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Can a Jira Plugin Keep Up With a Dedicated Solution?

ā–¶Page updated ā€” March 12, 2026

It’s tempting to manage testing in Jira. Xray is the most popular plugin to do exactly that, used by over 10 million testers across 10,000 companies. But Xray is architecturally constrained by Jira. That constraint shows when you need AI-powered testing, advanced reporting, or On-Premise deployment. aqua is a standalone QA-first ALM that operates independently. Find out what that difference means in practice.

Key differences between aqua and Xray

aqua offers free AI-powered testing across the full QA lifecycle

aqua is the only option with full On-Premise deployment

aqua includes free Guest and low-cost Scout licences with no Jira seat required

How we compare

Key differences between aqua and Xray

AI

AI in test management has evolved well beyond basic test generation. A well-rounded AI solution should function as a context-aware AI embedded in the full QA workflow. Here is what to look for:

  • Analyse your workspace and project documentation to get relevant QA context
  • Create test cases and requirements from plain text, images, or PDFs
  • Support multiple test methodologies: BDD, equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis
  • Generate test data for simple values through to complex datasets

aqua’s actana AI uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation, grounded in your actual project documentation rather than generic templates. It covers requirements generation, test case creation, test data creation, and BDD output. All of this is included free on Cloud plans. Teams report saving over 12 hours per week per tester. Xray introduced AI Test Case Generation on Standard and Advanced Cloud tiers, supporting manual and BDD (Cucumber) formats with human-in-the-loop control. Xray Enterprise adds AI Test Model Generation, which transforms requirements into visual system models. Xray’s AI does not cover requirements generation or test data creation. It is also unavailable on Data Center.

RAG-grounded AI trained on your project docs
AI uses general context; no RAG grounding confirmed
Generate tests from requirements, images, PDFs
Generate from requirements text; supports Manual and Cucumber formats
BDD test case generation
BDD (Cucumber) test case generation
AI test data generation
Not available
AI requirements
Not available
AI Test Model Generation
AI Test Model Generation (Enterprise only)
AI included free on all Cloud plans
Available on Standard and Advanced Cloud; not on Data Center
RAG-grounded AI trained on your project docs
Generate tests from requirements, images, PDFs
BDD test case generation
AI test data generation
AI requirements
AI Test Model Generation
AI included free on all Cloud plans
AI uses general context; no RAG grounding confirmed
Generate from requirements text; supports Manual and Cucumber formats
BDD (Cucumber) test case generation
Not available
Not available
AI Test Model Generation (Enterprise only)
Available on Standard and Advanced Cloud; not on Data Center

Verdict: aqua wins. Its RAG-grounded actana AI covers the full QA lifecycle for free, while Xray's AI covers test case and model generation only.

Try aqua AI

Test management

Test management is the core reason to compare these tools. Beyond creating and running tests, you should look for traceability, compliance logging, and flexible organisation. Here is what a well-rounded solution should include:

  • Create, execute, share, and manage test cases in the workspace
  • Group tests into test scenarios, segment into folders, and assign labels
  • See the entire execution history for a test case
  • Store a full log of changes for compliance
  • Support reusable shared test steps and nested test cases
  • Visualise requirements coverage and dependencies

Both tools handle test management fundamentals well. Xray offers requirements linked to test cases, detailed traceability reports, native BDD support, and Jira-native workflows. aqua adds shared test steps, nested test cases, change reversal, and shared views. Compliance logging is available on all aqua plans. Xray adds test case versioning only at the Enterprise tier.

Test cases, scenarios, bulk edits, custom fields
Test cases, test sets, bulk edits, custom fields
Full execution history
Full execution history
Configurable QA workflows
Jira-native workflow customisation
Compliance change history on all plans
Test case versioning on Enterprise only
Shared test steps
Not available
Nested test cases and change reversal
Modular tests (call test) available; no change reversal
BDD support
Native BDD / Cucumber support
Navigation, filters, and shared views
Filters available; no saved shared views
Test cases, scenarios, bulk edits, custom fields
Full execution history
Configurable QA workflows
Compliance change history on all plans
Shared test steps
Nested test cases and change reversal
BDD support
Navigation, filters, and shared views
Test cases, test sets, bulk edits, custom fields
Full execution history
Jira-native workflow customisation
Test case versioning on Enterprise only
Not available
Modular tests (call test) available; no change reversal
Native BDD / Cucumber support
Filters available; no saved shared views
Verdict: aqua wins by including shared test steps, change reversal, and compliance on all plans without an Enterprise upgrade.

Integrations

Most QA teams rely on third-party tools built up over many years. Native integrations and REST API access are essential to stay independent. Here is what a strong integration offering looks like:

  • Native integrations with test automation tools
  • Jira integration with real-time synchronisation
  • REST/GraphQL API for integrating any tool
  • Native bug reporting or test recording tool
  • Support for CI/CD pipeline connections

Both tools offer Jira integration and REST API. Xray supports native integration with automation frameworks including Cucumber, Selenium, and JUnit, and fits into CI/CD pipelines. aqua covers a wider range of native QA tool connections including Selenium, Jenkins, UFT, JMeter, SoapUI, and Ranorex. It also includes the native Capture tool for one-click bug recording with video, screenshots, and technical context. Xray’s exploratory testing is handled by a separate desktop app rather than a built-in recorder.

Jira real-time bi-directional sync
Jira-native (tests are Jira issues)
Azure DevOps and Confluence integration
Azure DevOps; no native Confluence
REST API
REST API + GraphQL (Advanced)
Selenium, Jenkins, UFT, JMeter, SoapUI, Ranorex (native)
Cucumber, Selenium, JUnit (native framework support)
Native bug recording via aqua Capture
Separate Xray Exploratory App (desktop); screenshots and video recording available
One bug tracker integration at a time
All Jira projects supported natively
Jira real-time bi-directional sync
Azure DevOps and Confluence integration
REST API
Selenium, Jenkins, UFT, JMeter, SoapUI, Ranorex (native)
Native bug recording via aqua Capture
One bug tracker integration at a time
Jira-native (tests are Jira issues)
Azure DevOps; no native Confluence
REST API + GraphQL (Advanced)
Cucumber, Selenium, JUnit (native framework support)
Separate Xray Exploratory App (desktop); screenshots and video recording available
All Jira projects supported natively
Verdict: aqua wins on native testing tool depth and built-in bug recording.

Pricing flexibility

Pricing models in test management vary widely. Looking beyond the list price matters when spotting hidden costs and licence restrictions. Key criteria:

  • Free licences for stakeholders or read-only users
  • Affordable licence types for developers and manual testers
  • Transparent, publicly available pricing
  • No minimum seat requirement

Xray Cloud Standard starts at $100/year for up to ten Jira users. Because Xray is a Jira plugin, every user also needs a paid Jira licence on top of that. There are no reduced licence types or free viewer licences. aqua offers three named licence types: the Full Licence for Requirement Management or Test Management at ā‚¬89/user/month, a Test Runner DEV licence at ā‚¬19/user/month for developers and QA specialists who execute tests without needing to manage requirements or test cases, and free unlimited Guest Licences with read-only access included on every plan. The complete aqua Suite covering all modules is available at ā‚¬99/month for Private Cloud or On-Premise. No Jira licence is required to run aqua.

No setup cost
No setup cost
Free Guest Licences, unlimited seats, on every plan
No free viewer licence
Test Runner DEV licence at ā‚¬19/user/month for test executors
Full-price licences only, no reduced tier
Full Licence from ā‚¬89/user/month; full Suite at ā‚¬99/month
Cloud Standard from $100/year for 10 Jira users
No Jira licence required
Every user requires a paid Jira licence
Compliance features included on standard plans
Test case versioning only on Xray Enterprise
No setup cost
Free Guest Licences, unlimited seats, on every plan
Test Runner DEV licence at ā‚¬19/user/month for test executors
Full Licence from ā‚¬89/user/month; full Suite at ā‚¬99/month
No Jira licence required
Compliance features included on standard plans
No setup cost
No free viewer licence
Full-price licences only, no reduced tier
Cloud Standard from $100/year for 10 Jira users
Every user requires a paid Jira licence
Test case versioning only on Xray Enterprise

Verdict: aqua wins ā€” no Jira dependency, free Guest Licences, and a ā‚¬19 Test Runner DEV licence that lets test executors join without a full licence cost.

Try aqua for free

Deployment Models

Deployment flexibility is critical, especially in regulated or security-sensitive industries. Vendors do not always make their options obvious. Key deployment types to look for:

  • Vendor-hosted Cloud
  • Self-hosted / Data Center deployment
  • On-Premise deployment
  • AI feature availability across deployment types

aqua has supported On-Premise deployment for over a decade, serving banking, insurance, and government clients. Xray offers Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center (self-hosted on your own infrastructure). Xray’s AI features are Cloud-only and unavailable on Data Center. aqua also offers GDPR-compliant German-hosted Cloud and Enterprise Custom Cloud on any Azure data centre.

On-Premise deployment available
Jira Data Center (self-hosted on own infrastructure)
GDPR-compliant German Cloud hosting
Atlassian-hosted Cloud; not specifically German-hosted
Enterprise Custom Cloud on any Azure data centre
Atlassian-managed cloud only
AI not available on On-Premise
AI on Cloud only; unavailable on Data Center
Fully independent of Jira infrastructure
Cloud and Data Center both require Jira
On-Premise deployment available
GDPR-compliant German Cloud hosting
Enterprise Custom Cloud on any Azure data centre
AI not available on On-Premise
Fully independent of Jira infrastructure
Jira Data Center (self-hosted on own infrastructure)
Atlassian-hosted Cloud; not specifically German-hosted
Atlassian-managed cloud only
AI on Cloud only; unavailable on Data Center
Cloud and Data Center both require Jira
Verdict: aqua wins by offering true On-Premise deployment independent of any third-party platform.

Dashboards

QA dashboards serve two vital purposes. They help the QA team track progress and make bottlenecks visible to the wider organisation. A strong dashboard feature set should cover:

  • Use all workspace data including custom fields
  • Create private and shared dashboards
  • Choose between various graph types
  • Set up KPI alerts via email or in-app notifications

Xray provides reporting via built-in Jira gadgets and cross-project traceability charts. aqua provides fully customisable dashboards displaying any workspace data, multiple graph types, and KPI Alerts. KPI Alerts notify you when a tracked metric goes outside a defined range, shifting dashboards from reactive to proactive.

All workspace data including custom fields
Cross-project reporting and traceability charts
Private and shared dashboards
Dashboards via Jira
Multiple graph types
Standard Jira chart types
KPI Alerts via email and in-app notifications
No KPI Alerts
External dashboard sharing without login
Requires Jira access or export
All workspace data including custom fields
Private and shared dashboards
Multiple graph types
KPI Alerts via email and in-app notifications
External dashboard sharing without login
Cross-project reporting and traceability charts
Dashboards via Jira
Standard Jira chart types
No KPI Alerts
Requires Jira access or export
Verdict: aqua wins by full data customisation and KPI Alerts unavailable in Xray.

Reporting

Reporting is important for both internal and external stakeholders. When a tool offers both a template library and rich customisation, that is a good start:

  • Access vendor-provided template library
  • Create custom layouts and save them
  • Use and transform any data
  • Add external data and imagery
  • Employ scripts and parametrisation to auto-update reports

Xray includes a Document Generator with built-in report templates and gadgets. Custom data or layouts beyond these templates require building Word/Excel documents manually outside the platform. aqua’s reporting engine is fully native: drag-and-drop any data, apply custom formatting, add external imagery, use pivot tables, write scripts, and save reusable templates. All of this happens without leaving the tool.

Template library
Built-in reports and gadgets
Native custom reports with drag-and-drop
Manual Word/Excel templates for custom layouts
Native use of any data
Limited to pre-defined report data
Drag-and-drop
Not available
External text and imagery
Not available
Native custom layout
Not available
Pivot tables, scripts, and parametrisation
Not available
Saved custom report layouts
Not available natively
Template library
Native custom reports with drag-and-drop
Native use of any data
Drag-and-drop
External text and imagery
Native custom layout
Pivot tables, scripts, and parametrisation
Saved custom report layouts
Built-in reports and gadgets
Manual Word/Excel templates for custom layouts
Limited to pre-defined report data
Not available
Not available
Not available
Not available
Not available natively
Verdict: aqua wins by offering fully native custom reports inside the platform.

User management

Precise user management is essential when working on multiple projects and external specialists. Key criteria include:

  • Set default and custom roles
  • Apply per-user permission overrides
  • Authenticate users via SSO
  • Server and project level administration

Xray inherits Jira’s user and permission model. aqua provides individual per-user permission overrides, SSO via both SAML and LDAP, and both server-level and project-level administrators. These are all available on all aqua plans without requiring an upgrade.

SSO via SAML and LDAP on all plans
SSO via Jira / Atlassian Access
Default and custom roles on all plans
Default and custom roles via Jira
Individual per-user permission overrides
Permissions inherited from Jira's model
Server and project level administrators
Project and account admin via Jira
Interface in English and German only
Multilingual via Jira's language support
SSO via SAML and LDAP on all plans
Default and custom roles on all plans
Individual per-user permission overrides
Server and project level administrators
Interface in English and German only
SSO via Jira / Atlassian Access
Default and custom roles via Jira
Permissions inherited from Jira's model
Project and account admin via Jira
Multilingual via Jira's language support
Verdict: aqua wins by providing individual permission overrides available on all plans.

ALM

You may be interested in a solution that handles the full product lifecycle. Consolidating into a single platform reduces licensing costs and improves traceability. Look for:

  • Test case management
  • Requirements management
  • Project management

Both tools cover the full product lifecycle. aqua is purpose-built as a QA-first ALM where requirements, tests, and project management coexist natively in one interface. Xray achieves ALM coverage through the combination of Jira and the Xray plugin. Both approaches provide end-to-end traceability, though through different architectures.

Test case management
Test case management (as Jira issues)
Requirements management
Requirements linked to test cases
Project management
Project management via Jira
End-to-end traceability in one interfac
Full traceability via Jira issue links
Test case management
Requirements management
Project management
End-to-end traceability in one interfac
Test case management (as Jira issues)
Requirements linked to test cases
Project management via Jira
Full traceability via Jira issue links
Details verdict icon: Tie
Verdict: It's a tie. Both cover the full product lifecycle with different strengths.

What people say

Here are a few things people like and dislike about both tools.

star star star star star

ā€œI was surprised to find such a comprehensive and mature tool for test management in the German market without having taken it seriously beforehand.ā€

Jƶrg GroƟmann

Head of Development at Bank 11

star star star

ā€œAccording to me, Xray is the best test management tool in Jira.The only thing bothers a lot is the order of test cases gets disorganised each time a test execution or test plan gets created.ā€

Dinesh P

Software Development Engineer at a small business (<50 emp.)

star star star star star

ā€œThe reporting is meaningful and provides a good basis for decisions. After the employees have used aqua, they recognize the added value very quickly.ā€

Thomas Haeske

Head of Organisation/IT at Berlin Hyp

star star star

ā€œ- Navigating test execution in test coverage could be simpler - No version control - No availability to link test execution to the sub-taskā€

A G2 Reviewer

Computer Software (50-1000 emp.)

star star star star star

ā€œManual test cases are easily automated with aqua. Seamless integration with test automation tools helps here.ā€

Jƶrn-Hendrick Sƶrensen

Test Manager at KBA

star star star

ā€œIt's a bit of a learning curve when getting started. It took our team about a year to realise that there are so many other tools to utilise, but didn't really understand how to get to that point. On top of that, Xray is different by JIRA account type, so the documentation is different. If you don't find the correct documentation that applies to your company's JIRA account (Cloud, Server, etc...), you might end up reading through the wrong one, and being utterly confused. ā€œ

Sarah P..

QA Engineer at a small business (<50 emp.)

star star star star star

ā€œI was surprised to find such a comprehensive and mature tool for test management in the German market without having taken it seriously beforehand.ā€

Jƶrg GroƟmann

Head of Development at Bank 11

star star star star star

ā€œThe reporting is meaningful and provides a good basis for decisions. After the employees have used aqua, they recognize the added value very quickly.ā€

Thomas Haeske

Head of Organisation/IT at Berlin Hyp

star star star star star

ā€œManual test cases are easily automated with aqua. Seamless integration with test automation tools helps here.ā€

Jƶrn-Hendrick Sƶrensen

Test Manager at KBA

star star star

ā€œAccording to me, Xray is the best test management tool in Jira.The only thing bothers a lot is the order of test cases gets disorganised each time a test execution or test plan gets created.ā€

Dinesh P

Software Development Engineer at a small business (<50 emp.)

star star star

ā€œ- Navigating test execution in test coverage could be simpler - No version control - No availability to link test execution to the sub-taskā€

A G2 Reviewer

Computer Software (50-1000 emp.)

star star star

ā€œIt's a bit of a learning curve when getting started. It took our team about a year to realise that there are so many other tools to utilise, but didn't really understand how to get to that point. On top of that, Xray is different by JIRA account type, so the documentation is different. If you don't find the correct documentation that applies to your company's JIRA account (Cloud, Server, etc...), you might end up reading through the wrong one, and being utterly confused. ā€œ

Sarah P..

QA Engineer at a small business (<50 emp.)

Final verdict

aqua is a QA-oriented ALM that runs independently, includes AI across the full QA lifecycle at no extra cost, and supports true On-Premise deployment for regulated industries. Xray is the most widely used Jira-native test management plugin, trusted by 137 Fortune Global 500 companies, and a strong fit for teams already deep in the Jira ecosystem. Where Xray reaches its limits is visible in AI depth, reporting, pricing flexibility, and deployment independence.

RAG-grounded actana AI across the full QA lifecycle, free on all Cloud plans
AI for test case and test model generation; Cloud plans only
On-Premise deployment independent of any third-party platform
Jira Data Center (self-hosted); requires Jira infrastructure
Full ALM with unified QA-first interface
Full ALM via Jira and Xray combined
Compliance and audit features on all plans
Test case versioning on Xray Enterprise only
Free Guest Licences; ā‚¬19 Test Runner DEV licence; no Jira licence required
Every user requires a paid Jira licence; no reduced licence tier
GDPR-compliant German Cloud hosting
Atlassian Cloud; not German-hosted
Native custom reports built inside platform
Custom reports require Word/Excel templates
KPI Alerts and fully customisable dashboards
No KPI Alerts; standard Jira gadgets only
Individual per-user permission overrides
Permissions via Jira's model
Native integrations: UFT, JMeter, SoapUI, Ranorex + Capture bug recorder
Cucumber, Selenium, JUnit + Exploratory App with recording
Interface in English and German only
Multilingual via Jira
RAG-grounded actana AI across the full QA lifecycle, free on all Cloud plans
On-Premise deployment independent of any third-party platform
Full ALM with unified QA-first interface
Compliance and audit features on all plans
Free Guest Licences; ā‚¬19 Test Runner DEV licence; no Jira licence required
GDPR-compliant German Cloud hosting
Native custom reports built inside platform
KPI Alerts and fully customisable dashboards
Individual per-user permission overrides
Native integrations: UFT, JMeter, SoapUI, Ranorex + Capture bug recorder
Interface in English and German only
AI for test case and test model generation; Cloud plans only
Jira Data Center (self-hosted); requires Jira infrastructure
Full ALM via Jira and Xray combined
Test case versioning on Xray Enterprise only
Every user requires a paid Jira licence; no reduced licence tier
Atlassian Cloud; not German-hosted
Custom reports require Word/Excel templates
No KPI Alerts; standard Jira gadgets only
Permissions via Jira's model
Cucumber, Selenium, JUnit + Exploratory App with recording
Multilingual via Jira

Winner

Try aqua for free

FAQ

What are the key differences between aqua and Xray?

aqua is a standalone QA-first ALM with RAG-grounded AI across the full testing lifecycle, true On-Premise deployment, and native custom reporting. Xray is a Jira-native plugin trusted by 10,000+ companies that excels for teams already in the Jira ecosystem, but is constrained in AI depth, reporting, and user licensing.

Can I migrate from Xray to aqua without losing my project structure?

Yes, aqua provides an automated migration tool that preserves test cases, attachments, and project hierarchy.

Does Xray work without Jira?

No. Xray is a Jira plugin and requires a Jira licence for every user. aqua operates fully independently without a Jira subscription.

Is AI available on Xray Data Center?

No. Xray AI features are only available on Cloud plans. Aqua’s actana AI is similarly Cloud-only, though aqua continues to offer On-Premise for teams that do not require AI.

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