Best cloud-based test management tools

Nowadays, cloud testing has become a popular trend. Are our cloud activities limited to only testing or can we also manage all processes, related to it, by using special tools? These special cloud-based test management tools will be analyzed in this article.

The cost efficiency, high scalability, and availability make testing in the cloud more and more popular. Multiple machines can be used in different environments. Besides that, you don’t need to build your own infrastructure. Due to these, the tools like CloudTest by Soasta, LoadStorm or Xamarin Test Cloud became widely used all over the world.
We will overview the cloud-based tools, which allow you to take control over any activities on different stages of the software testing process: creating test cases and the test plan, reports generating, bug reporting, sharing results, managing your QA team, collaboration with other specialists etc.

Here is our version of the best test management tools, which can be used for testing in the cloud.

Zephyr for JIRA
We start from the cloud version of Zephyr, one of the most powerful JIRA’s add-on for the big teams and projects. 11 000+ global customers from more than 100 countries constantly use this tool in the software testing process.

The main features and advantages of Zephyr:

• You can your manage issues like any other in JIRA.
• It is easy to start the testing process.
• Full set of testing activities management.
• Close integration with other JIRA’s plugins and add-ons.
• Zephyr Query Language and Execution Navigator increase the power of the searching options.
• Dashboards and metrics with the individual configuration.
• Customized Agile board.
• Issues can be exported to the Word, Excel formats.
• A wide range of the high-customized filters.

Pricing:
Up to 10 users: $10 monthly flat fee.
$3.50/user (11-100 users) – $0.76/user (2000 users).
Free trial period: 30 days.

TestLodge

TestLodge is the rational choice for startups and small budget limited teams.

The main features and advantages of the TestLodge:

• UI is understandable.
• There is no problem with its adaptation to the needs of each team of your company.
• You can automatically create bug reports based on failed test cases.
• Integration with 20+ testing tools: JIRA, GitHub, YouTrack, Redmine, Trello etc.
• Informative dashboards and reports.

Pricing: monthly $19-159/user (no users limitations).
Free trial period: 30 days.

EasyQA

EasyQA is a powerful all-in-one test management tool. You can use it with the equal efficiency on different projects not depending on your team size.

The main features and advantages of the EasyQA:

• You can fully control over all kinds of the testing activities.
• Customized reports and dashboards.
• Inn-app bug reporting.
• Special Chrome Extension
• SDK both for Android and iOS applications.
• Comprehensive set of the project management options.
• Server Log Error Handler.
• Tracking the time and testing activities
• It is closely integrated with other testing sowtware: JIRA, GitHub, GitLab , YouTrack, Jenkins, PivotalTracker, Redmine, and Trello.

Pricing: monthly $10/user. There is a special discount offer – $5/user (till 30th of September).
Free trial period: 30 days.

TestMonitor

TestMonitor can be an optimal decision for the small and middle-sized companies. Its motto “Testing with a Smile” describes the user-friendly approach of this test management tool in the best way.

The main features and advantages of the TestMonitor:

• Set up is simple.
• Powerful API.
• It supports the data security on the High level.
• Wide set of the risk management indicators.
• Different types of the Project roles.
• It is integrated with 100+ tools: JIRA, GitHub, , Pivotal Tracker, Google Docs, Redmine, Dropbox etc.
• ISTQB® and TMap NEXT® compliance.
• It supports English, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch.

Pricing: monthly € 40/ 5 users – € 534/50 user. There is a special offer in the Enterprise version (100 users).
Free trial period: 14 days.

PractiTest

PractiTest is the modern multifunctional test management tool. An innovative approach and wide range of the testing options allow it to be among the best test management tools.

The main features and advantages of PractiTest:

• Full set of the Agile management tools.
• Multifunctional SDK.
• Analytical reports.
• Integration with JIRA, Redmine, Mantis, Bugzilla, Pivotal Tracker, Jenkins and Selenium.
• Filters are well-customized
• High-quality support level.

Pricing: monthly $35-45/tester (minimum 3 testers are required) + $15/developer. There is a flexible discount system.
Free trial period: 14 days (unlimited version).

Cloud-Based Test Management Tools Advantages

In conclusion, let’s look throw the main merits of the test management activities in the cloud.

Accessibility
Last time remote working becomes a common practice. Providing test management activities in the cloud, you can easy manage your team without dependence on geographical location, time or type of devices.

Cost saving
You don’t need to install cloud-based software on the server. Also there is no reason to spend additional costs for its updates and new configurations. Actually, you can pay only for the really required and often used features. Besides that, there is no need to buy any hardware and the full set of devices.

Collaboration
Cloud-based tools increase the team cooperation level on your projects. Using them, you will solve the problem of data sharing, communication with the remote team members or tasks redistribution much faster and easier.

Reliability
Communication to the customers is better performed by the cloud-based services in comparison with the desktops ones. You have much more impact on the software quality via features requests.

Scalability
Testing scale and the optimal redistribution of efforts are the typically problems the test managers are often faced to. That is why, you have nothing to do, but exactly determine your projects scalability on any stage.

There is no doubt, that you will get the real profit for your business providing cloud testing.

It is clear, that cloud-based test management activity is more than just a popular trend. I want this article help you not only to clarify the significance of such kind of tool, but also to make a right choice of tool, which meets the needs of your business.

Yana Gusti, Blogger/Columnist at EasyQA. Yana is passionate about helping organizing QA workflow, with 5 years QA experience bringing the Test Management Tools to boost QA process for the team.