Softwr

Testing · head to head

Cypress vs Xray Test Management

Cypress logo

Cypress

Testing

JavaScript end-to-end testing framework with browser-based runner and cloud service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xray Test Management logo

Xray Test Management

Testing

Native test management for Jira, licensed per Jira user rather than per tester

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cypress has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cypress limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported; Xray Test Management pricing follows total Jira user count, not Xray user count, so a large company with a small QA team pays for hundreds of seats it does not use for testing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cypress and Xray Test Management actually diverge.

Attributes where Cypress and Xray Test Management differ
AttributeCypressXray Test Management
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumPer Jira user per month, tiered to total instance size
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, LinuxWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Testing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cypress

Nothing recorded that Xray Test Management does not also cover.

Only in Xray Test Management

  • Native Jira issue types
  • Requirement traceability
  • BDD support
  • CI integration
  • Test repository and reuse
  • Data Center edition

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cypress

  • End-to-end testing for modern JavaScript web applicationsnot Xray Test Management
  • Continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test executionnot Xray Test Management
  • Visual regression testing and accessibility verificationnot Xray Test Management
  • Flaky test detection and eliminationnot Xray Test Management
  • Team collaboration on test maintenance and debuggingnot Xray Test Management

Xray Test Management

  • A QA team already standardised on Jira that wants traceability from requirement to test to defect without a second toolnot Cypress
  • An organisation running Jira Data Center for compliance reasons that needs test management to matchnot Cypress
  • A team doing BDD that wants Gherkin scenarios linked to Jira issues rather than kept in a separate repositorynot Cypress
  • A company importing automated CI results into the same tracker developers already use for triagenot Cypress

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cypress

  • Limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported
  • Free tier capped at 500 test results/month; insufficient for most development teams
  • Paid features (flake detection, analytics) not included in free tier
  • JavaScript/TypeScript focused; less suitable for polyglot organisations

Xray Test Management

  • Pricing follows total Jira user count, not Xray user count, so a large company with a small QA team pays for hundreds of seats it does not use for testing.
  • Since October 2025 billing is based on peak users within the period, so a temporary contractor surge or acquisition-driven headcount bump can push the account into a costlier tier retroactively.
  • It only exists as a Jira add-on, so a team that is not already on Jira gains nothing by evaluating it; there is no standalone product.
  • Cloud and Data Center are separately licensed and diverge in feature timing, so a company migrating from self-hosted Jira to Cloud has to re-evaluate the Xray purchase, not just move data.
  • Heavy customisation of test workflows inside Jira increases the risk that a Jira version upgrade or a Xray version upgrade breaks configured automation rules.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cypress

Free
  • Starter (Free)Free
    • 500 test results/month
    • 100 prompt executions/month
    • Parallelisation
  • Team$67/month
    • 120k test results/year
    • 9k prompt executions/year
    • Flake detection
  • Business$267/month
    • 120k test results/year
    • 24k prompt executions/year
    • Spec prioritisation
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • 1.8M test results/year
    • 60k prompt executions/year
    • Unlimited users

Xray Test Management

On request
  • Xray Cloud Standard$10/month
    • Up to 10 Jira users
    • Manual and automated test management
    • Requirement traceability
  • Xray Cloud$undefined/month
    • Priced per Jira user, tier follows total instance headcount
    • Billed on peak user count within the billing period since October 2025
    • Rate per user declines at higher tiers but total spend still rises with headcount
  • Xray Data Center$undefined/year
    • Licensed against Jira Data Center tier
    • Separate purchase and upgrade cycle from Cloud

Which should you pick?

Choose Cypress if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Windows, Linux.
Cypress review

Choose Xray Test Management if

  • You need native jira issue types.
  • You also want requirement traceability.
Xray Test Management review

Questions people ask

Is Cypress or Xray Test Management better?
Neither clearly leads. Cypress starts at Free and Xray Test Management at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cypress or Xray Test Management?
Cypress has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cypress and On request for Xray Test Management.
Does Cypress or Xray Test Management run on more platforms?
Cypress runs on macOS, Windows, Linux. Xray Test Management runs on Web.
Can I use Cypress for free?
Yes. Cypress has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Xray Test Management starts at On request.
What is Cypress best used for?
Cypress is most often used for end-to-end testing for modern javascript web applications, continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test execution, visual regression testing and accessibility verification, flaky test detection and elimination. Of those, end-to-end testing for modern javascript web applications and continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test execution are not what Xray Test Management is typically brought in for.
What can Cypress do that Xray Test Management cannot?
Xray Test Management covers Native Jira issue types, Requirement traceability, BDD support, CI integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cypress: Is Cypress free?

Yes, Cypress offers a free Starter plan with 500 test results per month, 100 prompt executions monthly, 50 users, and 30-day data retention. No credit card is required.

Source
Xray Test Management: Is Xray priced per tester?

No. It is priced per user on the Jira instance it is installed into, regardless of how many of those users actually work in Xray.

Cypress: How much does Cypress Team cost?

Cypress Team costs $67 per month when billed monthly or $799 per year for annual billing (11% savings). It includes 120,000 annual test results, 9,000 yearly prompt executions, 50 users, 90-day data retention, flake detection, Jira integration, and email support.

Source
Xray Test Management: Who owns Xray?

Xblend, the company that grew out of the original XpandIT project, which Idera, Inc. acquired in 2021 along with the Xporter reporting tool.

Cypress: What is the difference between Cypress Team and Business?

Cypress Business costs $267 per month (or $3,199 annually) compared to Team's $67/month ($799/year). Business provides twice the prompt executions (24,000 vs. 9,000 yearly), spec prioritization, auto-cancellation, and enterprise GitHub/GitLab support.

Source
Xray Test Management: Is there a free tier?

No published free tier exists for either Cloud or Data Center editions.

Cypress: Can I purchase additional test results on Cypress?

Yes, Cypress allows purchasing bundled on-demand test results. Team costs $6 per 1,000 results, Business costs $5 per 1,000, and Enterprise pricing is custom. Open-source projects qualify for complimentary cloud services.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Cypress

More on Xray Test Management

Keep looking

Other head to heads