It’s 2025, and here’s a scene every product team dreads:
You roll out a shiny new “reporting” feature for your users, only to see engagement flatline within weeks. Support tickets spike:
“Can I export this to Excel?”
“How do I get alerts for what matters to me?”
“Where are the reports for my accounts?”
Turns out, most “end-user reporting” is little more than a glorified export. The data’s there, but it’s buried in generic, static tables. Useless for anyone who isn’t an analyst or admin. No context, no workflow integration, just… data.
Enable easy sharing and collaboration, so teams can align and move fast.
With that in mind, here are the tools that do it best (and where each one falls short).
1. Luzmo: Reporting that drives action, not just exports
Luzmo stands out because it’s built for product teams who want reporting to be a growth lever, not a support ticket magnet.
Embedded, modular reporting: Luzmo’s embedded analytics brings reports to where users work. Not just in a “Reports” tab, but inside onboarding, feature usage, and renewal workflows.
Personalized, role-based insights: With Luzmo Flex, every user sees the reports that matter to them, with widgets they can pin, move, or edit.
Luzmo IQ: Natural language queries let users ask questions and get live, actionable reports without waiting on devs or admins.
Actions built in: Trigger follow-ups, send emails, schedule calls, or open tickets directly from reports.
2. Sisense: Powerful, custom reporting—but a heavy lift for most teams
Sisense is a favorite for dev-heavy teams with big ambitions:
Custom, developer-driven reports: APIs and SDKs give full control to build complex, embedded reports.
Advanced widgets and workflow triggers: Reporting can be integrated anywhere in the product—if you’ve got the engineering resources.
Strong data modeling and security: Scales for big orgs and compliance.
Where Sisense struggles:
End user personalization is slow: every new view or widget needs developer time.
UI and branding are only as good as you build them. Most users still see “IT’s dashboard,” not their reporting.
User sentiment: “Feels powerful, but hard for non-technical teams to keep up as business needs change.”
Best for: Enterprises, ISVs, or SaaS with a dedicated analytics engineering team. For fast-moving SaaS or smaller teams, the maintenance burden is real.
3. Metabase: Fast, open-source reporting—but static for real-world workflows
Metabase is the classic “get reports live this week” solution for startups and small teams:
Open-source, quick deployment: Business users can build, run, and share simple reports without dev bottlenecks.
Question builder and sharing: Easy to ask new questions and visualize data fast.
Limits:
Static layouts, limited interactivity, and basic sharing. Once you need real personalization or action buttons, it shows its limits.
Multi-tenancy, security, and role-based workflows are afterthoughts.
Common complaint: “Great for getting started, but we outgrew it as our user base demanded more control and actions from reports.”
Best for: Early-stage SaaS, internal analytics, or MVPs. Just plan to migrate to a Metabase alternative when reporting becomes core to your product experience.
4. GoodData: Multi-tenant, API-first reporting—with a technical ramp
GoodData is designed for SaaS platforms with lots of clients and complex requirements:
API-first, multi-tenant architecture: Every client and user can get a custom reporting experience.
Granular permissions and compliance: Perfect for regulated SaaS or B2B with complex roles.
Embeddable components: Build fully custom, role-based reports directly into your product.
Challenges:
Out-of-the-box UX is underwhelming. Teams must invest heavily in UI and workflow design.
Steep learning curve for non-devs; most business users can’t “self-serve” advanced reports.
User feedback: “The foundation is there, but it’s up to us to make it intuitive and useful.”
Best for: Mature SaaS, ISVs, and platforms where reporting is a market differentiator and you have the team to build on top.
5. ThoughtSpot: Self-serve, search-driven reporting—actionable, but workflow-light
ThoughtSpot’s search-driven reporting is a hit with business users who want answers, not just downloads:
Natural language search: End users ask, “Which accounts need attention?” and get instant, live reports.
Share and pin Liveboards: Fast for collaboration and recurring insights.
Drawbacks:
Embedding and branding are limited; reports rarely feel “native” to your SaaS.
Hard to trigger actions or integrate with product workflows. Reporting stays separate from the rest of the user experience.
Stats: Only 42% of users say their current reporting lets them filter, sort, or interact meaningfully. ThoughtSpot improves on access but not always on action.
Best for: SaaS tools with non-technical end users who value search and discovery, but not for teams needing deep workflow triggers or custom report actions.
6. Domo: Flashy dashboards, cloud BI, but end-user workflow lags
Domo is all about cloud-native BI and “executive” dashboards that look good in demos:
Slick visualization and mobile-friendly reports: End users get pretty charts and mobile access.
Wide data integration: Connects to almost any SaaS, cloud, or data warehouse.
Pain points:
Personalization is skin-deep. Most users can’t build or act on reports without admin help.
Actionability is limited: Domo’s “buzz” is alerts and sharing, but tying reports to in-app actions or real workflows is tough.
Real feedback: “Easy to get started, but every custom report or view needs another consulting call.”
Best for: Large companies that want executive reporting or mobile access, not day-to-day SaaS product workflows.
How to deliver reporting users actually use
Here’s how to move from “dead data” to reporting that drives engagement, action, and upsell:
Personalize every view: Each persona (admin, CSM, end user) should see only what matters to them.
Embed reporting in workflows: Don’t bury reports in a tab. Put them where users make decisions: onboarding, renewals, task lists, or even as notifications.
Empower users to act: Make sure reports come with buttons, alerts, or recommended actions (not just downloads).
Iterate and gather feedback: Support teams and product managers should be in constant contact with users about what works and what’s missing—then ship fast.
Prioritize collaboration: The best reports are living, shareable, and encourage teamwork—not static PDFs.
Final word: End-user reporting should be a launchpad, not an afterthought
If your end-user reporting is just “download, email, or forget,” you’re not just under-delivering. You’re missing out on product-led growth, upgrades, and loyal users.
Luzmo stands out by making reporting actionable, personalized, and everywhere your users need it.
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