Eclipse BIRT

Eclipse BIRT is an open-source toolkit for building reports and charts from business data. It is best suited to developers embedding reporting into Java or Jakarta EE applications. Its flexible data handling and broad export choices make it capable, while its designer-and-runtime structure favors technical teams over people seeking a ready-hosted reporting service.

Overview

BIRT brings together an Eclipse-based report designer, a runtime component, and a charting engine that can also run independently or inside reports. It can combine information from databases, files, Java, JavaScript, and web services into textual reports, charts, or both. The project dates to 2004 and is based in Brussels, Belgium.

Report designs use an open XML format, and reports can be embedded in desktop and web applications, particularly those built with Java and Jakarta EE. That makes BIRT a strong fit when reports need to become part of an application's own workflow. Teams seeking a hosted reporting service should look elsewhere.

Key features

The designer pairs a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG layout view with a data explorer, resource explorer, script editor, chart builder, and expression builder. Visual tools support layout work, while scripting and expressions give developers room to tailor reports. The range is useful for teams that can work across both report design and code.

BIRT supports JDBC, XML, web services, and flat files. A report can draw from multiple sources and combine them with inner or outer joins; data can then be sorted, filtered, grouped, and summarized, including by sums and percentages of overall totals. This makes it suitable for reports that need to bring together and reshape data before presentation.

Report formats include lists, charts, crosstabs, letters and documents, and compound reports. The engine can produce HTML, paginated HTML, Word, Excel, PostScript, ODT, ODS, ODP, and PDF, and export report data as CSV. Developers can extend BIRT with custom data access, report items, chart types, and output formats, giving application teams options to fit reporting into their own systems.

Interactive reports are supported, with access through web and download channels. The project uses the Eclipse Public License (EPL). BIRT tracks bugs and enhancement requests through GitHub issues, and its community page links to a developer mailing list.

Pricing

BIRT is free and open source under the Eclipse Public License (EPL). Its BIRT plan costs nothing, with no free trial. There are no paid tiers to weigh against feature limits; the trade-off is adopting and operating the reporting components within your own environment.

Platforms

BIRT supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows environments. Its embedding focus is especially relevant for desktop and web applications built with Java and Jakarta EE.

Who it's for

BIRT suits developers and organizations that need customizable reports inside their own applications, can connect multiple data sources, and value open report designs and control over output formats. It is a poor fit for buyers who want a hosted service or a reporting workflow that does not require technical ownership of design and runtime components.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Reports can combine multiple supported data sources and join, filter, group, and summarize the results, which helps when reports need to present data drawn from different systems.
• Pro: The runtime offers a wide range of document and web outputs, plus CSV data export, giving teams flexibility in how reports are delivered.
• Pro: Open XML report designs and extension points for data access, report items, charts, and output formats support customization and application embedding.
• Con: BIRT's designer, runtime, and scripting tools make it a technical reporting project, so it is less suitable for teams seeking a turnkey hosted service.
• Con: Support is organized around GitHub issue tracking and a developer mailing list, which may not suit organizations that need a different support channel.

Alternatives

Compare reporting software if you want to consider a wider set of tools.

FastReport is worth considering for teams that want a free cloud plan with storage allowances and a one-user limit, or need its broader listed platform coverage, including Android and iOS.

SeekTable may suit individual users who want a free account with up to 50 Web API calls per day and support for inactive-account email delivery and API access.

ReportServer is another option for teams considering a free community edition, with listed support for Linux, self-hosted, web, and Windows environments.

ezzyScorecard may suit web-based scorecard users; its listed Business plan is A$75 a month, while its Professor and Trial plans have no listed price.

Porter Metrics may fit teams connecting data sources to reporting workflows, with a free plan covering three connected accounts, up to 30-day history, and 100 AI credits per month for Automation.

Power My Analytics offers a Sample Data plan with unlimited sample-data sources, all destinations, full Data Builder access, one admin, and MCP and API access; consider it if that sample-data setup matches your needs.

ActiveReports is a paid alternative for teams seeking its developer licensing model; its Standard plan costs $899 a year for one individual developer and unlimited royalty-free applications.

DynamicReports is another free, open-source Java reporting tool for self-hosted use.

Verdict

Choose Eclipse BIRT if your team can work with its designer and runtime and wants to embed flexible, customizable reporting in a Java or Jakarta EE application at no software cost. Its strongest reason to choose it is the combination of multi-source data handling, extensibility, and broad output support. Look elsewhere if you need a hosted reporting service or a less technical route to producing reports.