Shaper

Shaper is an open-source, self-hosted web application designed for the creation of data dashboards, reports, and customer-facing analytics. It employs a SQL-first approach powered by DuckDB, which enables users to define data visualizations and labels directly within SQL queries. By treating SQL as the primary configuration language, the software allows for precise control over how data is aggregated and presented in a visual format.

The application is deployed as a server and is commonly initialized using Docker for rapid setup. It is intended for use cases where raw data must be transformed into structured reports for internal monitoring or external client delivery. Users can manage their analytics through a browser-based interface, leveraging the underlying engine to process datasets and render them as charts or tables.

Key features

• SQL-based definition of charts and labels
• Git-based workflow for dashboard management
• Row-level security implemented via JWT tokens
• White-labeling and custom styling options
• Embedding capabilities via JS and React SDKs
• Automated report generation in PDF, PNG, CSV, and Excel formats
• Scheduled alerts and reporting
• Password-protected shareable links

Shaper is built for technical users who prefer writing code over using drag-and-drop interfaces. It supports querying across various data sources and provides a mechanism for embedding analytics into other applications without the use of IFrames, utilizing dedicated SDKs instead. The system is designed to integrate into existing development pipelines, allowing teams to treat their dashboard definitions as code. This architecture ensures that changes to reports can be tracked, reviewed, and deployed using standard software engineering practices.

The software is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 and is suited for developers and data analysts who require a version-controlled environment for business intelligence. It provides a flexible framework for those who need to maintain full control over their data infrastructure while delivering professional analytics to end users.