Make the smart choice for your operations.
Both XLReporter and Tableau / Spotfire generate reports. Here’s an honest, side-by-side look at what each platform offers — so you can choose with confidence.
Your BI tool explores. XLReporter reports.
Your BI tool is built for exploration — XLReporter is built for delivery, automatically generating the scheduled, Excel-native, compliance-ready operational reports your plant floor runs on.
Try before you commit
XLReporter’s free trial gives you full access to every feature and connector from the moment you install — connect to your real data sources, build your first report, and see exactly what XLReporter can do before you spend a penny.
Up and running in hours, not weeks
XLReporter works the way your team already works — bring your existing Excel knowledge, start with spreadsheets you already have, and build your first automated report without writing a single line of code, script, or SQL.
Works with everything you already run
With 90+ pre-built industrial connectors, XLReporter integrates directly with the historians, SCADA systems, and databases already running on your plant floor — no middleware, no custom development, no rip and replace.
How SmartSights compares to Tableau / Spotfire
What SmartSights customers say.
LCWSA replaced paper logs with real-time, data-driven operations.
“By upgrading and integrating technology like SmartSights WIN-911 and XLReporter, we are able to make more informed, data-driven decisions. Bridging the gap between people, processes, and tools allows us to empower our team and strive for a more proactive and efficient operation.”
Frequently asked questions
Can’t find your answer here? Our team is available to walk through any question you have.
What is the difference between XLReporter and Tableau/Spotfire?
While XLReporter and Tableau/Spotfire are not competing tools — many teams run both — XLReporter goes further in four key areas where BI platforms fall short on the plant floor. First, it connects natively to 90+ industrial historians and SCADA platforms with no database or ETL layer required. Second, it fills your existing Excel templates exactly as issued — preserving every formula, format, and layout. Third, it triggers reports automatically based on process events, not just fixed schedules. Fourth, it delivers out-of-the-box ISA 18.2 alarm management analytics and compliance-ready outputs that BI visualization tools were never designed to produce.
Can XLReporter connect directly to our historians and SCADA systems without a database in between?
Yes. XLReporter connects natively to all major historians and SCADA platforms — including AVEVA, Ignition, GE Proficy, Rockwell FactoryTalk, Emerson DeltaV, and Siemens Simatic — with no intermediate database, ETL pipeline, or data modeling required.
Can XLReporter generate and distribute reports automatically without anyone having to run them?
Yes. XLReporter handles the full report lifecycle automatically — generation, formatting, and distribution to email, web portal, Microsoft Teams, or file server — on any schedule or process trigger, with no user involvement required from generation through delivery.
Can XLReporter populate government-issued or agency-provided Excel forms directly from our process data?
Yes. XLReporter fills your existing Excel templates exactly as they were issued — preserving every formula, format, and layout. No rebuilding templates, no manual data entry, no transcription risk.
Does XLReporter require a dedicated BI analyst or data team to build and maintain reports?
No. XLReporter is designed for process and automation engineers, not data analysts. Reports are built in a familiar Excel-style environment using skills your team already has — no SQL queries, no scripting languages, no dedicated IT or BI resource required.
Can XLReporter trigger reports based on process events rather than a fixed schedule?
Yes. XLReporter can monitor process conditions and trigger report generation automatically when a defined event occurs — a batch completing, a tag crossing a threshold, or any detectable state change in your SCADA or historian — delivering the right report at the right moment without operator involvement.
See XLReporter live in your plant.
Start a free trial or talk to one of our experts. No pressure, no obligation.
Start your free trial
Evaluate XLReporter on your actual systems before committing to anything. No cost, no obligation.
Connect in a day
Direct connects to AVEVA, Rockwell, GE, and Ignition mean your SCADA is live in hours, not weeks.
Go live with confidence
Your team gets hands-on training. We validate every alarm route before cutover. Zero disruption.