Looking for new test case management too? Navigating the different options can be a headache. Find out about the 6 best Zephyr alternatives that may better fit your team's needs - comparing features, pricing, and integrations to help you find the perfect fit.
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s a tester, finding a test case management (TCM) tool that your team really clicks with can take a lot of trial and error with different tools before you find the right one. Zephyr has long been a favorite for many, especially for its close integration with Jira, making it a strong contender for teams already established in the Jira ecosystem. But, as we all know, no tool is one-size-fits-all. Depending on your team's unique needs, Zephyr's close ties with Jira and a few user-reported quirks might not always hit the mark.
Curious about alternatives that might better suit your testing needs? We’re diving into the world of Zephyr and the potential solutions that other alternatives might offer. Whether you're perfectly at home in Jira or itching for something that gives a bit more flexibility, we’ll explore the alternatives and pinpoint what might make the right fit for you and your team.
Zephyr is a Jira plug-in, a notable difference to most traditional test case management tools.
This means that, with Zephyr, you do all your test planning, management and execution within Jira – and not by using a separate application.
Teams already working closely with Jira can use Zephyr to blend into their established Jira projects while using the tool to collaborate with team members and unify testing data.
It has three levels of test management subscriptions and services aimed at teams of different sizes: Zephyr Enterprise, Zephyr Scale, and Zephyr Squad.
Zephyr Squad: Geared towards smaller agile teams, Zephyr Sqaud allows teams to use any existing Jira boards and utilize functionalities like “Components”, “Labels”, and “Priority”. Zephyr Squad is extendable via integrations with Jenkins, Selenium, JUnit, and Cucumber.
Zephyr Scale: The “scale” in Zephyr Scale implies its ability to handle multiple Jira projects and more extensive test libraries. Zephyr Scale is designed for teams who need better management features, traceability and reusability for larger test case libraries. In addition to the integrations of Squad, Scale also integrates with Babmboo, REST API, Qualio, and JUnit.
Zephyr Enterprise: Designed with enterprises in mind, this level of Zephyr can host up to 10,000 users and support up to 200,000 test cases. Zephyr Enterprise supports the widest selection of integrations including TestComplete, Ready API, Atlassian Jira, Jenkins, and Selenium.
Generally the following pros and cons are applicable to Zephyr as a tool overall, however, some features may be more applicable to Zephyr Scale or Enterprise.
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Allows teams to work within their established Jira environments | Limited integrations compared to competitors due to being a Jira plugin |
| Collaborative features for teams enable better project management during testing cycles | Customers report a decline in speed of customer service responses |
| Zephyr can scale with teams and projects that grow in complexity | Exploratory testing cannot be done natively within Zephyr and is only possible with an additional external addon |
| Customizable workflows can be built around project’s needs | Difficult to migrate from non-JIRA systems |
| Automation integrations allow users to report on automated test cases | Steep learning curve for new users |
Zephyr Squad:
1-10 users: $10 total per month.
11+ users: $57.31 total per month, with an additional $5.21 per user monthly.
Zephyr Scale:
1-10 users: Free.
11+ users: $61.82 total per month, with an additional $5.62 per user monthly.
Zephyr Enterprise:
20+ users: Price available upon request.
After reading through the description above, you may be asking: “What other options to Zephyr might work for me?”
Finding the right testing tool is all about knowing what is a dealbreaker or an absolute must feature for you and your team. We understand finding the right tool can be a headache so we’ve compiled the following breakdown of alternative options to Zephyr to make comparing your options easier (and Ibuprofen free).
Like Zephyr, Xray is a Jira plugin used for test case management. While both plugins tackle similar processes (test case writing and execution). Xray has a few features that Zephyr does not that may make it the chosen tool for those who still want to work natively inside Jira.
Here are a few capabilities that Xray includes that cannot be done with Zephyr Squad or Zephyr Scale:
Every team’s testing needs are different so if you see something in the list above that you definitely want or need, Xray would likely be a solid option for you if you are comfortable working with a Jira plugin.
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Xray is fully integrated with JIRA, allowing teams to keep their established Jira environments | Like Zephyr, Xray requires an additional app to undertake exploratory testing |
| Offers detailed reporting and real-time test metrics to assess quality and progress | Xray is JIRA dependent which may not be ideal for teams not using Atlassian products |
| Allows full traceability between requirements, tests, defects, executions | Xray does not enable native exports to Excel of test results and requires another app to do so |
Automation: JUnit, NUnit, Cucumber
CI & DevOPs tools: Jenkins, GitLab
Other Integrations: Rest API, BDD scenarios inside Jira
QMetry introduces itself as an “AI Enabled Quality Orchestration Platform built for Test Automation”. A bit of a mouthful, the distilled version is QMetry is integrating Generative AI to help with automating test case generation and improving their search function.
While QMetry positions itself as a tool to assist with test automation, it also supports manual testing.
It offers capabilities for test case creation, execution, and management, while also providing predictive analytics (backed by AI and machine learning) and dashboard features. QMetry also supports test automation frameworks and provides tools for traceability, requirement management, and defect tracking.
QMetry offers two product versions:
QMetry Test Management for Jira (QTM4J) - Available on the Atlassian marketplace, this version of the tool resembles Zephyr as it manages the entire testing cycle within Jira.
QMetry Test Management (Enterprise) - Aimed at enterprise level companies, this version of QMetry can scale in or outside of Jira. With its enterprise package, businesses can take advantage of migration services from other popular TCM tools when moving over to QMetry.
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Supports both manual and automated testing | Some ambiguity around AI features and how they impact the testing process |
| AI-driven features for optimizing testing processes | The initial setup and learning curve can be steep |
| Strong integration with JIRA and other development tools | Difficult to find information about pricing and other features of Qmetry |
QMetry Test Management for Jira (QTM4J):
QMetry Test Management (Enterprise):
Navigating QMetry’s site and understanding what they offer and how it’s priced can be a little tricky compared to some of its competitors. If you run into questions it may be worth reaching out to their team.
Like other TCM’s on our list, QA touch leads with being an AI-driven test case management tool.
QA Touch features built-in bug tracking, customizable timesheets, mind mapping for project visualization, and a detailed audit log. The platform aims to promote efficiency with its agile board for task management and a shareable dashboard that provides a real-time overview of testing progress and metrics.
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Unique features for test planning, like mind mapping, allows for more detailed test planning | Some users report that import functionality is a bit complex compared to other tools |
| Users report that QA Touch’s support team is responsive to issues in their system and work to fix those issues at a reasonable speed | Reviewers have commented that AI features could be improved |
| QA touch offers many users guides and help documents to navigate using the tool | Users report UI can be difficult to work with |
PractiTest is a tool for QA teams and developers who want to collaborate on testing. Within PractiTest teams can assign tasks to users and share test runs with fellow team members.
PractiTest advertises itself as a solid testing option for large organizations with complex testing operations, but also offers a team plan with scaled back functionality. It is a comprehensive TCM tool, but smaller organizations (or those who simply want a straightforward testing solution) may not fit with what PractiTest offers.
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Collaborative functions within the tool to accommodate groups and teams | New users or those unfamiliar with test management tools may require training to learn the interface |
| Customizable dashboards to focus on specific tests and datasets | Pricing can be expensive, and its pricing structure may not be cost effective for smaller teams |
| Supports Session Based Test Management (SBTM) for teams who like that formalization of Exploratory Testing | Pricing can be a barrier to entry for teams with smaller budgets |
Testiny markets itself as a tool to reduce testing process timelines in order for QA professionals to have comprehensive testing coverage while still meeting the deadlines of tight development cycles. Those who need customization with their testing can utilize Testiny’s custom fields and templates to better organize complex testing workflows, further cutting down on testing time.
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive reporting and real-time analytics that help track and analyze test results | Learning curve for some features or people new to testing |
| This tool is able to scale test cases with growing teams or increasingly complex projects | Limited integrations compared to other tools |
| Built with strong features for team collaboration | While “view access” is available it is not free and comes at a discounted monthly rate that must be added to subscription costs |
Many of the tools listed above are quite similar to one another, all belonging to what we like to call “traditional” test case management tools.
But Testpad breaks this mold, taking a distinctly different approach by building test plans around simple checklists that look more like a spreadsheet than a complicated database-driven collection of formal Test Cases. Our "freeform" checklist approach doesn't constrain the test team and lets them build their test plans in styles that suit them and their process requirements.
Testpad is designed to get testing done quickly (it's easy and obvious how to iterate on test plans when they're just checklists that look like spreadsheets). Teams that need to iterate and move fast will find Testpad’s straightforward and lightweight design just perfect for getting tests done versus fighting through managing a complex testing platform.
In specific comparison of Testpad and Zephyr, here’s where our offering differs and might be what you’re looking for in your testing tool search:
Flexibility: Unlike Zephyr, which operates entirely within JIRA, Testpad is not limited to any single issue or project tracking tool. This flexibility is well suited for teams that use multiple systems, those not committed to the Atlassian ecosystem, or those who want to test without a heavily structured process.
Exploratory Testing Capabilities: Testpad supports exploratory testing natively, without the need for additional add-ons. This allows testers to perform more organic and intuitive testing, which can be crucial for catching unforeseen issues or finding ways to improve your product.
Guest Testing & User Accessibility: Testpad enables guest testing in order to help people bring in extra effort when they're late for a release, without having to pay for extra licenses. You’ll also be able to invite clients to perform user-acceptance tests, without having to add clients as users or otherwise indoctrinate them into your test platform.
Expansive & Efficient Testing Process: If you're into mind maps for test planning, then you'll enjoy using Testpad checklists as a listed-out form of a mindmap, allowing you to build a comprehensive outline of every testing detail. With instant reports, Testpad ensures that progress tracking and updates are immediate, straightforward, and effectively include all parties involved.
Yes, most tools offer very similar functionality and it's hard to choose between most of them.
The differences will be in their pricing and nuances of how their features work, but the evaluation of these will be unique to each team.
With that said, Testpad does sit apart with its unique approach, and if that sounds interesting we offer a free 30 day trial—no credit card details needed to sign up. You get to test us out risk free and see if our unique approach to testing fits your needs.
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