Alternative

Looking for an RTM Alternative That Won't Bloat Your Jira?

BesTest is a Jira-native test management app with built-in requirements tracking, Smart Collections, and a free tier for up to 10 users. See how it compares to RTM.

Why Switch from RTM?

No Jira issue bloat - RTM stores every requirement, test case, and execution as a Jira issue; BesTest keeps test data out of your Jira database entirely

Jira stays fast at scale - thousands of executions never become thousands of issues weighing down search, boards, and backlogs

Review and approval for test cases and requirements built in - in RTM you would build that yourself with Jira workflows

Smart Collections build test cycles from rules (folders, fields, BQL, linked requirements) instead of manual test plan assembly

Free for up to 10 users with full functionality (RTM starts at $8 a month), and slightly cheaper per user for teams up to about 1,500 users

Release readiness on every Jira work item uses coverage, pass rate and open bugs to give a clear go/no-go signal

See BesTest in Action

Organize test cases in hierarchical folders, track execution in real time, and monitor coverage - all inside Jira.

BesTest test case catalog with hierarchical folders - a Jira-native alternative to RTM — BesTest keeps test cases organized in hierarchical folders with drag-and-drop - your test catalog stays structured while your Jira backlog stays clean.

Rather click around yourself? Open the live demo - the real app in your browser, no login, no install.

Who Should Consider BesTest?

Teams usually start hunting for an RTM alternative when the issue count catches up with them. Because RTM stores requirements, test cases, and executions as Jira issues, a healthy testing practice steadily fills your Jira database and clutters backlog views. BesTest keeps the part RTM got right - requirements and tests connected in one Jira app - and fixes the architecture: test data lives in a dedicated database, so Jira stays fast no matter how much you test.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

See how BesTest and RTM compare across key capabilities

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Architecture & Data Storage

Feature

BesTest

RTM

Data Storage Approach

How test data is stored and managed

Separate database - keeps Jira clean and fast

Jira issues - tests stored as Jira issues

Jira Performance Impact

Effect on Jira instance performance as test data grows

No impact - data stored separately

"Issue bloat" - can slow down Jira at scale

Jira Backlog

Whether tests appear in sprint backlogs and boards

Clean backlog - tests are separate

Tests can appear in backlog (requires filtering)

JQL Searchable Tests

Search test cases using query language

BQL - JQL-like query language with auto-complete

Full JQL support (tests are issues)

Requirements Management

Feature

BesTest

RTM

Built-in Requirements Module

Native module for creating and managing requirements

Requirements Traceability

Link requirements to test cases and track coverage

Coverage Reports

See which requirements are covered by tests

Covered / Partly covered / Not covered, weighted by significance

Requirement Review & Approval

Send requirements to reviewers and get them approved before test cases are written

Same review workflow as test cases

Via Jira issue workflows (DIY)

Test Case Management

Feature

BesTest

RTM

Test Case Creation

Create and organize test cases with steps

Folder Organization

Organize tests in hierarchical folder structure

Test Case Review Workflow

Built-in approval process for test cases before execution

Reviewers, due dates, review rounds, review audit trail

Via Jira issue workflows (DIY)

BDD/Gherkin Support

Support for behavior-driven development syntax

Preconditions

Define reusable preconditions for tests

Test Execution

Feature

BesTest

RTM

Test Plans

Organize and plan test execution

Test Executions

Execute test cases and track results

Smart Collections

Reusable test sets built from folder, field and BQL rules plus linked requirements, re-evaluated every time you add them to a cycle

Test Player

Dedicated interface for executing tests

Search, My work, filters, Next to do, reruns

Defect Tracking

Track defects found during test execution

Cross-Project Testing

Reuse tests across multiple Jira projects

Not yet

Automation & Integration

Feature

BesTest

RTM

REST API

API for custom integrations and automation

Yes

MCP Server

Official Model Context Protocol server for AI agents

Yes, self-service tokens

No official server (community project only)

CI/CD Integration

Connect with Jenkins, GitLab, and other CI tools

Via REST API

Search & Filtering

Feature

BesTest

RTM

Visual Search

Visual rule builder for Smart Collection rules

Reporting & Analytics

Feature

BesTest

RTM

Dashboard

Visual overview of testing progress

Traceability Matrix

Visual matrix of requirements to tests

Release Readiness

Coverage, pass rate, open bugs and a risk level for a Jira work item and everything linked to it

On every Jira work item, plus a report

Via coverage reports

Export Options

Export reports to various formats

PDF export

CSV, PDF export

User Experience

Feature

BesTest

RTM

UI Design

Interface approach and design consistency

Jira-native with separate data

Custom UI design

Setup Complexity

Time and effort to get started

Quick setup - minutes to start

Straightforward setup

Learning Curve

Time to become proficient

Familiar Jira-like experience

Intuitive but different from Jira

Platform & Security

Feature

BesTest

RTM

Architecture

Underlying platform technology

Built on Atlassian Forge from day one

Forge Remote (migrated from Connect)

See the full BesTest vs RTM comparison

Related Features

Test Case Management with Folder Hierarchy

Organize your test catalog in an intuitive folder structure

Learn more

Smart Collections

Automate test cycle building in Jira with dynamic rules and default assignees

Learn more

Deep Dive Reporting and Analytics

Go beyond pass/fail counts with actionable test analytics

Learn more

Related Resources

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