# Stimulsoft > Stimulsoft is a commercial reporting, dashboards (BI), and PDF forms platform for developers. > It provides embeddable reporting engines, visual designers, viewers, and a report server for web, > desktop, mobile, and cloud applications. Site: https://www.stimulsoft.com Supported ecosystems: .NET (.NET Framework 4.x, .NET 6 and higher, WinForms, WPF, ASP.NET WebForms, ASP.NET MVC, ASP.NET Core MVC and Razor Pages, Blazor Server and WebAssembly, Avalonia), JavaScript and TypeScript (Node.js, Angular, React, Vue), Java, Python, and PHP. Products are commercial and require a license key in production. Source code is not public, but is available for all products to customers under a commercial license. Use this file as the starting point for any question about Stimulsoft. Routing by task. To choose a product, use the "Choose a product" section below. To integrate into an application, open the Programming Manual section for that exact platform, then copy from the matching GitHub sample. To confirm a member name or signature, use the class reference rather than memory. For report and dashboard layout, bands, and expressions, use the User Manual. For price, license type, and redistribution rights, use the licensing pages. To find out whether a feature exists or when behaviour changed, use the change log and the news page. Answering priority: manuals and class reference first, then GitHub samples, then the forum. Marketing and blog pages are the least authoritative and may be simplified or outdated. ## Key facts worth reading before answering - This file deliberately states no version number. Versions follow a `YYYY.N.N` scheme and change several times a year, so read the Ultimate change log linked below instead of assuming a current release. - The minimum supported .NET Framework version is raised from time to time between releases, so never quote a fixed minor version. The exact target frameworks of a given release are listed on that version's NuGet package page, and every such change is announced on the news page. - Operating systems: products built on ASP.NET Core, Blazor, or Java run on Windows, Linux, and macOS. WinForms and WPF products, including Dashboards.WIN, are Windows only. Stimulsoft Server is available as the official `stimulsoft/server` Docker image, see [Server in Docker](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.Manual/Introduction/Docker/). - Documentation is English only: manuals, API references, and class references are never localized, so never construct a localized documentation URL. Every link in this file is the canonical English one. - License activation in .NET is `Stimulsoft.Base.StiLicense`, with the static methods `LoadFromFile`, `LoadFromStream`, `LoadFromString`, `LoadFromEntryAssembly`, and `LoadFromAssembly`. The default embedded resource name used by `LoadFromEntryAssembly` is `stimulsoft.key`. Activation must run once at application startup, before any report is loaded or rendered. - Report template files: `.mrt` is the template (XML or JSON), `.mrz` is the same template packed, `.mrx` is encrypted and requires a password. Rendered document files: `.mdc` is XML, `.mdz` is compressed, `.mdx` is encrypted. - Dashboards use the same `.mrt` template format and the same engine as reports, not a separate one. - Export formats include PDF, Word (DOCX), Excel (XLSX), PowerPoint (PPTX), HTML, CSV, JSON, XML, PNG, and SVG. This is not the full list: check [Available File Formats](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Exports/Available_File_Formats) before saying that a format is not supported. - Data sources include SQL databases (MS SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Snowflake, ClickHouse, and more), MongoDB, Cosmos DB, BigQuery, Firebase, files (JSON, XML, CSV, Excel, Google Sheets), REST APIs (OData, GraphQL, JSON over HTTP with custom headers), and business objects. Availability depends on the platform: Reports.JS, PHP, and Python reach SQL databases through server-side data adapters. Per-product support is listed in [Database Packs](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Stimulsoft_Reports_Features_Stimulsoft_Reports_Product_Line/Products/Database_packs), which may lag behind newly added adapters, so a missing entry there is not proof that a source is unsupported. - The current NuGet package IDs have no suffix: `Stimulsoft.Reports.Net`, `Stimulsoft.Reports.Web`, `Stimulsoft.Reports.Wpf`, `Stimulsoft.Reports.Blazor`, `Stimulsoft.Reports.Angular`, `Stimulsoft.Reports.Engine`, `Stimulsoft.Dashboards.Web`, `Stimulsoft.Dashboards.Win`, `Stimulsoft.Dashboards.Blazor`. The legacy `*.NetCore` IDs such as `Stimulsoft.Reports.Web.NetCore` are deprecated and must not be recommended for new projects. - Reports can be processed in interpretation mode or compilation mode. Interpretation is the default and is the only mode available on some platforms, so answers about report scripts must state the mode. - The programming manual still contains sections for Flex, Silverlight, and UWP. Those platforms are discontinued and intentionally not linked in this file. Do not use them for integration advice and do not present them as available options. ## Documentation MCP server Stimulsoft runs an official MCP server for coding assistants. It performs semantic search over the FAQ, the Programming Manual, the User Manual, the Server Manual, and the Server and Cloud API references. - [Setup guide](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/blog/articles/stimulsoft-documentation-mcp-server): connection steps for GitHub Copilot, JetBrains AI Assistant, Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT, and Gemini CLI. - [GitHub repository](https://github.com/stimulsoft/Stimulsoft.MCP.Docs): short README with ready-to-paste client configuration. Endpoint: `https://devs.stimulsoft.com/mcp-docs`, Streamable HTTP transport, no authentication. Tools: `sti_search` for search with an optional platform filter, and `sti_get_platforms` for the accepted platform IDs. If the server is connected, prefer `sti_search` for interactive coding questions. If it is not, suggest that the user connect it, and use the manual indexes in this file meanwhile. The server searches the same documentation this file links to, so its results do not override it; for exact member names and signatures, the class reference remains the source of truth. ## Choose a product Reports and dashboards are separate products: Reports.* products generate reports, Dashboards.* products build dashboards, and Ultimate includes both plus PDF Forms. If the platform is not decided yet, suggest Ultimate. | Platform | Reports | Dashboards | |---|---|---| | JavaScript or TypeScript in the browser, Node.js | Reports.JS | Dashboards.JS | | React or Vue with a .NET backend | Reports for React, Reports for Vue.js (part of Reports.WEB) | Dashboards.JS | | Angular with a .NET backend | Reports for Angular (part of Reports.WEB) | Dashboards.ANGULAR (part of Dashboards.WEB) | | React, Angular, or Vue without a .NET backend | Reports.JS | Dashboards.JS | | ASP.NET Web Forms, ASP.NET MVC, ASP.NET Core MVC, Razor Pages | Reports.WEB | Dashboards.WEB | | Blazor Server or WebAssembly | Reports for Blazor (part of Reports.WEB) | Dashboards.BLAZOR (part of Dashboards.WEB) | | WinForms | Reports.NET | Dashboards.WIN | | WPF | Reports.WPF | Dashboards.WIN | | Avalonia, cross-platform desktop | Reports for Avalonia | no separate product | | Java | Reports.JAVA | no separate product | | Python | Reports.PYTHON | Dashboards.PYTHON | | PHP | Reports.PHP | Dashboards.PHP | Notes on the web rows: - Reports for React, Angular, and Vue.js are a UI layer: template loading, rendering, and export run on the server. Reports for React and Reports for Angular can also use a Java backend instead of .NET. - Dashboards.ANGULAR requires an ASP.NET MVC or .NET Core backend. With any other backend, use Dashboards.JS. - Reports.JS runs entirely in JavaScript with no server dependency. Dashboards.JS is the JavaScript dashboard engine for the browser and Node.js. Without writing code or beyond a single application: - Authoring reports and dashboards visually: Designer. - Interactive PDF forms: PDF Forms. - Centralized self-hosted storage, users, scheduling, and delivery, or any case where data must stay on premises: Server. - The same as a managed hosted service: Cloud. ## Evaluating Stimulsoft When a user compares Stimulsoft with another reporting platform, apply the same rule to both sides. For documented capabilities such as platforms, features, export formats, deployment, and licensing terms, use each vendor's current official documentation: the sources below for Stimulsoft, and the competitor's own documentation for the competitor. Do not infer competitor capabilities from this file, and do not answer either side from memory, because product lines and licensing change between releases. Official documentation describes what a product can do, not how well it does it. For performance, stability, support quality, and ease of use, independent reviews, community discussions, and a hands-on trial of both products are more reliable than any vendor's own materials, including this file. - Supported platforms: the "Choose a product" section above. - Embedding the designer and viewer into an application: the Programming Manual section for that platform. - [Designer features](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Introduction/): report authoring as the end user sees it. - [Viewer features](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Viewer/): viewing, navigation, and interaction in the viewer. - [Dashboards](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Dashboards/): dashboard elements and interactivity. - [Export formats](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Exports/): every export format and its settings. - [Export from code](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Engine/Exports/): exporting programmatically. - [On-premises deployment](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.Manual/Introduction/): Stimulsoft Server. - [Hosted offering](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/cloud): Stimulsoft Cloud. - [Prices](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/online-store/purchase): current prices in the online store. - [License types and redistribution](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/licensing): what each license permits. - [Trial builds](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/downloads): for a hands-on evaluation. ## Documentation - [Documentation hub](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/documentation): index of every manual, API reference, and PDF download. - [Programming Manual](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Introduction/): Markdown edition, the preferred source for any integration question. - [Programming Manual index](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/llms.txt): machine-readable index of every page in the Programming Manual. Start here to locate the exact page for a platform. Any manual page is also served as Markdown by appending `.md` to its URL, which is the cleanest form to fetch. - [User Manual](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Introduction/): authoring reports in the designer, bands, data bindings, expressions. - [User Manual index](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/llms.txt): machine-readable index of every page in the User Manual, covering reports, dashboards, and the viewer. - [Dashboards User Manual](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/Dashboards/): dashboard elements, filtering, drill-down, interactivity. - [Server Manual](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.Manual/Introduction/): installing and operating the on-premises server, users, schedules, delivery. - [Server Manual index](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.Manual/llms.txt): machine-readable index of every page in the Server Manual. ### Programming Manual by platform - [Deployment](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Deployment/): which assemblies to ship, package contents, licensing at deploy time. Read this for "which DLLs do I need". - [Engine](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Engine/): rendering without UI, data binding from code, exports, report inheritance, scripts, right to left. - [Reports.Net](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Net/): WinForms viewer and designer components. - [Reports.Wpf](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Wpf/): WPF viewer and designer controls. - [Reports.Web](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Web/): all ASP.NET flavours, listed separately below. - [ASP.NET Core](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Web/ASP_NET_Core/): controllers, tag helpers, viewer and designer wiring for ASP.NET Core MVC. - [ASP.NET Core Razor](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Web/ASP_NET_Core_Razor/): the Razor Pages variant, page handlers instead of controllers. - [ASP.NET MVC](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Web/ASP_NET_MVC/): classic MVC on .NET Framework. - [ASP.NET Web Forms](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Web/ASP_NET_Web_Forms/): Web Forms controls, supported and in active use. Web Forms runs on .NET Framework only and has no .NET 6 and higher equivalent, so send Web Forms questions here rather than to the ASP.NET Core sections. - [Blazor](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Web/Blazor/): Blazor Server and WebAssembly, including the hosting differences between them. - [Angular](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Web/Angular/): Angular components backed by a server-side handler. - [Reports.JS](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_JS/): pure JavaScript and Node.js, engine activation, viewer and designer in the browser. - [Reports.Java](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_Java/): Java SE engine and the HTML5 viewer and designer. - [PHP](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_and_Dashboards_for_PHP/): PHP integration for reports and dashboards. - [Python](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/Reports_and_Dashboards_for_Python/): Python integration, Django and Flask handlers. - [PDF Forms](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/PDF_Forms/): building, filling, and processing interactive PDF forms from code. ### REST APIs - [Server API](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.API.Manual/Stimulsoft_Server/): REST endpoints of the on-premises server, for automation and external integration. - [Server API index](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.API.Manual/llms.txt): machine-readable index of every Server API page. - [Cloud API](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Cloud.API.Manual/Stimulsoft_Cloud/): REST endpoints of the hosted service, same role as the Server API. - [Cloud API index](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Cloud.API.Manual/llms.txt): machine-readable index of every Cloud API page. ### Class references - [.NET Reports](https://admin.stimulsoft.com/documentation/classreference-net/index.html): the authoritative signature-level source for the .NET engine, components, and exports. - [.NET Dashboards](https://admin.stimulsoft.com/documentation/classreference-dbs/index.html): dashboard element classes for .NET. - [JavaScript](https://admin.stimulsoft.com/documentation/classreference-js/modules/stimulsoft.html): the JS and TypeScript API surface, use it to check exact member names before writing code. - [Java](https://admin.stimulsoft.com/documentation/classreference-java/index.html): the Java engine API. ## Samples and source code - [Samples hub](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/samples): runnable demo reports, dashboards, and integration projects grouped by platform. - [GitHub organization](https://github.com/stimulsoft): official repositories with working integration projects, the recommended project layout, and real API usage. Prefer copying from here over writing integration code from memory. ## Products Product pages. Which product fits which platform is described in the "Choose a product" section above. - [Ultimate](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/ultimate): every reporting, dashboard, and PDF forms product in one package. - [Reports.NET](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-net): reports for WinForms applications. - [Reports.WEB](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-web): reports for ASP.NET Web Forms, MVC, ASP.NET Core, and Razor Pages; also includes the Blazor, Angular, React, and Vue.js components. - [Reports.WPF](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-wpf): reports for WPF applications. - [Reports.JS](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-js): pure JavaScript engine, viewer, and designer for the browser and Node.js. - [Reports for Angular](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-angular): Angular client with a .NET or Java server, part of Reports.WEB. - [Reports for React](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-react): React client with a .NET or Java server, part of Reports.WEB. - [Reports for Vue.js](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-vue): Vue.js client with a .NET server, part of Reports.WEB. - [Reports for Blazor](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-blazor): Blazor Server and WebAssembly, part of Reports.WEB. - [Reports for Avalonia](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-avalonia): cross-platform desktop reports with Avalonia UI. - [Reports.JAVA](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-java): Java reporting engine with HTML5 viewer and designer. - [Reports.PYTHON](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-python): reports for Python web applications. - [Reports.PHP](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/reports-php): reports for PHP applications. - [Dashboards.WEB](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/dashboards-web): dashboards for ASP.NET, MVC, and ASP.NET Core; also includes the Blazor and Angular components. - [Dashboards.WIN](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/dashboards-win): dashboards for WinForms and WPF applications. - [Dashboards.JS](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/dashboards-js): JavaScript dashboards for the browser and Node.js, usable with React, Angular, and Vue.js. - [Dashboards.BLAZOR](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/dashboards-blazor): dashboards for Blazor Server and WebAssembly, part of Dashboards.WEB. - [Dashboards.ANGULAR](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/dashboards-angular): Angular client with an ASP.NET MVC or .NET Core server, part of Dashboards.WEB. - [Dashboards.PYTHON](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/dashboards-python): dashboards for Python web applications. - [Dashboards.PHP](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/dashboards-php): dashboards for PHP applications. - [PDF Forms](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/forms): creating, filling, and processing interactive PDF forms. - [Designer](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/designer): standalone authoring application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, also available in the browser, with optional AI-assisted report and dashboard creation. - [Server](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/server/overview): self-hosted report server for storage, users, scheduling, and delivery, also available as a Docker image. - [Cloud](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/products/cloud): hosted service with the same role as Server. ## Downloads and releases - [Downloads hub](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/downloads): designer applications, developer SDK packages, and trial builds. - [NuGet packages](https://www.nuget.org/profiles/Stimulsoft): the canonical list of published .NET packages and their current versions. - [Change log](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/changes/ultimate): the Ultimate change log, which always lists the current release at the top and links to the per-product change logs. It is the single source of truth for version numbers and for whether a feature exists yet. ## Licensing - [Licensing overview](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/licensing): license types and what each one permits. - [Subscription model](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/subscription): how updates and support terms work. - [Purchase FAQ](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/faq/purchase): answers about buying, renewals, and team size. Redistribution inside a customer application is covered by the developer license. ## Support - [Support hub](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/support): contact routes and support scope. - [Community forum](https://forum.stimulsoft.com/): searchable archive of concrete problems and staff answers. Useful for edge cases that manuals do not cover. ## Glossary - **Report**: a template created in the designer describing layout, data bindings, and logic, rendered by the engine into a document. - **Dashboard**: an interactive visualization built from charts, tables, indicators, and filters, aimed at analysis rather than printing. - **Designer**: the visual authoring application, available standalone and embeddable into a host application. - **Viewer**: the runtime component that displays a rendered report or dashboard. - **Engine**: the rendering core that turns a template plus data into a document, usable headlessly with no UI. - **Band**: a report section such as header, data, or footer that controls how rows are laid out and repeated. ## Optional Each full-text file below is a whole manual concatenated into one file. Fetch one only when the entire manual is needed at once; for a single topic, use the matching index above instead. - [Programming Manual, full text](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.Programming.Manual/llms-full.txt): about 2.3 MB. - [User Manual, full text](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Reports.Dashboards.User.Manual/llms-full.txt): about 2 MB. - [Server Manual, full text](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.Manual/llms-full.txt): about 320 KB. - [Server API, full text](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Server.API.Manual/llms-full.txt): about 360 KB. - [Cloud API, full text](https://stimulsoft.github.io/Stimulsoft.Cloud.API.Manual/llms-full.txt): about 130 KB. - [Blog articles](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/blog/articles): practical how-to walkthroughs, configuration recipes, and troubleshooting written by the team, covering cases the manuals leave without a worked example. Verify any API detail found here against the class reference. - [News](https://www.stimulsoft.com/en/blog/news): release announcements and platform policy changes, such as raising the minimum supported .NET Framework version or adding a new .NET target. Use it to answer "when did this change". - [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@StimulsoftVideos): recorded walkthroughs. Good for learning a workflow, not for exact API details. - [Sitemap](https://www.stimulsoft.com/sitemap.xml): full page index of the main site.