Overview:
Evidence is an open-source, code-based business intelligence tool that generates a website from markdown files. It serves as an alternative to drag-and-drop BI tools, allowing users to run SQL queries inside markdown files, render charts and components from query results, and build templated pages. It targets developers, data analysts, and teams that prefer code-based workflows for creating data reports and dashboards.
Core Features:
SQL-driven markdown: SQL statements embedded in markdown files run queries against data sources to produce dynamic content.
Chart and component rendering: Query results are used to render charts and visual components directly on the generated site.
Templated pages: A single markdown template can generate multiple pages, enabling scalable report creation.
Loops and conditional logic: Loops and If/Else statements control what content is displayed to users.
Use Cases:
Developers building data reports: Teams can create interactive, code-based reports using SQL and markdown without a drag-and-drop interface.
Self-hosting BI dashboards: Organizations can deploy generated sites on Netlify, Vercel, or their own infrastructure for internal data access.
Templated data products: Users can generate many similar pages (e.g., per-customer reports) from one markdown template.
Why It Matters:
Evidence offers a code-based alternative to traditional drag-and-drop BI tools, enabling developers and analysts to use familiar SQL and markdown skills. Its support for templated pages, loops, and conditional logic allows efficient creation of multi-page reports. Self-hosting options (Netlify, Vercel, own infra) provide flexibility in deployment without vendor lock-in.
