Top 10 Test Management Tools to Use in 2021 (+ Open Source Tools)

Your QA team may have comprehensive skills and deep expertise, but some factors can disrupt the software testing process. 

Inadequate management or incorrectly selected test management tools can lead to pitfalls. As a National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) study shows, these problems damage the US economy by $22.2 and $59.5 billion annually.

UTOR QA engineers explored and worked with various test management software for five years. 

In this article, we listed the most reliable and handy management tools that will help you to keep the testing process well organized. 

But first, we clarify some important questions. What is a test management tool? Can a QA team use Google spreadsheets instead of professional software? How can you choose a reliable management tool that suits your project needs?

What are test management tools and why do you need them?

A test management tool is a software that helps QA engineers to keep test cases well-organized and organize test runs. Test tools facilitate work for the whole QA department and development team. 

Every team member can see statuses of tests, their priority, tasks, which team members are responsible for, and test reports. Test management software can automatically update test cases and reduce duplication of data. An organized testing process helps avoid confusion, misunderstandings, and delays in releases.

Some QA teams neglect test case management software. At best, they use Google spreadsheets and at worst Google documents for keeping test cases. 

Such an approach can turn the software testing process into a mess. QA engineers have to change the status of each test case manually and create enormous versions of the same documents. Also, it’s hard to find particular test elements in documents. Some development teams even used Skype to update the status of the testing process.  

With such a silo approach, all team members don’t have one view on the testing process.  

Keeping test cases in one place leads to a better QA process. Your team will track defects faster, grasp what causes defects in code, and how to fix or prevent them. As a result, minimized delays and a bug-free product. 

Criteria and Key Feature for Selecting Test Management Tools 

You can find more than fifty test management tools today. They all have similar features. However, some of the tools are more expensive than others, and some are cheaper. 

Choosing test management tools depends on the company development approach. If a company follows the Waterfall approach, it should choose one type of tool, if Agile – another. 

The UTOR QA team follows the Agile development approach. So, in this article, we will talk about how to choose a test management tool for Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) with Agile.

What are the consequences of thoughtlessly choosing test management software?

In a nutshell – you will waste the company budget and time.

You should do some research about managed testing services and tools to compare them before purchasing. Otherwise, you can reveal that you pay for an inappropriate tool. For example, the tool has extra features that are useless for a project or otherwise – the tool doesn’t have specific features that the development team requires!

Good news – almost all test management tools have trials. 

UTOR QA team developed criteria that we follow when choosing test management tools: 

1. Intuitive UI/UX. The tool interface should be clean and understandable for non-technical experts. 
2. Price adequate to features and quality of the tool. Some of the companies overcharge their tools. Compare and explore tools with similar features to avoid wasting extra money.
3. Integration with other test tools. During testing, you need more than one tool. For example, QA engineers use manual, automation testing tools, bug tracking tools, and so on. Consider a tool that can connect to other test tools for a streamlined testing process.
4. The test tool has an Application Programming Interface (API) for automation. 
5. Project requirements. Every client establishes specific requirements for the project. 

When the UTOR team starts working with a new client, we discuss all requirements for the tool and test environments to pick the most appropriate. 

List of the Test Management Tools

The main goals of test management tools are creating test runs, test reports that include testing statuses and manage the whole testing process. In many cases, a choice of test management software depends on the project budget. The list below provides the best test management systems that were tested and used by our QA engineers.  

JIRA

JIRA is the most popular and user-friendly test case management tool. The tool is perfect for Agile development as it is very flexible and adaptable. 

In fact, the purpose of JIRA is not testing management. JIRA was designed for bug tracking. However, today the tool has powerful capabilities and helps teams organize various types of work. 

In UTOR, we use JIRA for test management regularly. For example, during work with the Eataly project, we report all identified issues in Jira.

The principle of JIRA work is easy. QA engineers add identified issues to the tool, write its description and steps to reproduce, set priority, assign team members and update status. All team members that have access to the board can track progress. 

Jira has a free plan for ten users. 

There are different test management apps and plugins that facilitate and support test management in JIRA. Here is the list of them. 

Apps for JIRA

Zephyr for JIRA (Scale/Squad)

Zephyr for Jira is the most popular test management application for Jira. The app is developed for Agile teams especially. 

With Zephyr, you can create, execute and track tests right inside Jira. You can also create test cycles and link tests to them.

The tool is appropriate for automation. Zephyr can integrate with CI/CD tools such as Bamboo and Jenkins and automation tools. Also, your team can build REST API to build your own integrations.

Xray – Cutting Edge Test Management

Xray is the best alternative for Zephyr. It’s a native cloud app that seamlessly integrates with Jira. You can have full control under your test. You can create, execute, manage tests and get reports. 

Xray supports both manual and automation testing. The app easily integrates with automation and continuous integration tools. 

You can try Xray for free for 30 days.

Requirements and Test Management for Jira (RTM)

RTM is another test management app that integrates with JIRA. The app is specially developed for Agile teams.   

The app owners say that RTM differs from competitors by a user-friendly interface and full test management features. The app has a full scope of necessary test management features – test creation, test execution, tracking, and reporting.

In addition, RTM has a useful feature that its competitors don’t have – requirements. The “Requirements” feature allows QA engineers to create and manage quality requirements for a product. For example, you can create test cases and connect them with particular quality requirements. 

RTM is free for 30 days.

TestFLO for JIRA

TestFLO is the most flexible native app for Jira. The app is suitable even in highly regulated environments.

TestFLO has a high level of customization. It makes the tool perfect for companies with a streamlined and complex QA process. Also, TestFlo allows QA engineers to import test cases from other test management tools. 

You can start your free trial for 30 days now. 

Alternatives for JIRA

Below we list tools that QA experts recommend as Jira alternatives.

TestRail 

TestRail is UTOR’s favorite alternative for JIRA. It’s a web-based test case management tool with a clear and intuitive interface. You can create, execute and manage tests from one place. 

TestRail has integration with testing tools in the CD/CI/DevOps pipeline. The QA team can configure workflow and connect TestRail to Jira. Thus, all team members can track updates and results. 

TestRail users noted that the tool is easy to use for reusing test cases and connecting them to different milestones.  

TestRail offers a free trial for 14 days.

 PractiTest

PractiTest is a SaaS end-to-end QA management solution that allows the QA team to track testing in real-time. 

PractiTest has an easy and intuitive interface that facilitates the training of new users. You can visualize test reports and share them directly with stakeholders and other team members. 

The distinguishing feature of this instrument is hierarchical filter trees that help organize workflow. 

Also, PractiTest users admit the tool support service is outstanding. 

Pricing for PractiTest starts at $39/user/month.

TestCollab

TestCollab is a software testing management tool that helps teams manage their QA processes. The company launched TestCollab 2 in January 2021 with updated features and interfaces. 

With TestCollab, you can create templates for test cycles, customize and save filters for searching. The tool makes your collaboration with the team easier as it has notifications and “@” mentions.  

The tool has integration with JIRA that allows reporting issues in JIRA automatically. Also, TestCollab has a separate page for Jira that facilitates finding reported bugs. 

TestCollab offers a free, basic, and premium plan.

ReQtest

ReQtest is cloud-based test management and bug-tracking tool. As a management tool, it has a standard set of features plus requirement management. 

The tool is easy to use and adopt among various types of teams. 

ReQtest has a high level of customization. However, ReQtest can be an inappropriate tool for big companies with mature QA processes. Also, users reported that Agile Board lacks reporting capabilities. 

You can try ReQtest for free for ten days.

Testpad

Testpad is a test management solution for manual testing. A clear interface allows creating test cases even for non-technical co-workers.

The main difference from other tools is a pragmatic approach. In Testpad, you create a free-from checklist instead of managing test cases one at a time. One of the most handful features is tagging test steps to associate them with specific test runs. 

Testpad doesn’t require creating an account to see reports. So, you can share reports with others directly. 

You can start using Testpad with a 30-days trial. 

Wrapping up

Spreadsheets, Google documents, Skype… The UTOR team associates them with delays, misleads, and data duplicates.

These old-fashioned “test management tools” can lead to real problems during development. QA teams should leave them in the past.

Use test management tools for proper and streamlined software testing. Choose software carefully – compare, pay attention to management requirements and project specifications. 

Do you have any favorite test management tools? Tell us in the comments.