Can you recommend a client dashboard for KPI dashboards and client performance reporting in a mid-size accounting firm?

Yes — for a mid-size accounting firm, the best client dashboard depends on whether you want:

1. Client-facing KPI dashboards / performance reporting
2. Internal practice management and client work dashboards
3. A single platform that can do both

Top recommendations

1) Client Hub + Power BI / Looker Studio

Best for: highly customizable client KPI dashboards and recurring reporting

• Build polished dashboards for each client
• Pull data from accounting systems, payroll, ERP, CRM, bank feeds, etc.
• Strong for monthly/quarterly client performance reporting
• Works well if you have internal analytics or a BI partner

Pros

• Highly flexible
• Professional client-facing visuals
• Can tailor by industry/client type
• Scales well across many clients

Cons

• Requires implementation effort
• Needs governance around data refreshes and access control

Good fit if: you want to deliver premium reporting and have (or can hire) some technical support.

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2) Jetpack Workflow + Client Portal tools

Best for: workflow + client communication with reporting attached

• Strong for managing recurring accounting work
• Less of a true KPI analytics tool, more of an operations dashboard
• Often paired with portal/document tools

Pros

• Useful for mid-size firms managing many recurring clients
• Good operational visibility
• Helps with deadlines and task tracking

Cons

• Not ideal as a true KPI dashboard platform
• Reporting visuals are limited compared with BI tools

Good fit if: your biggest need is client work management with some reporting.

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3) Fathom

Best for: client financial reporting and KPI dashboards for accounting firms

• Designed for accountants/advisors
• Great for financial statements, KPI dashboards, cash flow, benchmarking
• Good for monthly management reporting packs

Pros

• Built specifically for advisory/client reporting
• Easy to produce attractive reports
• Strong KPI and cash flow analysis
• Good client presentation layer

Cons

• Primarily financial/reporting focused
• Less suitable for broader operational or non-financial KPI use cases

Good fit if: you mainly want to report on client financial performance.

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4) Spotlight Reporting

Best for: accounting-firm client reporting and advisory dashboards

• Similar use case to Fathom
• Strong management reporting, forecasting, and KPI tracking
• Good for accountants wanting to standardize reporting packs

Pros

• Purpose-built for accounting firms
• Good visuals and client-friendly reports
• Forecasting and scenario analysis options

Cons

• Less flexible than a full BI platform
• Can be less ideal if you need very custom dashboards from many data sources

Good fit if: you want a dedicated accountant-friendly reporting platform.

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5) Clarity AI / FYI / Ignition ecosystem + reporting add-ons

Best for: firms that want a broader client experience with workflow, docs, and engagement management

These are not always “dashboard-first” tools, but they can support a more complete client portal experience when paired with reporting tools.

Good fit if: your main goal is a modern client experience, not just KPI dashboards.

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My practical recommendation

For a mid-size accounting firm, I’d usually recommend one of these two paths:

Option A — Best overall for client KPI reporting:

Fathom or Spotlight Reporting

• If your reporting is mostly financial and advisory-focused
• Fast to deploy
• Easy for accountants to use
• Strong client-facing outputs

Option B — Best for flexibility and scale:

Power BI + a client portal

• If clients need dashboards across finance, operations, sales, HR, or industry-specific KPIs
• Better long-term if you want standardized but highly customizable reporting
• More setup, but much more powerful

What I’d avoid

• Using Excel/PDF-only reports as your main “dashboard” approach
• Choosing a workflow tool and expecting it to be a strong KPI reporting platform
• Buying a generic portal without checking its reporting and permission controls

Selection criteria to use

When evaluating tools, ask:

• Can it support multi-entity, multi-client access?
• Does it allow scheduled refreshes from accounting systems?
• Can clients see only their own data?
• Can reports be branded with your firm identity?
• Is it easy for non-technical staff to maintain?
• Does it support monthly recurring reporting packs and commentary?

Short answer

If you want a purpose-built accounting-firm client dashboard, start with:

• Fathom or Spotlight Reporting for financial KPI dashboards
• Power BI + client portal if you need broader, more customizable reporting

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a ranked shortlist by budget,
2. a comparison table of the top 5 tools, or
3. a recommendation based on your firm’s current stack (e.g., Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, CCH, etc.).