Straight answers to the questions buyers ask about Bold Reports

• The subscription is expensive. What do I get for the price?

  A Bold Reports subscription includes an embedded reporting platform, Report Server, scheduling, Report Designer, SSRS RDL compatibility, white-label deployment, multi-tenant architecture and enterprise support. Pricing is published, with no per-developer fees.

• We only need basic reporting. Is Bold Reports more than we need?

  Bold Reports works for basic reporting too. You can start with the Report Designer, report viewer and scheduling, and use embedding, white-labeling and multi-tenancy only when you need them.

• The price is too high for our budget. Can you offer a better price?

  Yes. Bold Reports offers 35% off for small businesses with annual revenue under $10 million and 30% regional pricing for companies headquartered in World Bank low-, lower-middle- or upper-middle-income economies, combined for 54.5% off.

• SSRS is free. Why should we pay for Bold Reports?

  Bold Reports opens your existing SSRS RDL and RDLC files natively and adds a web drag-and-drop report designer, embedding SDKs for JavaScript, Angular, React, Blazor and ASP.NET Core, multi-tenancy and white-labeling, with Cloud or On-Premises deployment on Windows, Linux, Docker or Kubernetes. Migration from SSRS is included at no extra cost.

• Is Bold Reports pricing published, or do I have to contact sales?

  Bold Reports pricing is published, with no per-developer fees. Cloud starts at $999 per month for 100 users, On-Premises starts at $499 per month for 100 users, and On-Premises per application costs $1,499 per month with unlimited users.

• Do I need a license for each end user who views a report, including in embedded apps?

  It depends on the plan. Cloud and On-Premises per-user plans include 100 users, and you can add more in blocks of 5 with volume discounts. On-Premises per-application licensing includes unlimited users for each application.

• Is Bold Reports licensed per user, per server, or per report?

  Bold Reports is licensed per user, or per application for On-Premises. It is never priced per developer or per report. Cloud: $999/month includes 100 users, then $5 per additional user per month. On-Premises per user: $499/month includes 100 users, then $3 per additional user per month. On-Premises per application: $1,499/month per application with unlimited users.

• How is licensing structured for embedded or OEM scenarios?

  Embedded reporting is included in every edition, with no separate embedding license. OEM and ISV licensing is available for software vendors and SaaS providers; redistribution rights depend on the licensing agreement, so contact the sales team for OEM, ISV or redistribution requirements.

• What is included in the embedded license versus the standalone server license?

  There is no separate embedded license. Every edition includes the full platform: report design, native RDL/RDLC support, embedded reporting, scheduling, exporting, security controls, multi-tenancy and white-labeling.

• Do I need a separate license for the designer and the viewer?

  No. Every edition includes the complete Bold Reports platform, including report design and viewing, and there are no separate charges for feature unlocks.

• Are there limits on how many reports I can create?

  No. Bold Reports does not limit the number of reports you can design, publish or manage. Licensing counts users or applications, never reports.

• What changes when I go from trial to paid?

  When you upgrade from the trial to a paid plan, your existing reports, data sources, dashboards, schedules and other configurations stay intact. You don't need to recreate reports or re-import data; the upgrade only updates your license and plan entitlements.

• Does Bold Reports offer perpetual licensing?

  Bold Reports primarily offers subscription licensing, which includes continuous access to updates, maintenance and support. Contact the sales team to discuss the licensing options available for your organization.

• Is there a free Community License for Bold Reports?

  Yes. A free Community License is available for eligible customers. Contact the Bold Reports sales team to check whether you qualify.

• Does my existing Syncfusion license cover Bold Reports?

  It can. Some customers are already covered by an existing Syncfusion project, division, retail or global license, so check your current license with the sales team before buying.

Go deeperBold Reports pricing How Bold Reports is licensed

• Will my existing SSRS reports (.rdl files) run in Bold Reports without changes?

  Bold Reports reads the RDL/RDLX report format natively, which is compatible with SSRS reports, so your existing .rdl files can be used in Bold Reports. Migration from SSRS is included at no extra cost: the Bold Reports team moves your reports for you.

• We're running SSRS. How hard is it to move to Bold Reports?

  Bold Reports opens SSRS RDL and RDLC report files natively, so you reuse your existing reports instead of rebuilding them. Migration from SSRS is included at no extra cost: the Bold Reports team moves your reports for you.

• How long does it take to migrate from SSRS or Crystal Reports to Bold Reports?

  It depends on the number of reports and their complexity. SSRS migration is typically quick because Bold Reports uses the same RDL format, so most reports move with minimal changes. For Crystal Reports, effort varies with report design, formulas, subreports and custom business logic, and complex reports may need extra changes. Reviewing your report inventory gives the most accurate estimate.

• Are there clear workarounds or a roadmap for the gaps compared to SSRS?

  Bold Reports uses the same RDL format as SSRS and is designed to stay compatible with existing SSRS reports, so most reports work without modification after migration. If you hit a feature difference, the Bold Reports team reviews the report and provides a workaround or solution, and you can share specific reports or features for validation before you migrate.

• Migrating our existing reports would be too much work. Do we have to do it ourselves?

  No. Migration from SSRS or Crystal Reports is included at no extra cost: the Bold Reports team moves your reports for you, and existing SSRS RDL and RDLC files open natively without conversion.

• Is Microsoft discontinuing SSRS?

  Microsoft has said there will be no new SSRS versions after SSRS 2022. From SQL Server 2025, on-premises reporting moves to Power BI Report Server, and SSRS 2022 gets security updates until 11 January 2033.

• We use Crystal Reports. Can we migrate our reports to Bold Reports?

  Yes. Crystal Reports (.rpt) files are converted to RDL, and migration is included at no extra cost in every edition. The Bold Reports team evaluates your existing reports and recommends a migration strategy.

• When does SAP end support for Crystal Reports?

  SAP lists 31 December 2027 as the end of mainstream maintenance for Crystal Server 2025 and the free Crystal Reports developer versions for Visual Studio. Bold Reports converts Crystal Reports (.rpt) files to RDL, one at a time or in bulk, and each converted report should be reviewed before it is published.

Go deeperSSRS migration Crystal Reports migration

• Can I embed Bold Reports in a React application?

  Yes. Bold Reports provides embedding SDKs for JavaScript, Angular, React, Blazor and ASP.NET Core, included in every edition. Bold Reports supports React versions later than 16 with its latest React package, and reports are processed on the server by a reporting web service or by Bold Reports Report Server.

• Can I embed Bold Reports in an Angular or Vue application?

  Yes for Angular. Bold Reports provides embedding SDKs for JavaScript, Angular, React, Blazor and ASP.NET Core. For Vue, the documentation covers projects built with Vue CLI.

• Is there a Node.js SDK or a JavaScript-only embedding option?

  Bold Reports does not offer a native Node.js SDK today. A JavaScript-based sample application is available that works with a backend server.

• Can the report viewer run client-side without direct database access?

  Partly. This can be done today with an iFrame-based approach; a fully client-side viewer without database access is not available. Every setup needs Bold Reports Report Server or an ASP.NET Core or ASP.NET reporting web service to process the report.

• Can the report designer be embedded, or is it viewer-only?

  Both can be embedded. With the Bold Reports embedding SDKs, reports can be designed, viewed and exported inside your own web application.

• Does Bold Reports support Blazor?

  Yes. Bold Reports has a Report Viewer for Blazor Server and Blazor WebAssembly apps to view, print and export RDL and RDLC reports.

• Why do I get a 401 Unauthorized error when embedding Bold Reports with Report Server running in Docker?

  When Bold Reports Report Server runs in Docker, do not use localhost in your embedding settings, because localhost points to the container itself and causes authentication and proxy URL mismatches. Use host.docker.internal or the server's IP address instead.

• Which React and Node.js versions does Bold Reports support?

  Bold Reports supports React versions later than 16 with its latest React package, and the documentation shows setup for React 17 and React 18. Projects on React 16 or earlier need an older package version.

• Does Bold Reports depend on jQuery?

  Yes. The Bold Reports web components for JavaScript, Angular, React and Vue need jQuery, and the Blazor components use the same viewer.

Go deeperEmbedded reporting

• Is there an on-premises Word-to-RDL conversion tool?

  Not on premises today. A free online Word to RDL Converter is available on the Bold Reports website, but an on-premises Word-to-RDL utility is not available at this time.

• Is Bold Reports RDL output fully compatible with Business Central (RDLC)?

  Yes. The RDL output from Bold Reports is fully compatible with Business Central (RDLC). Existing .rdl and .rdlc files also open natively in Bold Reports, without conversion.

• Can I deploy reports to a configurable UNC path?

  Not today. Deploying reports to a configurable UNC path is not available at this time. Reports can be scheduled and distributed by email with the built-in scheduler.

• Does Bold Reports support multi-tenancy?

  Yes. Bold Reports supports multi-tenant architecture. Bold Reports Report Server hosts many tenants on one deployment, each isolated, and version 14.1 added tenant-management APIs.

• Can I white-label Bold Reports in my application?

  Yes. Bold Reports supports white-label deployment. You can rebrand the viewer and designer with your own logo, theme and domain, so reports look like part of your product.

• Do Report Parts synchronize automatically across reports?

  Bold Reports supports Report Parts, shared datasets and shared data sources. Automatic synchronization of Report Parts is an improvement area today.

• Is dataset modeling difficult in Bold Reports?

  Bold Reports includes shared datasets and shared data sources, so data models can be built once and reused across reports. The dataset designer experience is being improved.

• Bold Reports is too complicated for our needs. Is there a simpler way to use it?

  Bold Reports includes a web drag-and-drop report designer for invoices, statements, forms and operational reports. Guided setup, documentation, video tutorials and integration samples help you create your first reports faster, and the support team guides your rollout.

• Is Bold Reports available in languages other than English?

  Yes. The Report Designer and Viewer support multiple localization cultures, including Arabic, French, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and charts can be localized by report language.

• Can I export a report to PDF from code, without showing the Report Viewer?

  Yes. The Bold Reports Report Writer creates and exports reports from code, without showing the Report Viewer, in formats such as PDF, Word and Excel.

• Do Bold Reports updates break existing reports?

  The release notes for each Bold Reports version list any breaking changes, and the documentation for each platform has a Breaking Changes section. Review them before upgrading, and test the upgrade in a staging environment first.

• Can we onboard our customers gradually in a multi-tenant setup?

  Yes. Bold Reports Report Server hosts many tenants on one deployment, each isolated, and version 14.1 added tenant-management APIs, so you can add customers as tenants one at a time.

• Does Bold Reports have a desktop report designer?

  Yes. The Bold Reports Standalone Report Designer is a Windows desktop app for designing, previewing and exporting RDL and RDLC reports. You can save reports on your computer or publish them to Bold Reports Report Server or Microsoft SSRS.

• Does Bold Reports support Snowflake?

  Yes. Bold Reports includes a Snowflake data connector for RDL reports in the Report Designer. Snowflake is one of 27 data connectors, alongside Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Google BigQuery and Amazon Redshift.

• Which data sources are supported, such as PostgreSQL, Oracle and REST APIs?

  Bold Reports supports 27 data connectors, including Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Server Analysis Services, Azure SQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MemSQL, Snowflake, Google BigQuery, Google Cloud SQL, Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, Amazon Redshift, AWS OpenSearch, AWS Secrets Manager, Elasticsearch, MongoDB, CDATA, ODBC, OLEDB, OData, Web API (REST), JSON, XML, CSV and Excel.

• Does Bold Reports support nested JSON data?

  Bold Reports supports JSON data sources. Advanced handling of deeply nested JSON is limited today and is under roadmap consideration.

• Can we connect our existing datasets without changing their configuration?

  Bold Reports opens existing RDL and RDLC reports natively and supports shared datasets and shared data sources across 27 data connectors. If a connection needs adjusting, free migration assistance is included.

• Can reports be scheduled and emailed automatically?

  Yes. Bold Reports includes a built-in scheduler for scheduling and distributing reports, including by email. Reports can be exported in seven formats: PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, CSV, XML and HTML.

• Can we schedule reports programmatically and pass recipients from an external application?

  Partly. This can be done with Custom Attributes and the REST API. Further scheduling automation improvements are a high-priority enhancement.

• Does Bold Reports integrate with our ERP or other software, such as Epicor or Canvas LMS?

  Bold Reports connects to data through 27 data connectors, including databases, Web API (REST), OData, ODBC and OLEDB, and offers ERP reporting. Epicor customers can also get Bold Reports through Epicor.

• Is Bold Reports slow with large reports or big datasets?

  Large reports need some tuning. Bold Reports added a processing engine for large datasets in version 11.1, and its on-demand processing handles flat tables with millions of records.

Go deeperReport Designer Data connectors Report scheduling

• What are the minimum server requirements for deployment?

  The On-Premises edition runs on Windows, Linux, Docker or Kubernetes. Detailed system requirements are in the Bold Reports documentation. On-Premises also supports air-gapped networks.

• Is there a cloud-hosted SaaS option, or is Bold Reports only self-hosted?

  Both are available. Bold Reports Cloud is hosted and managed by Bold Reports, and the On-Premises edition is self-hosted on your own servers.

• Is setting up Bold Reports On-Premises complicated?

  It depends on the edition. The Cloud Edition is fully managed by Bold Reports, so there are no servers to set up. The On-Premises Edition runs on your own Windows, Linux, Docker or Kubernetes servers, including air-gapped networks, and the documentation covers each option step by step.

• Does Bold Reports support IP allowlisting (IP whitelisting)?

  Not today. IP allowlisting is not available at this time. Every edition includes SSO, role-based access, row-level security and encryption.

• Is Bold Reports GDPR compliant, and where is data processed?

  Bold Reports supports GDPR compliance, along with SOC 2, ISO and HIPAA; see the Bold Reports security page for certification scope. With Cloud, data is hosted in managed regions; with On-Premises, data stays in your own data center.

• What security and access control options are available, such as SSO and LDAP?

  Every edition includes SSO, role-based access, row-level security and encryption. On-Premises additionally supports customer-held encryption keys and air-gapped operation.

• Which jQuery version do the Bold Reports scripts use?

  The Bold Reports Report Viewer works with the latest jQuery version, and the current setup guides use jQuery 3.6.0. Only the old setup guide for the Classic Report Designer still uses jQuery 1.10.2.

Go deeperDeployment options Security

• What is Bold Reports?

  Bold Reports is a complete RDL reporting platform. Design, embed, schedule and distribute paginated reports, including the SSRS and Crystal reports you already have. Existing .rdl and .rdlc files open natively; Crystal .rpt files convert.

• DevExpress or Telerik is more cost effective, and we already own one of them. Why add Bold Reports?

  Bold Reports is a dedicated reporting platform with SSRS compatibility, enterprise scheduling, embedded analytics, white-labeling and multi-tenant deployment, built for long-term reporting needs rather than as part of a UI bundle. Bold Reports is never priced per developer, so adding developers does not change the price.

• Telerik or DevExpress pricing fits our needs better. How does Bold Reports pricing compare?

  Bold Reports is never priced per developer, so adding developers doesn't change the price. Pricing is published, with volume discounts of up to 60% on per-user plans, or unlimited users with On-Premises per-application licensing.

• Can Telerik Reporting open SSRS RDL reports?

  As of November 2026, Telerik Reporting's documentation lists report converters for Crystal Reports, ActiveReports and DevExpress XtraReports, but not for SSRS RDL files. Bold Reports opens SSRS RDL and RDLC files natively, without conversion.

• Is a report server included with Bold Reports, or licensed separately?

  Report server functionality is included in every Bold Reports edition, with no separate license. Every edition includes the complete Bold Reports platform, including report design and viewing.

• Is Bold Reports a BI tool like Power BI, Tableau or Qlik?

  No. Bold Reports is a paginated reporting platform for pixel-perfect reports such as invoices, statements, forms and operational reports, which you can view, export, schedule and embed in your own applications.

• We already have Power BI and Microsoft licensing. Why would we need Bold Reports?

  Bold Reports is built for embedding reports in your own applications: it offers embedded reporting, RDL compatibility, white-label deployment, multi-tenant architecture, Report Server, and scheduling and distribution, including for SaaS deployments. It is a paginated reporting platform for pixel-perfect reports such as invoices, statements, forms and operational reports.

• Our reporting database is on-premises. Should we use Power BI Report Server instead?

  Bold Reports On-Premises runs inside your own network on Windows, Linux, Docker or Kubernetes, supports offline and air-gapped operation, and keeps your data in your own data center. It also opens RDL and RDLC report files natively.

• Our Excel, ERP or internal reporting already works. Why switch?

  You don't need to replace what already works. Teams move to Bold Reports when they need reports embedded in their own applications, scheduled delivery, white-labeling or multi-tenant reporting, which Excel, ERP or internal tools usually don't provide.

Go deeperWhy Bold Reports

• Can I evaluate Bold Reports on my own, without booking a sales demo?

  Yes. You can start a free 30-day trial with full platform capabilities and no credit card required, or explore the interactive product tour, self-guided demos and live report gallery.

• What if Bold Reports doesn't work for us after we buy?

  Bold Reports offers a 30-day return policy with a full refund within 30 days. Before you buy, you can test the full platform in a free trial: 30 days with a work email, or 15 days with a personal email, with no credit card.

• How long is the Bold Reports free trial?

  The Bold Reports free trial needs no credit card and lasts 30 days when you sign up with a work email, or 15 days with a personal email. The trial includes the full platform capabilities.

• If something breaks, how quickly does your support team respond?

  Bold Reports publishes support commitments in its Cloud SLA and On-Premises SLA documents. Bold Reports also provides product documentation, a knowledge base, video tutorials, integration samples and community resources.

• Your docs don't explain embedding, scheduling or parameters clearly. Where do I find help?

  Bold Reports provides product documentation, a knowledge base, video tutorials, integration samples and community resources. Framework-specific implementation guides and deployment checklists are being expanded.

• Is Bold Reports setup straightforward?

  Yes. Bold Reports provides step-by-step documentation, video tutorials and integration samples for setup and embedding. Deployment checklists and end-to-end setup walkthroughs are being added.

• Is Bold Reports actively developed, and is there a public roadmap?

  Yes. Bold Reports publishes a public roadmap and regular release notes on its website; the latest release is version 15.1. A new version is released every few months; the latest is version 15.1.10, released in October 2026.

• The Bold Reports GitHub repositories look outdated. Is the product still maintained?

  Yes. Bold Reports is actively developed by Syncfusion and releases a new version every few months; the latest is version 15.1.10, released in October 2026.

• Did Syncfusion discontinue its reporting product?

  No. The older Syncfusion Report Platform was retired from Essential Studio in 2019 and replaced by Bold Reports, which is Syncfusion's current, actively developed reporting product.

Go deeperSupport Roadmap