FastReport .NET alternative
What is the best FastReport .NET alternative for RDL reports?
Bold Reports is an alternative to FastReport .NET for teams that hold SSRS reports. Bold Reports is a complete RDL reporting platform: existing .rdl and .rdlc files open natively, while FastReport .NET converts them into its own format. Every Bold Reports edition includes a report server, scheduling and embedding SDKs, with published pricing per user or per application. FastReport .NET is a .NET library that comes with source code and suits WinForms, WPF and Avalonia applications.
Last updated: November 11, 2026. Versions compared: Bold Reports 15.1.10 and FastReport .NET 2027.1.3.
Two kinds of product
How is Bold Reports different from FastReport .NET?
A reporting library
FastReport .NET
FastReport .NET describes itself as a library for generating reports and creating documents for .NET 10, Blazor, .NET Core, ASP.NET, MVC, and WinForms. It is added to an application as packages, it comes with source code, and its report server and cloud service are separate products. It suits a team that wants a reporting library inside a .NET application, including a desktop one.
A reporting platform
Bold Reports
Bold Reports is a complete RDL reporting platform. One report file is designed, embedded, exported, and scheduled, and every edition includes the report server. It suits a team that holds SSRS reports, or that needs reports inside a web application with a server behind them.
Your existing reports
Can Bold Reports open the RDL reports I already have?
Yes. Bold Reports reads the RDL report format natively, so existing .rdl and .rdlc files open without conversion. FastReport .NET takes the other route: its product page says the report generator converts reports from Microsoft Reporting Services (RDL, RDLC) into the FastReport format, and its import guide opens an RDL file through the designer's File menu, where the file is converted to a FastReport template.
Bold Reports
FastReport .NET
What the format is, and which Bold Reports tool opens which file, is on the RDL page: Which reporting platform runs RDL and RDLC reports natively? Moving a whole SSRS estate is on the migration page: Will my existing SSRS reports run in Bold Reports without changes?
Side by side
How do Bold Reports and FastReport .NET compare, feature by feature?
Each FastReport .NET value below is taken from its own website, as read on November 11, 2026. A capability that is missing from this table was not checked; it is not a claim that either product lacks it.
| Criterion | Bold Reports | FastReport .NET |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A complete RDL reporting platform | A library for generating reports and creating documents |
| SSRS .rdl and .rdlc files | Open natively, without conversion | Converted into the FastReport format |
| Report model | RDL report items | Band-oriented report generator |
| Designers | Web Report Designer, which can be embedded, and a Standalone Report Designer for Windows | Standalone desktop report designer, which can run inside the application, and an online report designer for ASP.NET |
| Application frameworks | Embedding SDKs for JavaScript, Angular, React, Blazor, and ASP.NET Core | .NET 10, Blazor, .NET Core, ASP.NET, MVC, and WinForms, with separate WPF, Avalonia, and Mono editions |
| Report server | Included in every edition | A separate product, FastReport Corporate Server |
| Cloud | Bold Reports Cloud, managed by Bold Reports | A separate product, FastReport Cloud |
| Source code | Not published | Comes with source code |
Licensing
How do the licensing models compare?
Both vendors publish prices, in different units, so the two lists are not a like-for-like comparison.
Per user or per application
Bold Reports
Bold Reports is licensed per user, or per application for On-Premises, and is never priced per developer: Cloud costs $999 per month and On-Premises $499 per month, each with 100 users included, or $1,499 per month per application with unlimited users. Prices are in USD and exclude taxes.
- Cloud $999
- On-Premises $499
- Per application $1,499
By component set
FastReport .NET
FastReport's buy page lists its .NET editions by component set: Ultimate .NET from $1,499, WEB from $799, Avalonia from $599, and WinForms, WPF, and Mono from $499 each. The page read for this comparison does not state the license unit or term behind those prices, so check them with FastReport before you compare totals.
- Ultimate .NET from $1,499
- WEB from $799
- Avalonia from $599
- WinForms, WPF, Mono from $499 each
How Bold Reports counts a license is on the licensing page: How is Bold Reports licensed? The calculator is on the Bold Reports pricing page.
Moving over
What does moving from FastReport .NET to Bold Reports involve?
It depends on where your reports started.
Reports that still exist as SSRS .rdl or .rdlc files open in Bold Reports as they are.
Crystal Reports .rpt files are converted to RDL, and that migration is included at no extra cost in every edition.
Reports that exist only in the FastReport format are different. The published Bold Reports migration paths cover SSRS and Crystal Reports, not the FastReport format, so plan to rebuild those reports in the Bold Reports Report Designer, and ask the Bold Reports team before you commit to a date.
How reports reach your users afterward is on the embedded reporting page: How do I embed Bold Reports in my application?
Honest fit
When is FastReport .NET the better choice?
A desktop application or a library
Choose FastReport .NET if
- Your application is a desktop one, because it sells components for WinForms, WPF, and Avalonia and the Bold Reports embedding SDKs are for web applications.
- You want a reporting library with source code inside your own application, with no server to run.
- You have no RDL reports to keep.
SSRS reports or a web application
Choose Bold Reports if
- You hold SSRS reports and want them to open unchanged.
- You need a report server, scheduling, and multi-tenancy in the same license.
- Your reports live inside a web application built with JavaScript, Angular, React, Blazor, or ASP.NET Core.
Comparing other .NET reporting tools: What is the best alternative to Telerik Reporting for .NET? and What is the best alternative to ActiveReports for RDL reports?
Method
How were these facts checked?
The FastReport .NET values come from five pages of the vendor's website, read on November 11, 2026, when its product page showed version 2027.1.3. The Bold Reports values describe version 15.1.10 and the published pricing.
FastReport .NET product page: what the product is, report conversion, designers, frameworks, source code, report model.
RDL import in FastReport .NET (dated August 28, 2011): how an RDL file is imported.
FastReport buy page: editions and listed prices.
FastReport Corporate Server and FastReport Cloud: the server and cloud products.
Not checked, and so not compared here: scheduling, multi-tenancy, export formats, and the license terms of FastReport .NET. Product names are trademarks of their owners. Spotted something out of date? Tell the Bold Reports team and the page is corrected at its next review.
Questions
What do teams ask about Bold Reports before they switch?
Short answers from the Bold Reports FAQ. See all 78 questions.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ten minutes, no form
What can I try in the next 10 minutes?
Open a sample RDL report in the Bold Reports demo gallery, with no form to fill in. The free trial needs no credit card and lasts 30 days with a work email, or 15 days with a personal email.