SpiraTest vs. Rapise: When to Use Each
Delivering high-quality, reliable software requires a robust testing strategy that balances manual and automated testing. But with the complexity of test case management, automation frameworks, compliance requirements, and multi-platform support, how do you choose the right testing tools?
At Inflectra, we offer two industry-leading solutions for unmatched testing capabilities:
- SpiraTest: A test management tool that centralizes all test planning, execution, defect tracking, and reporting in a single, traceable system.
- Rapise: A test automation tool designed to speed up testing, minimize manual effort, and increase accuracy across multiple platforms, including web, desktop, mobile, and APIs.
So, when should you use a test management tool (SpiraTest) vs. a test automation tool (Rapise)? Let’s explore.
How SpiraTest Solves Test Management Challenges
Effective testing is more than just running test cases — it’s about ensuring traceability, compliance, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. SpiraTest is one of the best test management tools available to centralize all of your testing activities and analysis in a comprehensive hub. It eliminates common test management challenges by providing a single source of truth for all testing activities.
SpiraTest by Inflectra: Test Management With Quality, Agility & Speed
Key Benefits of SpiraTest:
- Centralized Test Management: Manage all test cases, requirements, defects, and exploratory testing in one place, facilitating seamless communication between teams.
- End-to-End Traceability: Automatically link test cases to specific user stories, business requirements, and defects, making it easy to track software quality from planning to production.
- Real-Time Collaboration & Compliance: Synchronize work between QA teams, developers, and product managers with custom workflows, automated approval processes, and integrated document management — essential for regulated industries like healthcare, aviation, and finance.
- Comprehensive Reporting: Leverage custom dashboards, real-time analytics, and built-in compliance tracking to detect defects earlier, and improve release confidence.
- Seamless Integration with DevOps & Automation: Connect SpiraTest with Jenkins, Selenium, JIRA, Git, and Rapise to create a continuous testing pipeline aligned with Agile and DevOps workflows.
Want to centralize your test management? Learn more today!
How Rapise Enhances Automated Testing
As software complexity increases, manual testing alone cannot keep up with frequent deployments, evolving UIs, and multi-platform compatibility. Rapise is a cutting-edge automated testing tool that enables teams to automate testing at scale while maintaining adaptability and efficiency. Its advanced features help developers stay ahead of the curve, save time, and streamline testing without sacrificing compliance or documentation coverage.
Rapise by Inflectra: Codeless Test Automation for Web, Mobile, Desktop, APIs and ERP Systems
Key Benefits of Rapise:
- Accelerates Test Execution: Automate functional, regression, UI, and API tests to execute thousands of test cases in minutes rather than hours.
- AI-Powered Automation: Uses computer vision, optical character recognition (OCR), and AI to dynamically adjust test scripts even when UI elements change.
- No-Code & Code-Based Flexibility: Supports codeless automation with intelligent record-and-playback, while also allowing full scripting control for advanced users via JavaScript.
- Multi-Platform & Cross-Browser Testing: Test across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, as well as native Windows applications, mobile apps, and APIs, ensuring broad compatibility.
Looking to automate your testing? Get started with Rapise today!
Test Management vs. Test Automation
As illustrated with the two different tools, test management (SpiraTest) focuses more broadly on planning, documenting, creating, executing, and tracking the testing process — both automated and manual activities. Automated testing (Rapise), as the name suggests, primarily concentrates more narrowly on improving the efficiency of test execution, particularly repetitive test cases. However, they often work together to enhance the effectiveness, traceability, speed, and coverage of software testing activities.
When to Use SpiraTest
If your primary goal is to plan, document, and manage test cases and manual testing sessions, SpiraTest is the ideal tool. Its centralized hub for organizing, tracking, and analyzing these areas makes it a powerful choice to fill this role. Similarly, if traceability is your objective, a test management tool like SpiraTest helps link documented requirements to specific test cases and any resultant defects that are surfaced. This provides end-to-end visibility and easy reporting across the development lifecycle.
Another way that SpiraTest’s centralization of test management helps is via collaboration — it enables developers, testers, and product owners (like those in Agile Scrum teams) to operate out of a single system. Lastly, while both SpiraTest and Rapise are built for compliance in regulated industries like aerospace, biotech, and more, SpiraTest’s project traceability and documentation make it a more robust HQ for this information.
Takeaway: SpiraTest is great for centralizing, planning, managing, and tracking testing activities and outcomes at a project-wide level, especially for regulation-heavy industries.
When to Use Rapise
For extensive regression testing, which can be incredibly repetitive, using a test automation tool like Rapise is invaluable. It saves countless hours in execution, but also in test maintenance. Its self-healing tests and optical character recognition keep scripts intact and functioning, even when UI elements move or aren’t well-designed for automation in the first place. For applications that need to function across multiple device types, Rapise’s cross-platform automation is a great way to standardize and scale testing across web, desktop, and mobile environments without sacrificing coverage.
Although the main focus of test automation is often around test execution, modern tools like Rapise also speed up test creation. By recording user actions, Rapise can translate these into scripted tests without needing any coding input — however, users still have the flexibility to manually script tests if necessary. Once created, Rapise also incorporates thorough test verification and validation checks for teams uncertain of test quality, to maximize the accuracy of your testing.
Takeaway: Rapise is ideal for automating functional and regression testing across platforms, creating resilient and codeless test cases, and improving overall test coverage.
When to Use Both
Using test management and test automation together often provides greater value than the sum of their parts. Each complements the other and bolsters important areas for modern testing and development. For example, it’s typically best practice to use both manual and automated testing in development. This requires a combination of tools, like SpiraTest and Rapise, to manage both sides effectively and maximize the value of each.
For teams looking to scale their testing or implement continuous testing, using both Rapise and SpiraTest allows developers to expand test coverage without exponentially increasing manual efforts. The combination of automation and clear reporting facilitates cost-effective and transparent testing for actionable insights. This is especially beneficial for projects with many stakeholders that need to see the value of scalability.
Combining test management with test automation enables teams to:
- Expand Test Coverage: Manage manual and automated tests in a single, integrated system.
- Gain Real-Time Insights: Use SpiraTest’s dashboards to monitor test execution and software quality trends.
- Enhance DevOps Pipelines: Use Rapise’s CI/CD capabilities to integrate testing into every stage of development.
Recap: When Should You Use SpiraTest & Rapise?
|
Scenario |
Best Fit |
|
Managing manual and exploratory testing |
SpiraTest |
|
Tracking test coverage and ensuring full traceability |
SpiraTest |
|
Automating functional and regression testing |
Rapise |
|
Recording and enhancing UI workflows |
Rapise |
|
Scaling from manual to automated testing |
SpiraTest + Rapise |
|
Creating a comprehensive testing pipeline |
SpiraTest + Rapise |
- Test management, traceability, and compliance → SpiraTest
- Automated testing at scale → Rapise
Example Workflow
|
Step |
Tool |
How it Helps |
|
1. Define requirements |
SpiraTest |
Ensure full traceability and alignment with project goals |
|
SpiraTest |
Organize and structure manual & automated tests |
|
|
3. Automate tests |
Rapise |
Reduce manual effort and increase test coverage |
|
4. Execute tests |
Rapise |
Run automated and manual tests efficiently |
|
5. Analyze results |
SpiraTest |
Gain insights and track test coverage |
Want the best of both worlds? Try SpiraTest + Rapise for complete test coverage!