Overview

Bold BI combines reporting and embedded analytics with a choice of deployment models. Real-time refresh and scheduled reports support both current monitoring and recurring distribution, while row-level security helps tailor data access. The breadth is useful for organizations serving different audiences, though choosing among three deployment approaches adds an important infrastructure and procurement decision.

Key features

Embedded analytics: Build analytics into a product or service rather than limiting dashboards to a standalone BI experience. This is the clearest reason to consider Bold BI for software teams.
Natural-language queries: Users can query data in natural language, giving teams another route to explore information beyond scheduled reports.
Real-time refresh and scheduled reports: Real-time updates suit operational monitoring; scheduled reports serve readers who need regular reporting without opening a dashboard.
Row-level security: Access can be controlled at the data-row level, a practical safeguard when different users should see different records.

Pricing

Bold BI offers a 30-day trial, but its editions use custom pricing rather than published prices. None of the three editions charges per user or per viewer, which can make the model attractive when analytics will reach a broad audience; buyers still need a quote to judge total cost.

Bold BI Cloud Edition: Fully managed cloud hosting with no per-user or per-viewer fee. It fits organizations that want a managed service rather than running the deployment themselves.
Bold BI On-Premises Edition: Self-hosted deployment with Windows, Linux, Docker, and Kubernetes support, and no per-user or per-viewer fee. It is the option for teams that need to host the platform in their own environment.
Bold BI Managed Private Cloud: A dedicated managed cloud environment with a customer-selected data region and no per-user or per-viewer fee. It suits organizations seeking managed hosting while choosing the data region.

The trade-off is limited price transparency: organizations must request pricing to compare the editions and establish which fits their budget.

Platforms

Bold BI supports web, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Its hybrid deployment approach accommodates hosted and self-managed environments, including the on-premises edition's support for Docker and Kubernetes.

Who it's for

Bold BI is strongest for organizations embedding analytics into a product, distributing reports to varied audiences, or needing control over deployment and data region. The no-per-user-or-viewer-fee model is particularly relevant when access extends beyond a small internal team. It is less suitable for buyers who need straightforward public pricing before engaging a vendor.

Pros and cons

Pros

Three deployment choices: Managed cloud, self-hosting, and dedicated private cloud address different hosting and regional requirements.
No per-user or per-viewer fees: This avoids a stated seat-based charge as the audience grows.
Reporting and embedded analytics together: Real-time refresh, scheduled reports, row-level security, and natural-language queries cover several distinct reporting needs.

Cons

Custom pricing across editions: Buyers cannot compare costs from published rates and must request a quote.
Edition choice requires a hosting decision: Customers need to distinguish fully managed cloud, self-hosting, and dedicated private cloud before selecting a fit.

Alternatives

ClicData is worth considering if a freemium option and a free plan matter more than Bold BI's deployment choices.
Logi Composer is another paid option for buyers comparing business intelligence products.
Yellowfin Embedded Analytics is an alternative for teams evaluating usage-aligned pricing for embedded analytics.
ThoughtSpot may suit teams that prefer published annual-billing prices: Essentials is 25.00 USD per month for 5 to 50 users and up to 25M rows of data.
Embeddable is another paid embedded analytics option.
icCube is an alternative to compare for embedded analytics projects.
DataReportive offers a free trial with two users and unlimited reports, alongside reporting, exports, scheduling, alerts, and embedding.
Jaspersoft is worth comparing if a free plan is important; its Community edition includes JasperReports Library, Jaspersoft Studio, pixel-perfect reports, and data visualizations.

For broader comparisons, browse Embedded Analytics Software or Business Intelligence Tools.

Verdict

Choose Bold BI if you need embedded analytics, broad platform support, and a choice between managed and self-hosted deployment without per-user or per-viewer fees. Its real-time refresh, scheduled reports, and row-level security make it a substantial reporting option. Look elsewhere if you need to assess costs from published prices before contacting the vendor.

	Bold BI	Sumboard
Free plan	No	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android	Web
Row-level security	Yes	Yes
Free plan	—	No
Embedding mode	—	sdk
White-label analytics	—	Yes
Deployment options	—	cloud

Bold BI vs Sumboard

Bold BI

Sumboard