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SAP Crystal Reports vs XLCubed comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

SAP Crystal Reports
Ranking in Reporting
14th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
XLCubed
Ranking in Reporting
30th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of SAP Crystal Reports is 2.4%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of XLCubed is 1.1%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Reporting Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SAP Crystal Reports2.4%
XLCubed1.1%
Other96.5%
Reporting
 

Featured Reviews

CI
I'm at DTS Group
Automation increases efficiency and accuracy, but modern UI and cloud integration need improvement
The best features SAP Crystal Reports offers are powerful data connectivity, customized report design, interactive and visual reports, import, export, sharing options, and automation and scheduling. My most favorite feature is the powerful data connectivity capability. It helps to connect a wide range of data sources such as SQL databases, Excel, XML, and more. Using SAP Crystal Reports had a strong impact on our organization. It saves significant time by automating routing reporting tasks, and it reduced manual effort in preparing customer letters and reports. The accuracy of data improved decision making, and the clear and professional formatting enhanced client communication. Overall, it increased efficiency, provided fast insight, and supported better business outcomes.
it_user1391316 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Finance Systems at NHS
Cost effective with great capability, performance, flexibility and visuals
In general, we're happy with the solution but we're always looking to see what else is out there. The thing we've struggled with is our partnership with Tagetik UK, the consultants, and the issue we had gaining access to consultants to develop the solution on our behalf. Thankfully we connected directly with XLCubed and now have a pretty close and good relationship with them so the earlier problem we had of actually getting resources to help us develop has now been solved. One of the things that we've been asking for and would like as an additional feature is a sort of benchmarking functionality. The ability to be able to benchmark, directly against the company digital corporate numbers. That said, there seems to be improved functionality within the latest release that could help us develop that further.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The way it allows formatting, that is, the ability to organize the display and fields as we like, are the key elements for us."
"The initial setup of the solution is pretty easy."
"Ease of extracting data from various sources and displaying in such a way that user can’t tell the difference."
"It has been around long enough that any challenges you encounter can easily be found with a Google search."
"It is easy to get quick results, but also allows you to create more in-depth reports."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to create reports easily."
"The tool can be incredibly powerful and flexible for generating reports."
"Our ROI on Crystal Reports is well over 1000%, as we offer both training and consultancy solutions to our clients."
"The solution has great capability, performance, flexibility, visuals, everything, and we also have a very good relationship with the consultants and the solution is also very cost effective."
"I am looking forward to testing their full graphics that are available, as they looked very interesting in the demo."
 

Cons

"We are using an old version, and the only thing isn't good is that some error messages are not specific and it is sometimes hard to find the error."
"For me, the biggest area for improvement would definitely be the sample reports and wizards with more options and themes you can use to create more report styles."
"I would like to see improvement in charts and metadata extraction."
"I rate SAP Crystal Reports a seven out of ten because while reports sometimes lack clarity due to varying data scenarios affecting comprehension, the backend learning experience with data is ongoing and highlights existing challenges."
"Charting capabilities are incomplete relative to competitors."
"Some of the graphic displays are dodgy."
"Customer support is spotty at best, and when they do get involved it has to be according to the support person's schedule."
"Crystal 2008 - the export functionality could be improved, right now it will only export approximately 65K into one spreadsheet tab."
"Would like the ability to be able to benchmark."
"There should be a better or an easier way to establish that connection to external sources."
"At this time, I cannot recommend this solution to others because I cannot connect."
"It's quite a stable solution although we sometimes encounter issues internally within our IT department with regard to the structure."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"SAP Crystal Reports is a very expensive solution."
"I feel that SAP Crystal Reports is a reasonably priced product."
"This product costs a lot of money."
"The cost of licensing can be a significant factor to consider when upgrading or transitioning to a new version of SAP Crystal Reports. It's important to evaluate the benefits and features offered by the new version against the associated costs to ensure it aligns with your organization's needs and budget."
"We pay fifteen hundred dollars as licensing fee."
"I am still using the two-week trial, but at first sight, the price is reasonable."
"14,000 Pounds per year for licensing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Construction Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise22
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with SAP Crystal Reports?
SAP Crystal Reports could be improved with more modern user-friendly interfaces and better integration with cloud platforms and AI tools. It would be beneficial to have easier integration with Azur...
What is your primary use case for SAP Crystal Reports?
I have been using SAP Crystal Reports for six months. I am using SAP Crystal Reports to develop data-driven reports and use customer data printing. When I use SAP Crystal Reports for customer data ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Crystal Reports?
I am aware that the pricing of SAP Crystal Reports gradually changes. When I bought it last time, I don't remember the exact price, and I need to check the current price on the portal. SAP Crystal ...
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Overview

 

Sample Customers

City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International (ARI), LivePerson, Coelba (Grupo Neoenergia), RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association - NBA, TALLY WEiJL, El Machetazo, Young Heroes, Mozzart, Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) , Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, The VELUX Group, AOK Bundesverband, AL-KO KOBER GROUP
Marshalls Ltd, BP Exploration and Production, Thorntons, Ted Baker, Bristol-Myers, Rank Group, ING Bank Genve, Cargill Value Investment, Chloride Power, Auchan, Erste, UEFA, Novartis, Porsche Informatik, Raiffeisen Bank International
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP Crystal Reports vs. XLCubed and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
911,493 professionals have used our research since 2012.