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Reporting Tools

While developing the Cartmore MOT and Repair Centre Management System it became apparent that we would need a method generating reports from the data we will be collecting.

Sure, I considered building this functionality into the CMARC Management System but, why reinvent the wheel, I knew there were bespoke software solutions in existence. All I needed to do was research the possibility of open-source (free) options.

MySQL Reporting Tools

Metabase

Metabase is a free, open-source business intelligence (BI) tool that lets you explore, visualise, and share data from your databases — without writing SQL (unless you want to).

Key Features

  • Native MySQL Support: Connects easily to your Hostinger MySQL DB with just host, port, user, and password.
  • Interactive Dashboards: Build charts, tables, KPIs, and filter widgets using drag-and-drop.
  • Ad Hoc Queries: Create questions (Metabase term for queries) without SQL, or write SQL directly for advanced logic.
  • Scheduled Reports: Email or Slack dashboards on a schedule.
  • Embedding Options: Embed charts in your WordPress site or internal tools via iframe.
  • User Access Control: Define roles with different levels of data access (ideal if others may use it later).
  • Self-Hosted or Cloud: Free if you host it yourself; paid plans offer hosted Metabase with more features.

Redash

Redash is an open-source data visualisation and dashboarding tool designed for users who are comfortable writing SQL. It lets you query your databases, create visualisations, and share live dashboards — all from one web interface.

Key Features

  • Native MySQL Support: Easily connects to your Hostinger MySQL database.
  • SQL Editor: Full-featured SQL query interface with autocomplete, schema browser, and query history.
  • Visualisation Options: Line, bar, pie, scatter, pivot tables, cohorts, counters, and more.
  • Live Dashboards: Combine multiple charts, KPIs, and filters into interactive dashboards.
  • Scheduled Queries: Automatically refresh results and email reports on a schedule.
  • Parameterised Queries: Add dropdowns or text inputs to reuse queries with different filters.
  • Query Sharing: Share links to specific queries, charts, or dashboards — great for collaboration.
  • Hosting Options Self or Cloud

Apache Superset

Apache Superset is a powerful, open-source data exploration and visualisation platform designed for modern analytics at scale. Originally developed at Airbnb, it supports complex querying, beautiful dashboards, and granular access control — all through a web interface.

It’s more advanced than Metabase or Redash, but rewards the effort with serious analytical firepower.

Key Features

  • Native MySQL Support: Connects directly to MySQL, Postgres, and many others via SQLAlchemy.
  • No-code Chart Builder: Drag-and-drop visual builder (Explore) for non-coders.
  • SQL Lab: Full-featured SQL IDE with auto-complete, multi-tabbed querying, and preview
  • Custom Dashboards: Combine charts, tables, KPIs, and filter controls into powerful interactive dashboards.
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Enterprise-grade user/role permissions.
  • Advanced Visuals: Heatmaps, time-series, pie charts, big number indicators, map visualisations, and more.
  • Caching and Async Queries: Optimised for big data and production use.
  • Hosting Options Self or Cloud

Most seem to be free if self-hosted but charge for cloud-hosting.

In general, the more features the steeper the learning curve.