Best Jira Test Management Tools: Top 8 Plugins

As versatile as it is, Jira was never designed with test management functionality in mind. Nevertheless, we still live in a world where QA and dev teams need to be in the same loop.

Sometimes, we simply need to make the best of the situation.

However, using Jira for testing doesn’t have to be difficult or ineffective. With the right tools and strategies, you can maximize the potential of this project management platform.

In this article, we explore the most useful Jira test management tools and share practical tips for optimizing Jira for testing.

Challenge: Why “Vanilla” Jira is Not Enough for QA Teams

When working in Jira, QAs typically find that it lacks crucial features such as:

No dedicated functionality for test case management. There are some possible workarounds, but creating and managing structured test repositories is still difficult.
Limited integration with QA tools. Dedicated QA tools, such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright, provide QA teams with a robust automation framework. In contrast, Jira doesn’t offer native test execution tracking features.
Defect tracking is inefficient. While Jira has a dedicated Bug work type, you have to link bugs to test cases manually. This doesn’t allow you to build efficient bug-resolution workflows.
Limited reporting and analytics features. Jira’s native reports don’t let you analyze test execution trends or work with the quality metrics you need.

As a result, Jira’s out-of-the-box functionality is insufficient for organizing efficient quality assurance processes.

Solution: How to Adjust Jira for Testing Needs

There are several ways to do this:

Bypass limitations with Jira test management tools. Atlassian Marketplace offers hundreds of add-ons and plugins that can help you with test case management. As a result, you’ll be able to expand Jira’s native functionality and gain more QA features.
Optimize with templates. Test cases and test suites that are used repeatedly can be converted into templates. You can then create work items from those templates whenever needed. This will help you organize tests better and save time on recurring tasks. This can be done with Smart Templates for Jira.
Adjust your Jira workflows, work item types, agile boards, fields, and other elements to better fit QA needs. This will make Jira more QA-friendly and help you establish smoother processes.

Let’s explore these options in more detail. First, we’ll share a selection of the 8 best Jira test management tools. Then, we’ll discuss creating test case templates in Jira and provide practical tips to help you better adjust Jira to QA needs.

Top 8 Jira Test Management Tools You Should Try

1. Xray

Xray is a test management solution designed to work directly within Jira. It covers the entire testing lifecycle: execution, tracking, and specialized reporting. It supports both manual and automated tests that can be run across different environments.

Xray utilizes custom Jira work types (issue types) designed for QA purposes, including Test, Test Plan, Test Set, Precondition, and Test Execution. This structure allows teams to treat testing as a core activity and keep it aligned with development work.

Additionally, Xray links test cases to requirements and bugs, improving transparency and traceability. The tool integrates with various QA platforms, allowing you to import test results from Selenium, JUnit, Cucumber, and other apps.

Xray’s key features:

Supports the full cycle of test management in Jira
Utilizes custom QA work types
Generates test cases with AI based on requirements
Creates test sets and organizes tests in folders
Groups tests by project, version, component, and label
Tracks test execution progress and requirement coverage
Offers advanced reporting showing test coverage, pass/fail rates, and more
Provides native support for BDD

2. Katalon – Test Automation for Jira

Katalon for Jira is an add-on that integrates Jira with Katalon Studio. It provides full-cycle test management and test automation, enabling you to link requirements and bugs in Jira to Katalon test cases.

With this setup, Jira tickets display the list of linked tests along with their execution status, allowing you to review testing progress directly from a work item. This helps you improve traceability, minimize context switching, and manage tests efficiently.

Unlike the previous tool, Xray, Katalon for Jira doesn’t enable you to create or organize tests in Jira itself. However, it offers integration with Xray, allowing you to further expand its functionality.

The solution also includes built-in AI functionality: you can automatically generate manual tests from requirements in Jira.

The key features of the Katalon for Jira add-on:

Links Jira requirements and bugs with Katalon test cases
Links Katalon test runs to Jira releases
Writes BDD scenarios in Jira tickets
Lets you view test results in Jira
Has an AI-powered manual test generator
Provides integration with Xray

3. AIO Tests

AIO Tests is an add-on that covers test design, execution, and reporting. While it’s less widely known than some other Jira test management tools, it offers a broad feature set that meets most QA needs.

The add-on allows teams to create and execute test cases within Jira. Tests can be organized into Test Suites, Test Sets, or Test Cycles, and further grouped using folders. This structure helps keep larger test libraries manageable and easier to navigate.

AIO Tests supports both manual and automated testing. Test progress and execution status are visible in real time, which enables you to easily track test coverage and identify delays during a test cycle.

For larger teams, the tool includes cross-project capabilities and advanced access controls. Reporting is a core part of the solution, with multiple report types available and the option to schedule reports for stakeholders.

The main features of AIO Tests include:

Low learning curve
Creating classic/BDD test cases with Gen AI
End-to-end traceability in Jira
Comprehensive test execution management
Support for importing results from popular test frameworks
20 report types available
Scheduling reports for stakeholders

4. TestRail Integration for Jira

This solution allows you to integrate TestRail test management software into your Jira instance. It is designed for teams that prefer to manage test cases, plans, and executions outside of Jira, while keeping requirements, bugs, and results synchronized between the two systems.

TestRail can be integrated with Jira Cloud, Jira Server, and Jira Data Center. The integration supports real-time, two-way synchronization, so changes to requirements, bugs, or test results are reflected consistently in both tools.

Test planning, execution, and reporting are handled in TestRail, while Jira remains the authoritative source for software development work and issue tracking.

The key features of TestRail for Jira:

Offers centralized test management
Integrates with leading DevOps tools
Provides flexible roles and permission control
Includes interactive reports
Ensures fast performance

5. QAlity Plus

QAlity Plus is a Jira test management add-on focused on test execution visibility and historical analysis. It emphasizes clarity, offering a lightweight interface that lets teams navigate tests, bugs, links, and reports without complex setup.

QAlity Plus enables you to create tests directly from a work item view. When you add a bug during test execution, the description and steps to reproduce are automatically filled out, helping you save precious time. This also reduces manual re-entry and keeps defect data consistent with the test context.

Tests can be organized into folders and added to test cycles in bulk using JQL. The tool also supports importing and exporting test cases, which helps teams maintain or migrate their test libraries. Reporting focuses on execution results, trends across runs, and traceability between tests, bugs, and requirements.

The key features of QAlity Plus are:

Creating, managing, and executing test cases
Organizing tests into folders
Importing and exporting test cases
Simplified bug management
Adding multiple tests to the test cycle using JQL
Advanced analytics and a traceability report

6. Zephyr

Zephyr Essential, previously known as Zephyr Scale, is a Jira test management add-on commonly used by Agile teams. It is designed to support testing directly in Jira, with a strong focus on integration with iterative development and release cycles.

The add-on supports both manual and automated testing. Test cases are linked to related work items, helping teams track progress and understand coverage at any stage of development. Test execution status can be monitored in real time using Jira dashboards, making it easier to track ongoing test cycles during sprints.

Zephyr Essential provides structured test libraries that allow test cases to be organized into suites and folders. Tests can also be shared across Jira projects, which is useful for teams working on multiple products or versions. Reporting includes both project-level and cross-project views, enabling teams to analyze progress and results at a broader scale.

The key features of Zephyr Essential include:

Arranging test cases into libraries with test suites and folders
Sharing test cases across different Jira projects
Advanced reporting with cross-project reports
Version control capabilities
Importing and exporting test cases
Support of BDD/ Gherkin and CI Servers integration
Integrations with Selenium, JUnit, NUnit, Robot, Pytest

7. QMetry for Jira

QMetry is a test management tool designed to support QA work across the full development lifecycle. It provides end-to-end coverage of test planning, execution, and analysis, with testing activities managed directly in Jira.

The tool supports the structured organization of test cases using hierarchical folders and allows tests to be reused across multiple Jira projects. This makes it easier to maintain shared test libraries and apply consistent coverage across products or teams. QMetry also includes native support for BDD and exploratory testing, enabling teams to use multiple testing approaches within a single setup.

QMetry places strong emphasis on collaboration and governance. It offers detailed permission controls, maintains an audit history of changes, and integrates with Confluence to support documentation and shared context. For teams using automation, the add-on integrates with CI/CD pipelines and synchronizes results from multiple test frameworks via APIs.

The key features of QMetry include:

Keeping test cases in hierarchically organized folders
Cross-project test availability
Exploratory testing & BDD Support
Analysis-friendly reporting with drilldowns and filtering
Test automation & DevOps-ready
Syncing automation results from multiple frameworks

8. TestRay

TestRay is regarded as one of the best Jira test management tools. It is designed for teams that seek clear visibility into how requirements, test cases, and executions relate to one another throughout a release.

Test cases are organized in a tree-style structure, which helps teams manage larger test libraries and understand relationships at a glance. Tests can be planned using test suites, linked requirements, or JQL searches, allowing for flexible selection of the scope for a test cycle. Requirements can be grouped and categorized, making it easier to analyze coverage and changes over time.

TestRay supports both manual execution and automated testing scenarios. Integrations with CI tools such as Jenkins and Bamboo allow teams to connect automated runs to Jira. Execution status and progress can be monitored using built-in reports and Jira gadgets, which provide insight during active test cycles.

The key features of TestRay include:

Requirements management with versioning and baselining
Test case management with test suites and tree structures
Test execution management
Automation integration – public REST API
Monitoring test progress and execution status
Traceability across requirements and tests

Bonus: Smart Templates for Jira – for Creating Test Case Templates and More

Besides Jira test management tools, there are other solutions that can be helpful, even though they are not dedicated QA tools.

One such solution is Smart Templates for Jira by Titan Apps. It allows you to create and manage various templates in Jira. They range from issue-level bug templates or test case templates to more complex test suite templates comprising dozens of work items.

With Smart Templates, you can easily generate work items from the pre-saved templates in just a few clicks. This allows you to reuse your test cases, save time, and standardize processes. In addition, you can use your templates with automation and generate work items on a schedule (for example, this can be helpful for recurring regression testing).

You can also pre-fill work item fields, dynamically mention users, and add assignees, automatically calculate the due date, and more. All this helps you ensure consistency and improve collaboration.

The key features of Smart Templates for Jira that can be useful to QA teams:

Create test case templates in Jira issues. You can prepare a work item with the test case you want to reuse and then save it as a template. The test case description, along with the listed steps, labels, components, assignees, and other fields will be preserved in all the new test cases generated from that template.
Reuse predefined test scenarios with test suite templates. You can create a new work type, Test Suite, and include test cases as individual work items under that test suite. Then, use Smart Templates to save this work item hierarchy as a template. Once done, you will be able to generate a complete set of work items with one push of a button.
Adjust one template for multiple uses with variables. The solution allows you to include dynamic values with the help of variables – for example, {{Feature}} or {{Project}}. When you create test cases from your template, you will be prompted to provide specific values for them.
Generate work items automatically on a schedule. The solution includes a built-in Scheduler that lets you create test cases and other work items exactly when you need them. For example, you can generate Jira issues bi-weekly for regression testing.
View all test cases created from a template on a separate tab. Smart Templates lets you view a list of all work items generated from a template, along with their statuses and assignees. This helps you manage the process and keep track of test cases in progress.

Let’s illustrate this with some examples.

Example 1. A Test Case Template With Variables

Below, you can see a generalized Jira test case template – a simple, yet valuable artifact for any QA team. It documents the standard test case structure, allowing you to quickly fill in the gaps and provide specific information rather than placeholders.

In addition to the text in the description and summary fields, the template can preserve information from other fields, including custom fields. For example, assignee, reporter, labels, checklists, and so on. The included variables allow you to quickly adjust the template to a specific test case upon creation. With such a template, you don’t have to start from scratch every time.

This template helps your team to easily follow the predefined format. This ensures consistency and promotes the standardized approach, based on your organization’s best practices. It also reduces manual work and saves time, improving overall efficiency.

To create such a template in your Jira instance, install Smart Templates for Jira.

For more on this topic, please see our blog article How to Create a Jira Test Case Template.

Example 2. Bug Report Template

Here’s another example of a reusable template that helps your team adhere to the pre-defined structure. For bug reporting, standardization is especially important. If bug reports are unclear or incomplete, this can result in extra back-and-forth discussions and slow down the process. Using a bug report template makes it easier to provide all the necessary details and context with clarity.

Since Smart Templates easily integrate with Automation for Jira, you can set up a rule that automatically adds this template to all Jira work items with the Bug type.

Example 3. A Test Suite Template With Test Cases and Checklists

In addition to stand-alone Jira issues, Smart Templates enable you to turn any set of work items into a template. In the QA context, this can be useful for recurring testing scenarios – for example, for regular regression testing that is performed on the same functionality. In this case, you need to complete the same steps before every release. Utilizing a test suit template will help you optimize time spent planning and creating work items.

In this example, a test suite is organized as a set of work items. Detailed steps for each test case are documented in checklists added using Smart Checklist, another useful solution from Titan Apps.

4 - A Test Suite Template With Test Cases and Checklists

To create such a test suite template, simply prepare a work item with test cases and save it for future use with Smart Templates.

How to Select Jira Test Management Tools That are Right for You?

The Atlassian Marketplace is filled with hundreds of add-ons for every niche of project management. For example, you’ll get 376 results for the term “testing”.

Surely not all of those products are made equal. Even the better ones may not fit the needs of different QA teams that follow different processes and rely on a plethora of testing applications.

I hope my overview of the 8 best Jira test management tools was useful to you, but you may also need to look for niche solutions that meet your specific requirements.

So what does one look for in a Jira tool for manual testing or test automation?

Learning curve: Odds are that there’s already a Jira integration for the tools you are used to. If that’s the case, they should be your go-to as you already know the ins and outs of the solution. If you opt for something new, take a look at the screenshots and reviews to make sense of the interface.
Functionality: There’s more you’ll need to keep your eye on when it comes to bug tracking than barebone features.
1. Can the add-on solve your specific needs?
2. How will it handle scaling?
3. Can it track the metrics you deem necessary or provide the test data you’ll need to make worthwhile test reports?
Integrations: Does the add-on fit into your company’s existing processes? I’m talking about playing nicely with the tools you use outside Jira, such as the software you utilize to make a test plan or document results.
Pricing: Consider what features are the most essential for your key use cases, so that you don’t overpay for something you don’t need much.

Beyond Jira Test Management Tools: Practical Tips to Adjust Jira for Testing Processes

There are some additional improvements you can make if you decide not to use dedicated tools (for example, if you go with Smart Templates without testing add-ons).

Use separate projects for the development and testing teams. The two projects should be linked, but it’s essential that you only store QA artifacts in the testing project: Test Cases, Test Suites, Bug Templates, etc. This will help you keep your main project clean while also managing QA assets in Jira more effectively.
Add QA statuses to your workflow. Apart from the basic statuses, such as InProgress or Done, it’s useful to also have QA-related statuses: for example, Ready for Testing, In Testing, QA Passed, and QA Failed. You can also add a dedicated column for QA statuses to your Kanban or Scrum board. This will make it easier to track progress visually and streamline testing.
Use dedicated work item types for QA needs. First, it’s recommended to create a separate work type for Test Cases. This will simplify your work with tests in Jira and make it easier to set up automation for QA-related work items. You can also add custom work types for Test Suite, Jira Test Plan, and so on.
Add work item fields necessary for QA context. Jira allows you to add a variety of custom fields to your work items. You can expand your current list of fields to include more QA-related information. For example, these can include fields such as Environment (to show where the issue occurs), Labels (for grouping test cases by various parameters, such as Release), and Affects Version / Fix Version (to indicate where an issue was found and where it should be resolved).

Streamlining Processes With Jira Test Management Tools

Developers and QA engineers need to communicate efficiently within a single project management software ecosystem. And while Jira is not a perfect tool for test management by default, the Atlassian Marketplace offers options to make everyone’s life a bit better.

Using the right Jira test management tools allows you to expand Jira’s native functionality and gather all the necessary context on one platform. This dramatically improves visibility and team communication. At the end of the day, all this helps you create great software products faster and more efficiently.

For more tips on this topic, have a look at other useful articles prepared by our team:

Article by Olga Cheban

Content Writer at TitanApps. I love it when my writing helps people find smarter ways to manage their time. Whether for individual professionals or large companies, even small changes in managing daily tasks can have a huge impact. My goal is to share practical advice that promotes efficiency and facilitates growth.

8 Most Useful Jira Test Management Tools