Introduction

Test case management tools are essential in the age of complex software and remote design teams. However, there are so many options out there that it can be difficult to choose which product is the best fit for your business. Although people debate which of the many test-case management tools are the best, there is a general consensus that some of the top tools include Zephyr, PractiTest, and TestRail. Here is our guide to these tools.

Before we get into the differences, let's talk about their similarities. As their positions in the top test-case management programs suggest, these tools all are very good at their job. They are customizable and offer good reporting tools to help track the progress of the software that is in development. They also have Kanban boards and integrate with Jira to track tasks during development. During testing, these programs have the ability to fail a test and link to the bug that caused the failure, and they all offer good insight into test coverage. Now that we’ve covered the basic functions of these test case management tools, let’s go into further detail about each one.

Zephyr

Zephyr is the number one selling test management tool, providing end-to-end solutions for agile teams of all sizes. It offers the flexibility, visibility, and insights you need to release better software faster. If you’re willing to purchase the enterprise version of Zephyr, you can run Jira on your own servers and get a full research management system that allows you to assign test leads. This assignment system gives your employees the permission they need to create test cases for various projects. You can view the details of what projects each employee is assigned to and their progress on their tasks. Zephyr has also just introduced the ability to execute and record tests on mobile. This function allows you to manage the tests from the same location where the testing is actually taking place.

Features:

  • Easy Integrations: Zephyr can integrate with Jira, Confluence, Jenkins, Bamboo, and more software tools with just one click. These easy integrations make Zephyr a very versatile tool.

  • Deployment Options: When using Zephyr, you can choose between Cloud, server, or data center deployments, which allows you to seamlessly merge Zephyr with your existing internal structure.

  • Dashboards: Zephyr offers advanced dashboards for analytics and DevOps, making it an ideal tool for those who want in-depth looks at what their software is doing.

  • Pricing: Zephyr doesn’t require an annual subscription, and its pricing is based off the number of people using it for server based systems. On cloud based systems, it’s $4.25 per month per Jira user.

PractiTest

PractiTest is an end-to-end test management tool. It provides a common meeting ground for all QA stakeholders, and it enables full visibility into the testing process and a deeper, broader understanding of test results. In PractiTest’s test library, you create and manage test cases, and in the Test Sets and Runs Module you can execute runs for different releases and projects using scripts integrated from outside tools and platforms. PractiTest integrates seamlessly with automation tools like Selenium and CI tools like Jenkins, giving you a reporting system that’s representative of every testing method used in the course of making sure the software is ready to release. Not only can you write test runs and test cases with PractiTest, you can also write user stories to help track the broader function-driven considerations of testing.

Features:

  • Many Integrations: PractiTest is built to integrate with many third party apps like Jira, common bug trackers, automation tools, and robust API.

  • Fully Customizable: PractiTest recognizes that the needs of QA teams are always changing and they built their tool with that change in mind. It customizes fields, views, permissions, issue workflows, and more to meet the needs of your team.

  • Organization and Usability: Due to their unique hierarchical filter trees, it’s easier than ever before to organize everything and find anything quickly. You can even reuse tests and correlate results for different projects.

  • Data Management: PractiTest provides advanced dashboard and reports to help you visualize data, and it keeps track of previous code iterations to stop you from duplicating fixes or variations of the software you tried earlier in the testing process.

  • Pricing and Implementation: Available on the cloud only, PractiTest is $35-45 per tester and $15 per developer.

TestRail

As the name implies, TestRail provides a comprehensive test case management system to help you organize testing efforts and get real-time insights into testing activity. Powerful reports and metrics enable QA teams to increase productivity and deliver fast feedback to their development team. The newest version, TestRail 5.0, is the only tool that offers universal integration with Jira Cloud and Jira server. This brand new feature allows companies greater flexibility in running Jira the way they want. TestRail’s design makes it an ideal fit for agile teams. It helps to organize test efforts in a sprint and bases test cases off user stories. It also organizes test cases by what user story they’re related to.

Features:

  • Ease of Use: An easy to use interface, TestRail allows you to track the status of individual tests, track progress with dashboards and activity reports, and compare test results across multiple test runs.

  • Team Tracking: TestRail tracks team workload to help you adjust assignments and resources as needed to keep your team running as smoothly as possible.

  • Many Integrations: TestRail integrates with defect tracking and collaboration solutions such as Atlassian Jira, FogBugz, Bugzilla, Axosoft, GitHub, and TFS; and with leading test automation tools including Ranorex Studio.

  • Pricing: TestRail is priced at $30 per user, regardless of their position in the company.

Conclusion

Zephyr, PractiTest, and TestRail are all great solutions to use when considering test case management tools. While each has its individual strengths and weaknesses, they all provide many of the features needed for successful test case management of your software. They integrate with platforms that your company may already be using and usually have a few different support platforms to choose from. Of course, there are many other options to consider, but hopefully our comparison is helpful in introducing you to the choices that are available.