The hard part of leaving any test management tool is the library: years of cases, steps and expected results nobody wants to retype. Here is how to move a TestRail library into BugBoard, the test management and bug tracking tool we built, without retyping it.
Key takeaways
- Export from TestRail to CSV, then import the file into BugBoard. There is no column mapping to set up.
- Steps keep their own expected results, including cases whose steps sit on separate rows.
- Sections can become BugBoard test suites, or everything can go into one suite.
- Try it with one suite first. The free tier needs no credit card.
Why the library is what keeps teams on a tool
A test management tool holds a team's memory of what the product is supposed to do. After a few years that is thousands of cases, each with steps, expected results, priorities and a history of runs. Teams look at alternatives for good reasons, such as cost per seat, or wanting bugs and tests in the same place, and then stop when they picture copying all of it by hand.
So the first question to ask any TestRail alternative is not about features. It is whether your existing cases come across intact, with each step still paired to its expected result. If they do not, the move costs more than the subscription it saves.
Moving your tests from TestRail, step by step
The importer recognises the TestRail export format on its own.
- Export from TestRailExport the test cases of a project or suite to CSV.
- Open the importIn BugBoard, open the project, go to Test Cases and choose Import CSV.
- Drop in the fileTestRail's layout is detected automatically, including cases whose steps sit on separate rows.
- Choose the structureTurn TestRail sections into BugBoard test suites, or import everything into one suite.
- Review and importCheck the preview, then import. Each step keeps its own expected result.
- Coming from Qase?Cases, suites and run results import the same way.
What you get on the other side
Test management and bug tracking live in the same project, so a failed test becomes a bug without a copy and paste into another tool.
| Area | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Test cases | Suites, steps with an expected result each, priorities and labels; CSV import and export |
| Test runs | Plan a run, record pass or fail per case, keep the history of every execution |
| Bugs | A board from triage to closed, created by hand, from a screenshot, or straight from a failed test |
| Releases | A readiness check that pulls open bugs and test results for a release together |
| Test design | Draft test cases from a requirement, a ticket or a screenshot, then edit them like any other case |
| Regulated work | Hazards and risk controls linked to the test cases that verify them |
It works with the tools you already use
BugBoard ships an MCP server, so the whole tool can be driven from Claude Code, Cursor or Claude Desktop: create and update test cases, file bugs, record a run's results, or check a release from the assistant you already code with.
For trackers, it pushes bugs to Jira, ClickUp and Linear, and pulls requirements from Jira, Linear, Asana and Confluence so you can see which ones have tests. CI can report results through the API, Testkube tests can run from BugBoard, and project specs can stay in sync from a GitHub repository so test drafts use them.
We built it at BetterQA because our own engineers needed one place for tests and bugs across client projects, and it is included at no licence cost when we run QA for you.
Common questions
Do I need to map columns when importing from TestRail?
No. BugBoard detects the TestRail CSV layout on its own, including cases whose steps sit on separate rows.
Do expected results survive the move?
Yes. Each step keeps its own expected result after import.
Can we try it before moving everything?
Yes. Export one suite and import it into a free account. The free tier needs no credit card.
What about our run history?
The TestRail import brings cases and their structure. From Qase, run results import too. Ask us about your case before you plan the move.
Try it with one suite
We can set up a demo account with a sample project, then plan the full move with you, project by project.
Written by the BetterQA team. BugBoard is built by BetterQA, a software testing company in Cluj-Napoca, founded in 2018.
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