A dashboard app is software that turns data from your database or spreadsheets into live charts and KPI tiles on one screen, so you can monitor the health of your business at a glance. Dashboard App from Dashboard Builder gives you three ways to use it: install the Windows app from the Microsoft Store, run the self-hosted version on your own PHP server, or build online in the cloud edition. Every edition includes the AI Dashboard Generator, and you build with drag-and-drop, with no coding required.
Choose your Dashboard App
Windows app
Install from the Microsoft Store and build dashboards on your own PC. No web server needed, and it works offline. Free trial, or Pro with a one-time payment.
Self-hosted (PHP)
Run it on your own Apache or Nginx server with PHP 7.4 or later. Your data stays on your server, and Professional and Enterprise include the source code.
Cloud
Build, share and embed dashboards in your browser, on any computer including a Mac. Nothing to install. Start with a free trial.
What Is a Dashboard App and How Does It Work?
A dashboard app connects to one or more live data sources (typically a database, spreadsheet, or API) and transforms that raw data into charts, KPI tiles, and visual summaries, all displayed on a single, centralized screen. Instead of manually pulling numbers from separate reports, a dashboard app runs a query in the background, maps the result to a chart, and refreshes the view so you’re always looking at current data.
Dashboard App from Dashboard Builder works this way under the hood: it’s a PHP-based app built on Apache + PHP + MySQL (or PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQLite, and more) with a free charting engine. You connect your database once through a drag-and-drop interface, and the app generates the PHP/HTML5 code that renders your live charts, so the dashboard updates automatically as your underlying data changes, and you can check your business health from your phone, tablet, or PC.
Prefer a Windows program? Dashboard App for Windows installs from the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 and 11, includes everything it needs (no web server, no PHP to install), and works offline with your local files and databases.
How to Build a Dashboard App (Step-by-Step)
Building a dashboard app with Dashboard Builder comes down to five steps: connect your database, configure your chart, write or generate your SQL, adjust the layout, and generate the PHP source code for your web application.
Connect with your database. Access the web folder in your browser (e.g. http://localhost/dashboardbuilder). On the welcome screen, click the Database icon, select your database type from the Data Sources tab, for example SQLite with a database path like ../data/Northwind.db, and save the connection. A green checkmark confirms it connected successfully.
Configure your chart settings. Click the gear icon for chart settings, and Dashboard Builder will list every table available in your connected database so you can choose what to visualize.
Write or generate your SQL statement. Enter a query directly, or let the built-in SQL generator build one for you. For example, a simple sales-tracking query might look like:
SELECT strftime('%Y-%m', o.orderdate) AS xaxis, SUM(d.quantity) AS yaxisFROM `order details` dJOIN orders o ON o.orderid = d.orderidGROUP BY strftime('%Y-%m', o.orderdate)LIMIT 50
Run the query, then assign the returned columns to your X-axis and Y-axis dropdowns and save.
Adjust the position and size. Drag the corners of the chart panel to resize and reposition it. Layout is fully responsive, built on the Bootstrap framework, so your dashboard adapts to any screen automatically.
Generate your PHP source code. Click Generate, and Dashboard Builder outputs ready-to-use PHP source code for the chart you just built. Copy and paste it directly into your own application.
Ready to build your own dashboard? Download Dashboard App for free or get the Windows app to get started today.
Build Your Dashboard with AI
Every edition of Dashboard App includes AI, so you can skip the setup and start from your data:
Want to see it first? Try the free AI Dashboard Generator in your browser, no sign-up needed.
Supported Visualizations & Data Sources
Dashboard App supports 20+ chart types, including line, scatter, bar, pie, donut, bubble, stacked, area, heatmap, Sankey diagram, and choropleth map, plus KPI cards. Click any chart to drill down or drill through to the detail behind the number. You can preview a live example in the Dynamic Dashboard App Example.
For data, the app connects to MySQL, MS SQL, SQLite, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Sybase, and Cubrid for static or real-time database-driven dashboards, with no programming required, and can also import directly from MS Excel, CSV and PDF files.
Requirements & Installation
The self-hosted Dashboard App can be installed on Windows, Linux, Mac, or any other platform that supports Apache. For the Windows app, see the Windows requirements.
Server Requirements
- PHP 7.4 or later
- Apache 2 or later
- Windows 7 or later / Linux 3 or later
Supported Browsers
- Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari
- Works on desktop, tablet and mobile browsers
Installation
- Open a terminal in the folder on your web server where Dashboard Builder should live, e.g.
…/www/yoursite/dashboardbuilder/. - Run
composer create-project --no-dev dashboardbuilder/dashboardbuilder.net .(full details on the download page). - Open the folder in your browser, e.g.
http://localhost/dashboardbuilder.
Before connecting your database, make sure your web server (Apache, Nginx, etc.) is configured to serve the folder containing Dashboard Builder, and that the web server user can write to the data/ and store/ folders (typically 755 for the folders and 644 for the files inside them). No other folder needs write access. Check your browser console to confirm all files load without errors.
Advantages of Using a Dashboard App
1. No Coding Required
AI, a drag-and-drop interface and auto-generated SQL and PHP mean you can build a working dashboard without writing code.
2. Own Your Data
Self-hosted on your server or installed on your Windows PC, your data stays with you, with no third-party cloud service required.
3. Embed Anywhere
Generate a WordPress plugin, Joomla module, Laravel package or PHP/HTML5 code and add your dashboard to the site or app you already run.
Auto-Generated PHP Source Code
Once your chart is built, Dashboard App generates ready-to-use PHP source code you can drop straight into any PHP application, website, or framework. The generated chart code is yours to use in your own application.
$data = new dashboardbuilder();$data->type = "line";$data->source = "Database";$data->rdbms = "sqlite";$data->dbname = "data\Northwind.db";$data->xaxisCol[0] = "xaxis";$data->yaxisCol[0] = "yaxis";$data->title = "Line Chart";$result[0] = $data->result();
The full Dashboard Builder source code comes with the Professional and Enterprise licenses. See the code license page for details, and follow the project and releases on GitHub.
