It’s very rare to find a defect-free product. Every software application has some kind of bug crawling through its code, even those designed by highly talented developers and tested by vigilant QA teams. And these bugs can multiply quickly when a disjointed process—or worse, no process—is in place.
Perfection, of course, is always the goal when QA testing. But reducing the number of defects within the system while adhering to tight deadlines and lean teams can make this goal seem unattainable.
Fortunately, it can be achieved. With the help of defect tracking tools, your team can stay on schedule while drastically improving product quality.
But which bug reporting tools are right for you? Should your team consider commercial or open source defect tracking tools? And which features should your team consider when selecting an issue tracker?
We created this guide to help you navigate the process of choosing the most effective software bug tracking tools for your business, from understanding its benefits to exploring our recommended defect tracking tools list.
What are Software Bug Tracking Tools?
In QA issue tracking, bug tracking tools are platforms used to record issues that either consumers or internal users experience with a software product. Bug reporting tools provide a productive space for QA engineers, developers and customer support agents to track application issues from discovery to resolution via a ticketing system. Both commercial and open source defect tracking tools address software product issues efficiently for internal teams and alert users with status updates in real time.
When using defect tracking tools, a QA testers or customer service agent creates a ticket to address the detected bug. The ticket creator can assign a priority level for the uncovered issue based on severity which can be readjusted by the development and project management teams based on feasibility, internal resources and development roadmaps. Defect tracking software tickets are closed once the issues are resolved or cannot be reproduced by QA testers or developers.
Benefits of a Bug Tracking Software
Bug reporting tools are designed to aid the progress of improving your software application for all those involved within the development cycle. With an issue tracking system in place, including those featured within our defect tracking tools list, your team can expect to see these benefits to your QA testing and software development process.
- Stronger Products: Having full visibility to all product issues leads to a better user experience with your software application. Both proprietary and open source defect tracking tools are designed to support the QA and development process so that your product experiences fewer breakdowns and increases consumer satisfaction.
- Effective Communication: When each team member is focused on their area of a project, it’s easy to lose sight of the end goal. Defect tracking tools connect teams and keep everyone organized through alerts and notifications as problems arise. Defect tracking software prevents bugs from slipping through the cracks with a simple way to address and assign the issue.
- Increased ROI: During new product rollouts, prioritizing what to fix first can be difficult. Software bug tracking tools step in like a project manager to direct you on which areas require immediate attention and in which order tickets should be addressed. These tools are also designed to reduce overall development costs and present productivity stats for effective QA reporting to the CEO.
- Pattern Identification: Through an automatic record of previous issues, defect tracking tools can emphasize patterns and trends across submitted tickets. Managers have full visibility on tickets, including how long it took to fix the issue, which team member was assigned and end results. Identifying these patterns allows QA and development teams to improve their internal process and resource allocation.
Bug Tracking Tool Features to Consider
Before exploring our defect tracking tools list, you must first identify the features necessary for your team to get the most out of your defect tracking software. We recommend reviewing these considerations for software bug tracking tools so that you know what features you should look for in an issue tracking platform.
- Commercial vs Open Source: Price is the most noticeable difference between commercial and open source tools. Open source defect tracking tools are free with an open source code available to all while commercial tools have a closed source code and require paid licensing for product use. If you’re new to issue tracking, we recommend first trying out an open source option before upgrading your QA tracking process with more sophistication and customization that commercial solutions can provide.
- Integration Opportunities: Many software bug tracking tools can easily connect to your third party applications, including applications and reference sources. This allows your team to track the progress of a release from one centralized location rather than bouncing around multiple platforms to pull the information you need. From test cases to code files, both QA and development teams can access the data they need from one source to meet deadlines and resolve the issues accurately.
- Scalability: Managing efficiency is the name of the game and defect tracking tools are designed to make it happen. With access to full transparency across development cycles, project leads can better manage resources in order to effectively increase productivity on lean internal resources. Make sure the tool you choose can keep up with your company as it grows in size and project complexity.
- Tailored Workflow: Keep your workflow guidelines in mind while selecting an issue tracker. Do the bug reporting tools you’re considering allow for a closed ticket to be reopened? Can the assignment of ticket priority be limited to specific users? Can workflow steps have response time requirements in order to stay aligned with company service agreements? Can tickets be automatically closed after a certain time frame?
- Reporting Capabilities: Statistical insights on your bug reporting process can accelerate your team’s productivity and elevate product quality—that is, if you can track the right kind of data. Review the reporting proficiency of each tool to see if it can generate detailed reports automatically and provide analysis on test case success, trend identification, resource allocation and team efficiency. See if each tool can also support dashboard customization so that crucial data is always front and center throughout the project.
Best Bug Tracking Tools in 2021
So, which defect tracking tools are right for your team? While there are many issue tracking options out on the market, we recommend first exploring these defect tracking software solutions highlighted within our defect tracking tools list below:
- Monday.com: Considered as one of the most customizable defect tracking tools on the market, Monday.com adapts to all agile projects. This tool features filters, bug prioritization, customized workflow, weak spot tagging and team communication. Monday.com is known for its intuitive interface and integration capabilities.
- Bugzilla: As one of the leading open source defect tracking tools, Bugzilla gives QA testing and development teams an accessible system for tracking bug fixes and code changes in application development and product deployment. This tool features an easy-to-use interface for teams to streamline communication and record multiple projects concurrently.
- Jira: Unlike many bug reporting solutions, Jira was specifically created for managing the process of tracking and resolving bugs in software development. This tool features detailed ticket creation, customized workflows, restricted user roles and enhanced reporting. Jira allows users to capture bugs from anywhere within the software.
- Backlog: This tool is built to support every need of the development process, from task management and project management to bug tracking and version control. Backlog features an intuitive interface, PM tools and integration capabilities. Backlog can also enable pull requests, merge requests and branches.
- Bugherd: If you’re looking for the easiest way to manage the process of tracking bugs, Bugherd is a great tool for reporting website issues. Both internal users and clients can pin feedback to webpage elements for exact issue locating. Bugherd features visual simplicity, task boards and integration capabilities.
Need more help in choosing the right bug report tools than this defect tracking tools list can provide? Choose to partner with a software testing company like QASource. Our team of engineers and testers have years of experience with QA analysis and can guide your team through the process of implementing best practices for issue tracking within your development cycle. Get a free quote today.
