TestRail vs. Xray

When faced with the challenge of choosing a Test Management tool, it can be hard to figure out where to start, since there are so many available options. The important rule of thumb is to choose a tool that will best match your QA process and its demands. The tool you use should work for you, not the other way around. We have created a useful checklist of features you can use while evaluating different testing tools.

TestRail vs. Xray At a Glance

Both Xray and TestRail have basic test case management capabilities but rely on external tool for requirements/user-stories and defects management.

The main difference between these two platforms is that TestRail is a stand-alone test management tool that integrates with 3rd party tools for requirements and issues management, while Xray resides within Jira and relies on it for requirements and issues management as well as storage and performance.

Both Xray and TestRail were purchased by Idera, a B2B software company.

TestRail Release

TestRail Release

TestRail Version

TestRail Version

Xray manual test

Xray manual test

Xray traceability report

Xray traceability report

How TestRail and Xray Stack Up

The following comparison reviews the main features to take into account when considering which one will best fit your QA needs.

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Button description
TestRail Xray
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Requirement and User Stories Management
Support for hierarchical requirements via Jira
Test case management
Add attachments to each test step
Clone Tests between projects
Batch operations (cloning, editing, deletion)
Reusable test repositories
Exploratory Testing module (session based testing)
Test Sets and Execution Management
Audit history of runs and results
Edit tests during runs
Report issues/bugs from tests and auto-populate tests to reproduce
Assignment of Cycles and Tests to testers
Parameterization of Test Cases and Sets
Batch operations (cloning, editing, deletion)
Reuse tests from repository for any test set run
Test Set Permutations N/A
Issue management
Independent issue management module via Jira
Ability to detect and prevent duplicate issues
Batch editing
Time-Based Testing Iterations Management
Milestones/Releases Management via Jira
Integrations
Integration with 3rd party Bug Tracking systems
Integration with Test Automation Tools
Integration with Source Control systems
Zapier
API
Slack integration
Webhooks
Customization
Hierarchical filters to organize information (e.g. Test Tree, Bug categories, Requirement types)
Custom Workflow
Custom fields and filters
Permissions & personalized mail notifications
Reporting
Customizable Dashboards graphs, reports and metrics
Scheduled reports
AI-Powered Test Management
Test Steps Creation
Test Steps Editing
Assigning a Score to Reflect Test Value
Additional Features
Import & Export all data
Search (ability to add criteria)
External dashboard and embedding graphs
Cloud or Installed Both Both
Task Board
Security and Certifications
Soc 2
ISO 27001
Service and Support
Service and Support
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Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Part of a fuller applications portfolio
  • Milestones modules to manage releases
  • Competitive price
  • Includes both cloud and server solutions
  • Easy, intuitive use

Cons:

  • No requirements and issues modules
  • Jira integration is less robust because issues cannot be viewed and managed in TestRail
  • Automation integration is limited to API and CLI
  • Lack of support
  • Restrictive reporting capabilities
  • Relies on Amazon security compliance

Pros:

  • BDD support
  • An integral part of the Jira application
  • Mobile app

Cons:

  • Each Xray entity creates a Jira issue, leading to an excessive amount of issues
  • Compromised performance as Xray uses Jira storage
  • Reliance on external tools and plugins for ET, reports and more
  • Difficulty understanding the relationship between different ticket types
  • Payment is for any Jira user by tiers

Pricing

Annually

  • Professional - $33 per user/month
  • Enterprise - $64 per user/month

Monthly

  • Professional - $36 per user/month (No customizable email notification, no onboarding and training sessions, and no test parameterization)

Annual payment up to 50 users (paying for all Jira users):

  • Cloud - $2,125
  • DC - $1,450
  • Server - $2,000

Annual payment up to 100 users (paying for all Jira users):

  • Cloud - $4,250,
  • DC - $3,450
  • Server - $4,000

Exploratory testing, advanced reporting and other features require additional payment.

Bottom Line

While both tools have their Pros and Cons, these are the main points you should consider:

Xray is a Jira add-on which includes a nice set of features such as BDD testing and data sets. It relies mainly on API for automation integration. As the tool resides inside of Jira, it is limited and restrictive in terms of quality focus. Working inside Jira means Xray uses Jira's storage, which causes performance issues as your testing grows. Furthermore, working with a tool which is not designed for testing can limit the testing visibility you need in order to make intelligent business decisions. In addition, Atlassian constantly provides updates about performance issues caused by Jira add-ons, and Xray is mentioned multiple times.

TestRail is a basic test management tool that has some nice features to support agile methodologies such as milestones. It relies mainly on API and CLI for automation integration. TestRail's reports and visualization options are not very advanced nor customizable, limiting the visibility into the testing operation.

So who is better?

If you run a small and simple testing operation and you work with Jira, then Xray can answer your testing needs.

If you run an agile simple testing operation, you might find TestRail to be a more suitable option.

But if you run a complex testing operation, and you need end-to-end control, traceability and visibility with a solid full-functioning test management tool, you should consider PractiTest. PractiTest has a seamless 2-way Jira integration and lets you run and manage all testing assets, including Jira tickets, with complete end-to-end traceability.

Find out more about the benefits of PractiTest over Jira add-ons here.

FAQ

What is Jira Xray test tool?

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Xray is a Jira add-on for test management. It is used to manage testing operations inside the Jira workspace. Xray uses Jira storage and utilities for test management and is part of the IDERA development toolset.

What is the difference between Jira and Xray?

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Jira is a bug-tracking agile project management tool for developers to manage their tickets and workflow. Xray is a test management tool used to manage the testing of a product.
Many test management tools have a built-in integration with Jira to allow better communications between development and QA team members and to enable a seamless workflow.

Why choose TestRail?

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If you are running a small-medium organization with basic test management requirements, then TestRail is an affordable solution.

Why is Xray better than TestRail?

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Some say Xray is better than TestRail because it resides within Jira and has a seamless workflow in the Atlassian space. However, in Xray, you pay for every Jira license you have, while in TestRail you pay only for the TestRail licenses.

Both tools offer basic test management capabilities, but rely on external tools for requirements and issues management, and lack important visualization capabilities.

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