Windward Core Reviews

Name: Windward Core
Brand: Windward Studios
Rating: 4.4 (36 reviews)

Vendor: Windward Studios

4.4 out of 5

36 reviews
100% willing to recommend

3,694 followers

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What is Windward Core?

What is Windward Studios?

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Windward Core is the #1 ranked solution in top Document Generation Tools and #25 ranked solution in top Reporting Tools. PeerSpot users give Windward Core an average rating of 8.8 out of 10. Windward Core is most commonly compared to Microsoft Power BI: Windward Core vs Microsoft Power BI. Windward Core is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 55% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 18% of all views.

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Featured Windward Core reviews

Hit Mistry

Vice President at PSC Group, LLC

Their PDF needs improvement. We've run into some issues when we tried to generate a Word document. If we try to generate the same document in PDF, sometimes it doesn't look exactly the same. We have gone back to Windward support a couple of times on a few issues, e.g., we had some issues with reports that had barcodes on them. The barcode wasn't displaying properly. It was displaying as a skewed image as opposed to an actual barcode. Therefore, we worked with Windward support, having some daily calls with them. Then, within the next release, they were able to resolve the issue. They even gave us a pre-release, so we could implement it into our code before the actual official release on the website. It would be nice to have some sort of workflow capability within the product. Anytime you generate a document, nine out of ten times there is something which precedes that document, whether it's entering parameters in, e.g., if I'm requesting the status report for a project. The first thing that I usually want from a status perspective is which project is the status report for and which week is it for, as those are some of the things that I have to supply before I can generate a document. From a workflow perspective, it would be nice to say, "This project belongs to this person, and this person is okay with me pulling information out of this document for whatever need I have." From a workflow perspective, I would like a wizard interface that goes step-by-step, like a questionnaire, where there are a bunch of things that you have to answer, "Yes or no," before it knows what to do or how to produce the document. Right now, we write our own custom UI for this.

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Mike Horrocks

Vice President of Product Management at Baker Hill Corporation

Any time that we have wanted something, Windward has been right there to build it. I would have a hard time saying what they need to improve on. What I would say is that the industry is going to be looking for continued flexibility in terms of filtering, nesting, and building more complex, almost business-intelligence-type rules and reports. What we're going to need to see is that narrowing of the gap between the analytics and management in terms of what they're going to want to see and view. The more sophisticated customer is going to want some of that information shared back with them. That's going to be an area where there'll be some potential improvement. But the Windward team is constantly monitoring that. They've got this under control. We feel we're in really good shape with them. One of the things we've continued to hear is that our users talk specifically about AutoTag and more concepts around filtering, nesting, and sorting; more flexibility around that. Windward is pushing that envelope and they're doing a great job with it. So we're happy with it.

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Solutionef0b

Solutions Architect at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees

One thing that frustrated us a little bit is that we have to use the Office PDF generation, because the native PDF generation is always slightly different compared to the one in Office. The formatting is just a little bit off here and there. Sometimes a page-break will not appear. There are always some little differences between the native PDF and the Office PDF. This means that we need to have Office installed on the server to be able to generate these documents via API. That's been a bit of a frustrating limitation for us. They do continue to improve that, but because we want to maintain documents exactly as we see them in Word, we have to use the Office PDF generation, instead of the native PDF generation. And that takes a little bit longer to generate as well, whereas if it was the native generation, it would take less than half-a-second. The Office PDF generation takes a bit longer, it can take up to two to three seconds to generate a single document. So there is a bit of a performance hit there. This is the one negative aspect that we fought through. It didn't stop us from using the solution. But it is something that we hope, over time, will improve. If they could get the native PDF generation to be one-to-one with the Office generation, that would make it an exceptionally good product for us.

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Windward Core mindshare

Product category:

As of May 2025, the mindshare of Windward Core in the Document Generation Tools category stands at 31.5%, down from 34.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Document Generation Tools

PeerResearch reports based on Windward Core reviews

Type	Title	Date
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	May 13, 2025	Download
Comparison	Windward Core vs Docmosis	May 13, 2025	Download

Valuable Features

Windward Core's most valuable features include integration with Microsoft Word and Excel, allowing users to design complex reports with familiar tools. Users benefit from design and layout control without extensive technical knowledge. It supports XML and SQL data incorporation, offers seamless template creation with AutoTag, and easily integrates into existing solutions. Its user-friendly interface and low learning curve enable quick adoption, while Portable Object Doclets enhance modularity and efficiency. Flexibility and powerful functionality make it highly effective.

"The ultimate feature is the product it produces. The ROI around that saves hours and hours. It's probably about a hundred days per year. The time savings and the ability to turn it around quickly pleases our customers."
"The solution is very flexible, so you can create anything you want. Think of the possibilities you have in Excel or in Word, because these are the two document generators that are used the most. I only use Word, but I can use nearly every feature in Word, including making charts and tables, and produce those features in Windward, parametrically."
"Thanks to Windward, our documents need very few tweaks and are usually "customer-ready" right out of the box."

Room for Improvement

Several aspects of Windward Core require enhancement, including its XML path limitations, need for improved error handling, PDF formatting alignment with Office, and faster document generation. Users desire more flexible reporting, web-based AutoTag, enhanced APIs, and better support for macOS. Improved features for page numbering in Word to PDF output, workflow capabilities, and reduced costs are suggested as improvements. Users also mention a need for more comprehensive help documentation and user-friendly SQL integration.

"The error reports also need improvement. If you don't key it in right, it's a little hard to find the root cause. It gives you information as much as it can, but it doesn't really hone in and tell you explicitly what you should do to correct the problem."
"I'm still working in Office 2016, and we have had some issues, but Windward is very quick to react when there is a problem. We are also going to switch over to Office 365 and that will solve a few of the problems."
"I have to deal with VERY long lists of properties contained in our XMLs and it would be nice if Windward offered a way to alphabetize this property list."

ROI

Investors found Windward Core difficult to measure, but it significantly streamlined document design, enhanced IT efficiency, and reduced template design costs. Users experienced increased efficiency, with some reporting up to 70 percent improvement. Many saw a swift recovery of costs within a year through automation compared to manual processes. Enhanced documentation consistency was appreciated, providing key benefits in regulatory compliance, and critical sales documents were optimized, resulting in a more valuable use of administrative time.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers find Windward Core's pricing to be fair and flexible, offering both perpetual and as-needed licenses. While regarded as high, costs are justified by robust functionality and support, particularly for high-volume document generation. Maintenance costs are noted but generally align with industry standards. Some concern exists over volume-based pricing, especially in small regions with scaling challenges. Licensing flexibility, including server retention, is valued, though testing environment costs might require reconsideration.

"Pricing is a bit higher than normal desktop applications, but it's well worth it. The ROI is simple to understand and the monthly payment for an annual license is affordable and worth it."
"Windward is very expensive when the volume of documents being generated is low and it is cheap when the volume is high."
"The cost is reasonable."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use Windward Core for generating a variety of reports and documents, using data from diverse sources such as SQL Server, MySQL, XML, and JSON. Applications include creating lengthy reports, payroll documents, legal agreements, insurance quotes, client invoices, and validation documentation. Users appreciate its flexibility, allowing custom templates and integration with multiple data systems without limitations on content sources or document size. It efficiently supports various document needs in industries like finance, healthcare, tax administration, and law.

Service and Support

Windward Core's customer service and support are often praised for responsiveness, professionalism, and troubleshooting ability. Many users report quick responses, often within hours, and commend the assistance provided. Some users note a need for more tailored troubleshooting within their environments. Although most feedback highlights excellence, there are occasional requests for 24/7 availability. Regardless, many attest to the helpful and proactive nature of the support team, with fast resolutions and commendable professionalism.

Deployment

Users largely found Windward Core's initial setup to be straightforward. Many highlighted ease of use, with only a few lines required for setup, although some encountered challenges with workstation deployment and license issues. AutoTag integration demanded familiarity, and some teams faced complexity due to unique applications or inadequate documentation. Server components were often simple to implement, requiring minimal maintenance, but template migration occasionally posed difficulties due to inconsistent source formats.

Scalability

Windward Core demonstrates strong scalability, with users frequently encountering no major issues. Many successfully manage a high volume of documents daily. Some mention limitations tied to external factors like infrastructure and business models. The ability to scale across different environments, such as AWS, is noted positively. Licensing allows flexibility for growth, and user experiences indicate efficient scalability, seamlessly accommodating varying user bases from small teams to expansive operations.

Stability

Users report that Windward Core is very stable. They encountered occasional bugs related to licensing or configuration changes but found workarounds or received quick support. Challenges mostly arose during upgrades or learning stages, not affecting stability long-term. Stability issues were rarely reported and often linked to external factors like software updates or system configurations. Clients with high usage volumes also noted reliable performance, even under significant load.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Windward Core Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

13%

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Healthcare Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Legal Firm

Retailer

University

Construction Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Hospitality Company

Insurance Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Logistics Company

Mining And Metals Company

Performing Arts

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Learn more about Windward Core

For over a decade, Windward has been a leader in the software development industry by creating the most innovative and advanced document automation and reporting software on the planet.

Data-Driven Document Automation

Generate stunning documents that incorporate relevant data easily and seamlessly.

Visually Striking Designs

Our software provides innovative tools and features to build beautiful designs and stunning layouts, all within the familiar Microsoft Office Suite. Your imagination is the only limitation.

Agile Document Logic

We offer the best document automation software for the new millennium. With our conditional logic functionality, you can swiftly personalize the document content to gratify your end users.

Huge Time Saver

Looking for faster template creation that enables you to keep pace with your business? With our software, template creation takes minutes and you do not need any programming experience to get it done.

Exceptionally Intuitive Interface

Our program's design offers documents that can be edited, customized and designed using MS Office. Enjoy a stress-free document automation experience in programs you already know.

Efficient Savings

Significantly reduce the resources and time required for template development by using our streamlined template design and document automation tools.

Windward Core was previously known as Windward, Windward Studios.

Windward Core customers

HAL, Inc., Axe Group, White Clark Group, Blueprint Software, Aspect Security, Nucleus Software, LeBlanc’s Food Stores, South Sound 911, Aegon, Barclays, Fidelity Investments, ArisGlobal LLC, USDA, RepLink, AON Hewitt