Excel, test management tool or Spec2Sign: which one for acceptance testing?
A spreadsheet suits a small acceptance round with a single tester. A test management tool (TestRail, Xray, Zephyr, qTest, Squash TM, TestLink…) is designed for quality teams who enter their own cases in it. Spec2Sign targets a different need: contractual acceptance between a provider and its client, with a test book generated from the specification, updated when it changes, and a signed report.
Three ways to organise acceptance testing
- The spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets): free, familiar, very flexible. It reaches its limits with several testers, several versions of the file and defect tracking.
- The test management tool: designed so that quality teams write, organise and run test cases, often linked to the development team's ticket tracker.
- Spec2Sign: starts from the raw specification to generate the book, links each case to the requirement it verifies, opens execution to the client's testers without a licence, and ends with the signed report.
Comparison by criterion
| Criterion | Spreadsheet | Test management tool | Spec2Sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing the cases | By hand | By hand, or import of a file | Generated by AI from the specification, reviewed by you |
| Link with the specification | A column to keep up to date | Depends on the tool and its setup | Each case is linked to its source section |
| The specification changes | Manual rewrite | Manual update | Impact analysis: cases to add, modify, make obsolete |
| Client testers | File exchanged by email | Depends on the tool's licence | Free and unlimited guests on paid plans |
| Mobile and offline execution | Impractical | Depends on the tool | Installable app, offline execution |
| Defect tracking | A separate sheet | Integration with ticket tracking depending on the tool | Kanban and Jira, Trello, Redmine sync |
| Acceptance report | Written by hand | Generally out of scope | Calculated verdict, reservations, online signature |
| Test automation | No | Often possible through integrations | Not yet: manual execution |
Vendors' offers change: check each tool's current features. The brands mentioned belong to their owners and are given for information.
When to keep your current tool?
If your quality team already uses a test management tool, attaches automated tests to it and does not need to open execution to external users, there is no reason to switch. Spec2Sign does not launch automated tests: it organises manual, contractual acceptance testing.
Spec2Sign is relevant if you deliver projects to clients, if the specification changes during the project, if the testers are on the client side and if you have to produce a signed report.
Migrating from Excel, TestRail, Xray or Zephyr
Spec2Sign imports the export of the old tool (Excel, CSV, JSON or XML; TestRail, Xray, Zephyr, qTest, Squash TM, TestLink, Jira). AI recognises the test cases and defects, places them in Spec2Sign's batches, modules and fields, then shows an editable preview. Nothing is saved before you validate.
Frequently asked questions
Does Spec2Sign replace TestRail, Xray or Zephyr?
Not in every case. These tools mainly serve quality teams who manage tests across the versions of a product. Spec2Sign meets the need for contractual acceptance testing with a client: test book generated from the specification, client testers, synchronised defects and a signed report. The two can coexist, and AI import lets you reuse an existing book.
Does Spec2Sign run automated tests?
Not yet: cases are executed manually by testers, on computer or phone.