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Business Intelligence · head to head

Databox vs SAP BusinessObjects

Databox logo

Databox

Business Intelligence

KPI dashboards that pull from the tools you already run on

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SAP BusinessObjects logo

SAP BusinessObjects

Business Intelligence

Enterprise business intelligence suite

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Databox has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Databox data sources are the billing unit, so cost tracks the number of tools you connect rather than the value you get from them; SAP BusinessObjects sAP BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition is listed on UK G-Cloud 14 as a Cloud software service by SAP (UK) Limited titled 'SAP Business Objects Private Cloud Edition', alongside a reseller listing from NTT DATA Business Solutions; the G-Cloud search results describe it as subscription-based but show no per-user or per-month figure in the listing summary
  • They diverge on capability: Databox covers Pre-built dashboards, SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 25 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databox and SAP BusinessObjects actually diverge.

Attributes where Databox and SAP BusinessObjects differ
AttributeDataboxSAP BusinessObjects
Starting priceFree$400/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, TvWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryUnknownBusiness Intelligence
Founded20121972

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Databox

  • Pre-built dashboards
  • Dashboard designer
  • Metric library
  • Goal tracking
  • Scorecards
  • Alerts
  • Scheduled reports
  • Client reporting

Only in SAP BusinessObjects

  • Crystal Reports
  • Web Intelligence
  • Lumira
  • Analysis for Office
  • Live Office
  • SAP HANA
  • SAP ERP
  • Oracle

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Databox

  • Watching marketing, sales and finance KPIs from separate SaaS tools on one shared dashboardnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Agencies reporting campaign performance to many clients without rebuilding a report per accountnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Putting a live KPI board on an office TV or a recurring email to a leadership teamnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Replacing a manually maintained spreadsheet that someone updates from tool exports each weeknot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Tracking goals and getting alerted when a metric moves past a thresholdnot SAP BusinessObjects

SAP BusinessObjects

  • Enterprise reportingnot Databox
  • Executive dashboardsnot Databox
  • Regulatory compliancenot Databox
  • Strategic planningnot Databox
  • Operational analyticsnot Databox

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Databox

  • Data sources are the billing unit, so cost tracks the number of tools you connect rather than the value you get from them
  • The $71 Analyst plan is a single seat: adding even a second person means the $199 Core plan, a 2.8x jump
  • AI credits are metered monthly, from 50 on Free to 1,000 on Scale, so heavier AI use pushes you up a tier
  • Every published price assumes annual billing; monthly billing forfeits the advertised 20% saving
  • Free and Analyst plans sync daily and hourly respectively, so neither suits anything close to real-time monitoring
  • It is a dashboarding layer, not a warehouse: there is no transformation or modelling step for messy source data

SAP BusinessObjects

  • SAP BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition is listed on UK G-Cloud 14 as a Cloud software service by SAP (UK) Limited titled 'SAP Business Objects Private Cloud Edition', alongside a reseller listing from NTT DATA Business Solutions; the G-Cloud search results describe it as subscription-based but show no per-user or per-month figure in the listing summary

Pricing, plan by plan

Databox

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 data sources
    • 1 user
    • 50 AI credits per month
  • Analyst$71/month
    • 5 data sources
    • 1 user
    • 150 AI credits per month
  • Team - Core$199/month
    • 10 data sources
    • 3 users
    • 500 AI credits per month
  • Team - Scale$319/month
    • 30 data sources
    • 10 users
    • 1,000 AI credits per month

SAP BusinessObjects

$400/month
  • Standard$400/month
    • Core BI Tools
    • Web Intelligence
    • Crystal Reports
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full Suite
    • Advanced Features
    • Premium Support

Which should you pick?

Choose Databox if

  • You need pre-built dashboards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Tv.
  • You also want dashboard designer.
Databox review

Choose SAP BusinessObjects if

  • You need crystal reports.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want web intelligence.
SAP BusinessObjects review

Questions people ask

Is Databox or SAP BusinessObjects better?
Neither clearly leads. Databox starts at Free and SAP BusinessObjects at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databox or SAP BusinessObjects?
Databox has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Databox and $400/month for SAP BusinessObjects.
Does Databox or SAP BusinessObjects run on more platforms?
Databox runs on Web, Mobile, Tv. SAP BusinessObjects runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use Databox for free?
Yes. Databox has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SAP BusinessObjects starts at $400/month.
What is Databox best used for?
Databox is most often used for watching marketing, sales and finance kpis from separate saas tools on one shared dashboard, agencies reporting campaign performance to many clients without rebuilding a report per account, putting a live kpi board on an office tv or a recurring email to a leadership team, replacing a manually maintained spreadsheet that someone updates from tool exports each week. Of those, watching marketing, sales and finance kpis from separate saas tools on one shared dashboard and agencies reporting campaign performance to many clients without rebuilding a report per account are not what SAP BusinessObjects is typically brought in for.
What can Databox do that SAP BusinessObjects cannot?
Databox covers Pre-built dashboards, Dashboard designer, Metric library, Goal tracking. SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports, Web Intelligence, Lumira, Analysis for Office.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Databox: How much does Databox cost?

Databox has a free forever plan with 3 data sources and 1 user. Paid plans are Analyst at $71 per month, Team Core at $199 per month and Team Scale at $319 per month, with an Agency plan from $79 per month plus $20 client packs and a Custom tier on request. All prices are billed annually; monthly billing forfeits the 20% annual saving.

Source
Databox: Does Databox have a free plan or a free trial?

Both. The Free plan is free forever and covers 3 data sources, 1 user, 50 AI credits a month and daily syncing. Paid plans also offer a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Databox: How many users does each Databox plan include?

Free and Analyst are single-user. Team Core includes 3 users and Team Scale includes 10. The Agency and Custom plans include unlimited users.

Source
Databox: How many tools does Databox integrate with?

Databox connects to more than 130 tools, spreadsheets, databases and APIs, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Google and Facebook Ads, Shopify, Stripe, QuickBooks, Google Sheets and custom API sources.

Source
Databox: How often does Databox refresh its data?

The Free plan syncs daily. Analyst, Team Core, Team Scale, Agency and Custom plans all sync hourly.

Source
Databox: Who makes Databox?

Databox, Inc., founded in 2012 by Davorin Gabrovec, who is now President and Chief Product Officer. Pete Caputa became CEO in 2017 after a decade at HubSpot. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with its product and engineering team based in Ptuj, Slovenia.

Source
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