Overview

Bold BI brings reporting and embedded analytics together, with real-time data refresh, scheduled reports, row-level security, and natural-language queries. That combination serves both operational monitoring and recurring reporting, while security controls can help tailor data access. The main trade-off is the deployment choice: buyers must decide whether they want a managed cloud service, to run it themselves, or a dedicated managed environment.

Key features

Embedded analytics: Analytics can be incorporated into a product or workflow, making Bold BI a natural fit for software providers that want to offer reporting as part of their own experience.
Real-time refresh: Current data supports operational views where stale dashboards would be a drawback.
Row-level security: Data access can be restricted at the row level, a practical safeguard when different users should see different records.
Scheduled reports: Regularly delivered reports complement interactive dashboards for people who need updates on a routine basis.
Natural-language queries: Users can ask questions about data in natural language, providing another way to explore it alongside reports.

Pricing

Bold BI is paid software with custom pricing and a 30-day trial. None of its three editions carries a per-user or per-viewer fee, which may suit products serving many viewers, but the total cost still needs to be established for the intended deployment.

Bold BI Cloud Edition: Custom pricing for fully managed cloud hosting. Choose it if you want the service hosted for you without managing deployment infrastructure.
Bold BI On-Premises Edition: Custom pricing for self-hosting, with support for Windows, Linux, Docker, and Kubernetes. It suits organizations that need to run the deployment in their own environment; the trade-off is responsibility for that environment.
Bold BI Managed Private Cloud: Custom pricing for a dedicated managed cloud environment, with a customer-selected data region. It fits buyers who want managed hosting but need a dedicated environment or control over region.

The common no-per-user-or-viewer fee model avoids a seat-based charge, but edition prices are custom, so buyers should compare costs against their hosting and operational requirements. The 30-day trial gives a defined evaluation window.

Platforms

Bold BI supports web, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. Its hybrid deployment approach is reflected in the choice between managed cloud, private cloud, and self-hosted editions; the on-premises option supports Windows, Linux, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Who it's for

Bold BI is a strong candidate for organizations embedding analytics into software, especially when real-time reporting, scheduled delivery, or row-level access controls matter. Teams that want managed hosting can choose the cloud editions, while organizations with infrastructure requirements can use the self-hosted option. It is less suitable for buyers who need transparent, upfront pricing to compare options before engaging in a custom quote.

Pros and cons

Pro: Three deployment approaches accommodate fully managed cloud, self-hosting, and a dedicated managed environment.
Pro: No per-user or per-viewer fee in any edition can make broad distribution more practical.
Pro: Real-time refresh, scheduled reports, row-level security, and natural-language queries cover distinct reporting and access needs.
Con: Custom pricing across all editions makes direct budget comparison difficult before a quote.
Con: The self-hosted edition requires buyers to take responsibility for their deployment environment.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, see Embedded Analytics Software and Business Intelligence Tools.

ClicData is worth considering if a freemium option and a free plan matter more than Bold BI's stated deployment choices.
Logi Composer is another paid option for buyers seeking an alternative analytics platform.
Embeddable may suit teams looking for a project-scoped subscription with unlimited usage and every feature included.
Jaspersoft is an alternative for buyers who want a free community edition as well as a commercial edition.
Toucan offers a free plan and paid monthly tiers with unlimited users, making it relevant to buyers comparing published monthly options.
Logi Symphony is another paid option to consider.
Yellowfin Embedded Analytics may fit buyers who want pricing aligned to analytics usage and their sales model.
icCube offers a free trial and a plan for new projects embedding analytics, which may suit teams evaluating an alternative for a new product or solution.

Verdict

Choose Bold BI if you need embedded analytics with real-time refresh and want a choice of managed cloud, private cloud, or self-hosted deployment without per-viewer fees. Its combination of reporting, security, and deployment flexibility is the strongest reason to shortlist it. Look elsewhere if upfront, published pricing is essential or if you do not want to decide how the service should be deployed.

	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