder for analysts – Connects to various data sources – Embed/share dashboards and queries – Mobile apps for iOS/Android
QueryTree	No	– Drag-and-drop dashboard builder – Connects to various data sources – Advanced analytics and metrics – Real-time and scheduled delivery – Mobile apps for iOS/Android
Holistics	No	– Drag-and-drop dashboard builder – Connects various data sources – Advanced visualizations and metrics – Embed analytics into products – Mobile apps for iOS/Android

Key Features to Look For In Crystal Reports Alternatives

When searching for alternatives to Crystal Reports, it’s important to consider the key features that are essential for your business needs. Here are some features you should look for:

Reporting Features

The most important feature to look for in a Crystal Reports alternative is robust reporting capabilities. Make sure the software can generate a variety of reports, including ad hoc reports, drill-down reports, and summary reports. Look for software that can handle large data sets and can export data in multiple formats, such as PDF, Excel, and CSV.

Drag-and-Drop Interface

A drag-and-drop interface can make report building a lot easier. It allows you to quickly add fields, filters, and other elements to your report without having to write complex code. This feature is especially useful for non-technical users who may not have programming experience.

Data Visualization

Data visualization is a key feature to look for in a reporting tool. It allows you to turn complex data sets into easy-to-understand visualizations, such as charts, graphs, and maps. Look for software that offers a variety of visualization options, including interactive dashboards.

Interactive Dashboards

Interactive dashboards allow you to monitor key metrics in real-time. They provide a snapshot of your business performance and allow you to drill down into the data to get more details. Look for software that offers customizable dashboards that can be accessed from anywhere, including mobile devices.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is another important feature to consider when evaluating Crystal Reports alternatives. Look for software that has a user-friendly interface and is easy to navigate. Make sure the software offers training and support resources to help you get up and running quickly.

Self-Service Features

Self-service features allow users to create and customize their own reports without relying on IT. Look for software that offers self-service features, such as ad hoc reporting and data exploration. This can help reduce the workload on IT and empower users to make data-driven decisions on their own.

Overall, when evaluating Crystal Reports alternatives, it’s important to consider your specific business needs and look for software that offers the key features that are essential for your reporting and data visualization needs.

Cloud-Based vs Self-Hosted Solutions

When it comes to choosing an alternative to Crystal Reports, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether you want a cloud-based or self-hosted solution. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to consider your specific needs and preferences.

Cloud-Based Solutions

Cloud-based solutions are hosted on remote servers and accessed through a web browser. This means that you don’t need to worry about installing or maintaining any software on your own servers. Some of the benefits of using a cloud-based solution include:

• Scalability: Cloud-based solutions can easily scale up or down as your needs change, without the need for additional hardware or IT staff.
• Accessibility: Cloud-based solutions can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easy for remote teams to collaborate.
• Automatic Updates: Cloud-based solutions are typically updated automatically, so you always have access to the latest features and security patches.

However, there are also some potential drawbacks to using a cloud-based solution, such as:

• Security Concerns: Storing your data on remote servers can raise security concerns, especially if you’re dealing with sensitive information.
• Dependency on Internet Connection: If your internet connection goes down, you won’t be able to access your data.
• Subscription Costs: Cloud-based solutions typically require a monthly or annual subscription fee, which can add up over time.

Self-Hosted Solutions

Self-hosted solutions, on the other hand, are installed and maintained on your own servers. This gives you more control over your data and can be a good option if you have specific security or compliance requirements. Some of the benefits of using a self-hosted solution include:

• Control: You have complete control over your data and can ensure that it’s stored securely.
• One-Time Cost: Self-hosted solutions typically require a one-time purchase fee, rather than an ongoing subscription.
• No Dependency on Internet Connection: You can access your data even if your internet connection goes down.

However, there are also some potential drawbacks to using a self-hosted solution, such as:

• Maintenance: You’ll need to maintain and update the software yourself, which can be time-consuming and require IT expertise.
• Scalability: If your needs change, you may need to purchase additional hardware or hire additional IT staff to support your solution.
• Accessibility: Self-hosted solutions can be more difficult to access remotely, especially if you don’t have a VPN or other remote access solution in place.

Ultimately, the decision between a cloud-based or self-hosted solution will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Consider factors such as security, accessibility, scalability, and cost when making your decision.

Top Alternatives to Crystal Reports: A Recap

As you can see,  there are many excellent alternatives to Crystal Reports that offer more modern and intuitive features to help businesses make more informed decisions. These tools provide a wide range of capabilities, from drag-and-drop dashboard builders to advanced analytics and real-time insights.

The right alternative will empower your teams with self-service analytics capabilities while also providing robust administration controls. Overall, making the switch away from Crystal Reports allows you to benefit from advanced reporting, real-time insights, and custom visualization – setting your business up for improved decision making.

Key Takeaways: Crystal Reports Options

• There are both open source and paid alternatives that provide robust and user-friendly reporting
• Many tools offer drag-and-drop dashboards, advanced visualization, and mobile access
• Consider your organization’s specific needs and choose a solution that integrates well with your data sources and existing systems
• Modern BI tools allow real-time insights for improved business performance and outcomes
• Moving away from Crystal Reports enables customized analytics and a better user experience

FAQ: Options to Crystal Reports