Best SQL reporting tools for teams replacing SSRS or Crystal Reports (2026): 8 options compared on RDL migration, paginated reports, scheduling, and price

The best SQL reporting tools for teams replacing SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) or Crystal Reports in 2026 are Power BI paginated reports for Microsoft 365 companies moving to the cloud, Power BI Report Server for teams that must stay on-premises, and Bold Reports for teams that want to keep their existing RDL files without moving to Power BI. Jaspersoft and Telerik Reporting suit Java and .NET teams that embed reports in their own software. If what your users actually need is live dashboards and ad hoc questions rather than printable pages, Metabase, Preset, and Basedash replace the dashboard half of SSRS at lower setup cost. Every price below was checked on the vendor’s official page on October 18, 2026.

Is SSRS being phased out?

Yes, in the sense that it gets no new versions. Microsoft’s Reporting Services consolidation FAQ says “no new versions will be released beyond SSRS 2022.” Starting with SQL Server 2025, on-premises reporting moves to Power BI Report Server, which “is available for customers running SQL Server 2025 Enterprise and Standard editions.” SSRS 2022 itself stays supported until January 11, 2033, and SQL Server 2022 mainstream support ends in January 2028 (lifecycle page).

So nothing breaks this year. The pressure is that every future feature lands in Power BI Report Server or the Power BI service, and teams on SQL Server 2019 or earlier have no SSRS upgrade path left.

What is happening with Crystal Reports?

SAP still sells and patches Crystal Reports. The SAP Community Crystal Reports page lists Crystal Reports 2025 with maintenance until December 31, 2027, Crystal Reports 2020 until December 31, 2026, and Crystal Reports for Visual Studio until December 31, 2027. The Crystal Reports FAQ plans the next version for 2027.

Three things push teams to look elsewhere. Crystal Reports 2020 leaves maintenance at the end of this year. The 32-bit .NET runtime was discontinued after December 2025. And the same FAQ says “There are NO plans to update to Framework higher than 4.8,” so .NET 8 and later applications cannot use the Crystal Reports for Visual Studio runtime. SAP does not publish a Crystal Reports list price on a page we could load, so we leave price out.

How we evaluated SSRS and Crystal Reports replacements

We checked each tool against the questions buyers ask when they replace a legacy report server:

1. Migration path. Can it open or convert existing SSRS .rdl files or Crystal .rpt files, or do reports have to be rebuilt?
2. Paginated output. Does it produce pixel-perfect, print-ready pages, and in which export formats (PDF, Excel, Word, CSV)?
3. Scheduled delivery. Can it email reports on a schedule, attach files, and send each recipient a different filtered copy (bursting or data-driven subscriptions)?
4. SQL Server and Oracle reach. Does it connect to on-premises SQL Server and Oracle, and to Azure SQL, Postgres, MySQL, and Snowflake?
5. Security. Does it enforce row-level security, SAML SSO, and SCIM provisioning, and on which plan?
6. Self-service, AI, and price. Can non-SQL users build or question reports, what does a team pay, and does it run in the cloud, on-premises, or both?

SQL reporting tools comparison table

The first five tools produce pixel-perfect pages. The last three are dashboard and ad hoc analysis tools: they replace the SSRS reports that were really dashboards, but not invoices, statements, or regulatory forms that must print on a fixed layout.

Power BI paginated reports

Best for: Microsoft 365 companies that want to move SSRS reports to the cloud with the least rework.

Paginated reports in the Power BI service are the cloud home for .rdl files. Microsoft’s migration guide covers SSRS 2012 through 2022, and the RDL Migration Tool converts shared resources and publishes reports that pass its checks. Some SSRS features do not carry over: shared data sources (.rds), shared datasets (.rsd), linked reports, custom fonts, and custom assemblies.

Fact card: Power BI paginated reports

• Pricing (as of October 2026): licensed like other Power BI content. Pro $14 and Premium Per User $24 per user per month paid yearly (pricing). Viewers need Pro or PPU unless the workspace sits on F64 or larger Fabric capacity or P1 Premium.
• Free tier or trial: Power BI Report Builder is a free download. A free license can create paginated reports and publish them to My Workspace; sharing needs Pro or PPU.
• Deployment: Power BI service (cloud).
• Data sources: Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Synapse, and Power BI semantic models natively; SQL Server, Oracle, and Teradata through an on-premises or VNet gateway; Snowflake, Databricks, and Redshift through Power Query Online on Pro or PPU (supported sources).
• Query model: live queries at render time against the source or gateway.
• Export and delivery: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF, accessible PDF, CSV, XML, and MHTML. Email subscriptions attach PDF, PPTX, XLSX, DOCX, CSV, or XML up to 25 MB (a Pro feature). SSRS-style data-driven subscriptions are not supported; dynamic per-recipient subscriptions replace them.
• Row-level security: RLS in paginated reports uses report parameters and the built-in UserID field. On native sources it only works when users authenticate with SSO.
• SSO and SCIM: Microsoft Entra ID; users are provisioned through Entra.
• AI features: Power BI Copilot needs F2+ or P1+ capacity and covers Power BI reports; Microsoft does not document Copilot for paginated reports or Report Builder.
• Embedding: Power BI Embedded with the JavaScript SDK on capacity.
• Not ideal for: teams without a Microsoft tenant, or teams that rely heavily on data-driven subscriptions or custom assemblies.

For a broader view of Microsoft’s BI stack against a modern AI-native tool, see Basedash vs Power BI.

Power BI Report Server

Best for: SQL Server shops that must keep reports on-premises and want the official successor to SSRS.

Power BI Report Server is “a superset of Reporting Services” according to Microsoft. It hosts existing .rdl paginated reports alongside Power BI .pbix reports and Excel files, so most SSRS reports move over without conversion. The licensing change in SQL Server 2025 is the main reason to look at it now: Microsoft’s SQL Server licensing guidance says Report Server use rights “are now included with both Enterprise and Standard Editions, even without Software Assurance.”

Fact card: Power BI Report Server

• Pricing (as of October 2026): no separate price. It comes with SQL Server 2025 Enterprise or Standard licenses; on SQL Server 2022 and earlier, only Enterprise core licenses with active Software Assurance qualify. It is also included with Power BI Premium P SKUs and Fabric F64 or larger reserved capacity, but not smaller F SKUs.
• Free tier or trial: none beyond SQL Server’s own evaluation editions.
• Deployment: on-premises or your own VMs.
• Data sources: the same set as SSRS, including SQL Server, Analysis Services, Oracle, and ODBC sources.
• Query model: live queries at render time; Power BI reports can use import or DirectQuery.
• Export and delivery: the SSRS export formats and email or file share subscriptions. Data-driven subscriptions are an Enterprise edition feature in Microsoft’s features by edition table.
• Row-level security: report parameters and database permissions, as in SSRS.
• SSO and SCIM: Windows authentication; SCIM is not documented.
• AI features: no Copilot experience is documented for Report Server.
• Update cadence: Microsoft lists three releases a year; the newest entry in What’s new is May 2026.
• Not ideal for: teams that want to get out of running Windows servers, or that want AI or self-service exploration on top of their reports.

Bold Reports

Best for: teams that want to keep their SSRS report files and move off Microsoft licensing, or embed SSRS-style reports in a web app.

Bold Reports, from Syncfusion, is the closest drop-in replacement for SSRS outside Microsoft. Its pricing page says it “opens SSRS report files directly” (RDL and RDLC), and a Crystal Reports converter turns .rpt files into .rdl. The converter only handles SQL and XML data sources, and cross tabs and formula-based grouping need manual work. Bold Reports also offers to migrate SSRS or Crystal reports “at no extra cost.”

Fact card: Bold Reports

• Pricing (as of October 2026): quote only, sold as Cloud, Managed Private Cloud, or On-Premises editions with the same features. The pricing page says it “is not licensed per named user, viewer, or developer.”
• Free tier or trial: 30-day trial with no card. A free community license covers companies under $1 million in annual revenue with 5 or fewer developers and 10 or fewer employees.
• Deployment: SaaS, managed private cloud, or self-hosted on Windows, Linux, Docker, or Kubernetes.
• Data sources: SQL Server, Azure SQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Snowflake (query mode only), and BigQuery among others (supported features).
• Query model: live queries at render time.
• Export and delivery: PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, CSV, XML, and HTML. Data-driven and burst schedules send one copy per row of a recipient dataset, and output can also go to a file share, FTP, SFTP, or S3.
• Row-level security: filter queries by the signed-in user with the =User!UserID expression, the same pattern SSRS uses.
• SSO and SCIM: LDAP, Azure ADFS, OpenID Connect, and OAuth 2.0 (security docs). SAML and SCIM are not documented.
• AI features: conversational analytics over reports and datasets in v15.1 (October 2026), an AI expression builder that writes SSRS expressions from plain English, and an MCP server for managing reports, users, and schedules.
• Embedding: SDKs for JavaScript, Angular, React, Blazor, and ASP.NET Core.
• Not ideal for: buyers who need a public price list, SAML SSO, or SCIM.

Jaspersoft (JasperReports Server)

Best for: Java teams that need high-volume pixel-perfect reports and bursting inside their own software.

Jaspersoft changed owners this year. Actian, the data division of HCLSoftware, completed its acquisition from Cloud Software Group in July 2026. The free Community Edition of JasperReports Server ended in January 2024; Jaspersoft’s Community Edition FAQ says the free community offering is now the JasperReports Library and Jaspersoft Studio only.

Fact card: Jaspersoft

• Pricing (as of October 2026): quote only. Packages are Reporting Platform and Enterprise Platform, sold as commercial term licenses covering one production and two non-production environments.
• Free tier or trial: 30-day trial of the commercial edition; the JasperReports Library and Jaspersoft Studio designer are free.
• Deployment: self-hosted, with Docker and Kubernetes support, or bring-your-own-license on AWS Marketplace. There is no vendor-run SaaS.
• Data sources: bundled JDBC drivers for MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2, plus Azure SQL and Snowflake; the BigQuery driver comes from support.
• Query model: live queries at render time.
• Export and delivery: scheduled output to PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and CSV. Bursting, which splits one report into many documents emailed to different recipients, is in the Enterprise Platform.
• Row-level security: Domain security rules restrict rows by user roles and attributes.
• SSO and SCIM: the authentication cookbook covers LDAP, CAS, OAuth, and custom providers. SAML is listed but treated as custom integration work. SCIM is not documented.
• AI features: an AI report builder in Jaspersoft Desktop is in beta and marked “coming soon”; nothing AI-related ships in the 10.1 server release.
• Embedding: Visualize.js and JasperReports IO REST and JavaScript APIs.
• Crystal and SSRS migration: no first-party converter; Jaspersoft points Crystal users to a partner migration service.
• Not ideal for: teams that want SaaS, a public price, or self-service exploration for business users.

Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server

Best for: .NET development teams that embed reports in their own applications and want per-developer licensing with royalty-free deployment.

Telerik Reporting, from Progress, is a report designer and engine for .NET apps; Telerik Report Server adds a web portal, scheduling, and user management. Crystal teams on .NET get an import tool for .rpt files, which Telerik says does “not guarantee a one-to-one complete conversion.” There is no SSRS converter, so RDL reports need to be rebuilt.

Fact card: Telerik Reporting and Report Server

• Pricing (as of October 2026): Telerik Reporting from $499 per developer per year with Lite support (purchase page); Report Server from $1,099 per instance per year with 15 user licenses, plus $500 per extra 5 users (Report Server pricing). Deployment is royalty-free.
• Free tier or trial: 30-day trial; no free tier.
• Deployment: self-hosted on Windows or Linux; Report Server for .NET runs as a Linux container.
• Data sources: SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle built in for .NET, plus any registered ADO.NET provider. Snowflake and BigQuery need a third-party driver.
• Query model: live queries at render time.
• Export and delivery: PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, CSV, RTF, HTML5, and images. Scheduled tasks email documents to subscribers (no hourly repetition), and data alerts send a report when a condition is met. Per-recipient bursting is not documented.
• Row-level security: filter queries with the UserIdentity expression; it returns an empty value in scheduled tasks, so scheduled reports cannot be filtered per user this way.
• SSO and SCIM: SAML through Azure AD, WS-Federation, Entra ID on Report Server for .NET, and custom login providers. The “SSO + SCIM” line on Telerik’s pricing page covers Telerik license seats, not Report Server users.
• AI features: an AI report generator creates charts, gauges, and tables from prompts without sending business data to the LLM, and does not generate full reports or data sources. Report Server has an MCP server.
• Embedding: HTML5, Angular, React, Blazor, WinForms, and WPF viewers, plus a REST API.
• Not ideal for: teams without .NET developers, or business users who want to build reports themselves.

Metabase

Best for: teams that want free or low-cost self-service dashboards and scheduled emails on SQL Server, Postgres, or MySQL, and can live without pixel-perfect layouts.

Metabase replaces the reports that were really tables and charts. Business users build questions with a visual editor and analysts write SQL. Metabase does not produce paginated output: its dashboard PDF export “will only include screenshots of the charts,” according to the export docs.

Fact card: Metabase

• Pricing (as of October 2026): open source free; Starter $100 per month with 5 users then $6 per user; Pro $575 per month with 10 users then $12 per user; Enterprise from $20,000 per year (pricing).
• Free tier or trial: free self-hosted open source edition; 14-day trial of paid plans.
• Deployment: Metabase Cloud or self-hosted.
• Data sources: official drivers for SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery, and more (databases).
• Query model: live queries, with caching policies (duration and schedule caching on Pro and Enterprise).
• Export and delivery: CSV, XLSX, JSON, and PNG downloads. Dashboard subscriptions go to email or Slack with CSV or XLSX attachments, and Metabase 63 (July 2026) added PDF attachments. Custom filter values per subscription, the closest thing to bursting, are Pro and Enterprise only.
• Row-level security: row and column security on Pro and Enterprise.
• SSO and SCIM: Google sign-in and LDAP on every plan; SAML, JWT, OIDC, and SCIM on Pro and Enterprise.
• AI features: Metabot creates charts from natural language, writes and fixes SQL, and explains charts on every plan, using your own AI provider key or Metabase’s service on Cloud at $3.75 per million tokens.
• Embedding: guest embeds on every plan; full app embedding and the React SDK on Pro and Enterprise.
• Not ideal for: invoices, statements, or regulatory forms with a fixed print layout.

See Basedash vs Metabase for a head-to-head on AI and setup.

Preset and Apache Superset

Best for: data teams that want open source, SQL-first dashboards with alerts and reports, either self-hosted or managed.

Apache Superset is free to self-host and connects to SQL Server, Oracle, and most warehouses through SQLAlchemy drivers. Alerts and reports send dashboards or charts to email or Slack, but they are off by default and need a feature flag, Celery workers, and a headless browser. Preset runs Superset for you.

Fact card: Preset and Superset

• Pricing (as of October 2026): Superset is free. Preset Starter is free for up to 5 users; Professional is $20 per user per month billed annually or $25 monthly; Enterprise by quote (pricing).
• Free tier or trial: free Starter plan; 14-day Professional trial.
• Deployment: Preset Cloud, Managed Private Cloud in your AWS, GCP, or Azure account, or Preset On-Prem. Superset self-hosts with Docker Compose, Kubernetes, or PyPI.
• Data sources: SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery, and many more.
• Query model: live SQL; Preset caches results for 24 hours by default.
• Export and delivery: Superset reports attach PDF or PNG for dashboards and CSV for charts. Preset reports are on Professional and Enterprise and send dashboards as PNG images.
• Row-level security: RLS filters by role; on Preset this needs RBAC on Professional or Enterprise, and RLS does not apply in the SQL editor.
• SSO and SCIM: Superset supports OAuth providers and LDAP through Flask-AppBuilder; SAML is not documented. Preset has SAML and SCIM on Enterprise.
• AI features: Superset has an MCP server for AI assistants. Preset’s AI Assist text-to-SQL works with BigQuery, PostgreSQL, and Snowflake only, so not SQL Server or Oracle.
• Embedding: embedded SDK with guest tokens; Preset’s embedded add-on starts at $500 per month for 50 viewers.
• Not ideal for: printable reports, or teams that want AI over SQL Server.

Our open source BI tools comparison goes deeper on self-hosting Superset and Metabase.

Basedash

Best for: teams whose SSRS reports are mostly operational dashboards on SQL Server, Postgres, or MySQL, and who want business users to ask follow-up questions in plain English instead of filing report requests.

Basedash queries the database live. People describe the report they want, and the AI data analyst writes the SQL and builds charts or a full dashboard. Dashboard subscriptions email or post a snapshot to Slack daily, on weekdays, weekly, monthly, or quarterly, and automations send AI-written summaries on a schedule. Basedash does not produce paginated or pixel-perfect documents, and its row-level security works only on Postgres, so SQL Server data relies on data source access control by group.

Fact card: Basedash

• Pricing (as of October 2026): Startup $1,000 per month plus AI usage, with up to 25 users and $1,000 of monthly AI credits; Enterprise custom (pricing).
• Free tier or trial: 14-day trial with no credit card.
• Deployment: cloud; self-hosting on Enterprise.
• Data sources: SQL Server including Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Amazon RDS, and Cloud SQL; Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery, and Redshift. Private networks connect through an SSH tunnel.
• Query model: live SQL against the connected database.
• Export and delivery: CSV and Excel export from the SQL editor; subscriptions include every chart as an image. No PDF or Word output.
• Row-level security: Postgres only, through policies that read the basedash.groups session variable.
• SSO and SCIM: SAML or OIDC SSO and SCIM on Enterprise.
• AI features: chat-based analysis, AI dashboard generation, Insights, automations, a Slack app, and an MCP server on every plan.
• Embedding: iframe embeds and a React SDK on Enterprise.
• Not ideal for: invoices, statements, regulatory forms, per-recipient bursting, or SQL Server teams that need row-level security inside the reporting tool.

Which SSRS or Crystal Reports replacement should you choose?

If you want to keep your RDL files with the least rework: stay on Microsoft with Power BI Report Server on-premises or Power BI paginated reports in the cloud. Outside Microsoft, Bold Reports opens RDL and RDLC files directly.

If you are leaving Crystal Reports: Bold Reports converts .rpt files to RDL for SQL and XML data sources, and Telerik imports them into .NET reports. Both say complex reports need manual cleanup. Jaspersoft relies on a partner. Plan for a rebuild of anything with heavy formulas or cross tabs whichever tool you pick.

If you must stay on-premises: Power BI Report Server, Bold Reports On-Premises, Jaspersoft, Telerik Report Server, self-hosted Metabase, and Superset all run on your servers. Basedash self-hosts on Enterprise.

If each recipient needs their own filtered copy: Bold Reports (data-driven and burst schedules), Jaspersoft Enterprise (bursting), and Power BI Report Server Enterprise (data-driven subscriptions) do true bursting. Power BI paginated reports use dynamic per-recipient subscriptions instead. Metabase Pro can set filter values per subscription.

If business users need to build their own reports without SQL: Metabase’s visual query builder, Preset and Superset’s chart builder, and Basedash’s plain-English questions are built for this. The pixel-perfect tools assume a report developer builds every layout. Our database dashboard tools comparison covers more self-service options.

If you need SAML SSO and SCIM: Power BI uses Entra ID for both. Metabase Pro, Preset Enterprise, and Basedash Enterprise document SAML and SCIM. Bold Reports, Jaspersoft, and Telerik Report Server do not document SCIM.

If budget is the deciding factor: Power BI Report Server costs nothing extra if you already license SQL Server 2025. Metabase open source and Superset cost only hosting, Preset Starter is free for 5 users, and Bold Reports has a free community license for very small companies.

For how scheduling, attachments, and bursting work across tools, see our guide to scheduled reports in BI tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is Microsoft replacing SSRS with?

On-premises, Power BI Report Server replaces SSRS starting with SQL Server 2025, and it is included with SQL Server 2025 Enterprise and Standard licenses without Software Assurance. In the cloud, the Power BI service runs SSRS-style reports as paginated reports, which use the same .rdl format. SSRS 2022 is the last version and stays supported until January 11, 2033, so existing installations keep working while you plan a move. Microsoft provides an RDL Migration Tool for SSRS 2012 through 2019 and direct publishing from SSRS 2022.

Can I migrate SSRS reports to Power BI without rebuilding them?

Mostly. Power BI paginated reports use the same RDL format, and Microsoft’s RDL Migration Tool converts shared data sources and datasets into embedded ones and publishes every report that passes its checks. Reports that use linked reports, custom fonts, or custom assemblies need changes, and SQL Server or Oracle sources need an on-premises gateway. SSRS-style data-driven subscriptions do not carry over and become dynamic per-recipient subscriptions. Power BI Report Server is the lower-effort option because it hosts .rdl files as they are.

Is Crystal Reports still supported in 2026?

Yes. SAP lists Crystal Reports 2025 with maintenance until December 31, 2027, and plans its next version for 2027. Crystal Reports 2020 maintenance ends December 31, 2026, so teams on 2020 must upgrade or switch. Crystal Reports for Visual Studio is supported until the end of 2027, but SAP has no plans to support .NET versions beyond Framework 4.8, and the 32-bit runtime was discontinued after December 2025. Crystal Reports for Enterprise was removed in SAP BusinessObjects BI 2025.

What is the best reporting software for SQL Server?

For pixel-perfect reports, Power BI Report Server is the natural choice if you license SQL Server 2025, and Bold Reports is the strongest non-Microsoft option because it opens existing RDL files. Telerik Reporting suits .NET teams that embed reports in their own apps. For dashboards and self-service questions on SQL Server data, Metabase, Preset, and Basedash connect directly, including to Azure SQL and Amazon RDS for SQL Server. Note that Preset’s AI Assist does not support SQL Server, and Basedash’s row-level security covers only Postgres.

What are free SQL reporting tools?

Microsoft’s Power BI Report Builder is a free designer, and a free Power BI license can publish paginated reports to a personal workspace but not share them. Power BI Report Server is free to run if you already license SQL Server 2025 Standard or Enterprise. Metabase open source and Apache Superset are free to self-host with unlimited users. Preset’s Starter plan is free for up to 5 users. Bold Reports offers a free community license to companies with under $1 million in revenue and 10 or fewer employees. JasperReports Library and Jaspersoft Studio are free, but the free JasperReports Server edition ended in 2024.

Which reporting tools can open SSRS RDL files?

Power BI Report Server hosts RDL files directly, and the Power BI service accepts them as paginated reports after publishing or running Microsoft’s migration tool. Bold Reports opens RDL and RDLC files natively in its designer and offers free migration help. Telerik Reporting does not convert RDL, so reports need to be rebuilt, and Jaspersoft does not document an RDL import. Dashboard tools such as Metabase, Superset, and Basedash do not read RDL; teams rebuild the queries as questions or dashboards instead.

Which modern BI tools support live SQL reporting for non-technical users?

Metabase lets business users build questions with a visual editor on live SQL Server, Postgres, MySQL, and warehouse data, and its Metabot answers natural language questions on every plan. Basedash answers plain-English questions by writing live SQL and builds dashboards from a description, with scheduled email and Slack snapshots. Preset and Superset offer a no-code chart builder over live SQL. Power BI paginated reports and the other pixel-perfect tools expect a report developer to design each layout, though Bold Reports added conversational analytics in October 2026.

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