IBM Rational Performance Tester vs Inflectra SpiraTest comparison

IBM and Inflectra are both solutions in the Test Management Tools category. IBM is ranked #24, while Inflectra is ranked #23. IBM holds a 1.4% mindshare in TMT, compared to Inflectra’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 76% of Inflectra users who would recommend it.

IBM Rational Performance Te...

Read 17 IBM Rational Performance Tester reviews

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56 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Inflectra SpiraTest

Read 25 Inflectra SpiraTest reviews

153 Views
44 Comparison Views

76% willing to recommend

IBM Rational Performance Te...

Inflectra SpiraTest

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

IBM Rational Performance Tester and Inflectra SpiraTest are leading tools used in software testing. While IBM Rational Performance Tester excels in performance testing, Inflectra SpiraTest stands out as a comprehensive solution with features that justify its pricing.

Features: IBM Rational Performance Tester is appreciated for its capacity in performance and load testing with a variety of protocols. Users find its automation capabilities highly valuable. Inflectra SpiraTest is praised for its test management features and strong integration capabilities. The main differences lie in the focus of each tool, with IBM emphasizing performance testing and SpiraTest offering broader test management.

Room for Improvement: Users of IBM Rational Performance Tester suggest improvements in its reporting features and more intuitive navigation. For Inflectra SpiraTest, suggestions focus on better documentation and enhanced customization options. IBM needs enhancements in user experience while SpiraTest should focus on user resources and flexibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Rational Performance Tester requires more time and technical expertise for deployment, but users find its customer service responsive. Inflectra SpiraTest is noted for quicker deployment with an easier setup process; however, its customer service, while accessible, leaves some room for improvement.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Rational Performance Tester tends to have higher setup costs but demonstrates good ROI through its robust performance testing capabilities. Inflectra SpiraTest offers a more attractive pricing model with a solid ROI due to its comprehensive features, making it a cost-effective choice for users seeking both performance and test management capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Rational Performance Tester vs. Inflectra SpiraTest Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Rational Performance Tester vs. Inflectra SpiraTest

June 2025

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Helped 860,168 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IBM Rational Performance Te...

Ranking in Test Management Tools

24th

Average Rating

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Inflectra SpiraTest

Ranking in Test Management Tools

23rd

Average Rating

7.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Requirements Management (10th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Test Management Tools category, the mindshare of IBM Rational Performance Tester is 1.4%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Inflectra SpiraTest is 1.0%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Test Management Tools

Featured Reviews

KashifJamil

CEO at Xcelliti

Supports web and mobile applications, very scalable, very stable, and wonderful support

There are some features that Micro Focus LoadRunner provides, but they are not available in IBM Rational Performance Tester. They should include such features. It can also have more reports similar to what HP provides. It might also need some improvement in terms of the tools and support for other technology areas. Certain technologies are not supported by every tool. They need to support all sorts of technologies and platforms on which web applications and mobile applications are built. They need complete support for all sorts of technologies.

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Jason Lopez

Test Manager at a engineering company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Intuitive enough and easy to learn, but in terms of folder organization, it could be better

Inflectra SpiraTest is the new kid on the block compared to Jira and Azure. Still, when I started exploring the tool, I realized that it was no different from other tools I've used in the past, but it all boils down to adaptability because the features would always be more or less the same. I found Inflectra SpiraTest intuitive enough. It's also easy to learn, so this is what I like about it.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It can support both web applications and mobile applications, and in certain cases, it can also support testing of desktop applications or software-based applications. You can write web applications, mobile applications, and software-based applications."

"Technical support is very good. I'm very satisfied with the assistance we've received so far."

"The reporting functionality helps vendors and technical resources identify bugs and issues that need to be addressed. The simple dashboard-style home page makes training end-user testers simple and straightforward. The actual testing UI is VERY straightforward and very intuitive for the end-users that test the system since very often we pull from business and operational users to help test new systems."

"The features of this product most valuable to me were the test case management and the visual status, by which it was displayed."

"We were able to add a step-by-step procedure for someone to follow to assist in testing."

"The ability to reuse test cases already used across projects is the most valuable feature of this solution. We don't need to create new ones."

"Inflectra SpiraTest has a lot of functionality, which is good."

"I found Inflectra SpiraTest intuitive enough. It's also easy to learn, so this is what I like about it."

"The user-friendly features are the most valuable. For example, migration of requirements and migration of test cases and the creation of traceability. You have various reports that you need. The plug-ins that are available to connect with the other tools."

Cons

"The solution is not easily scalable. If you want to extend the solution, you need to purchase a different kind of license. You also have to work with the IBM team to assist in scaling."

"There are some features that Micro Focus LoadRunner provides, but they are not available in IBM Rational Performance Tester. They should include such features. It can also have more reports similar to what HP provides. It might also need some improvement in terms of the tools and support for other technology areas. Certain technologies are not supported by every tool. They need to support all sorts of technologies and platforms on which web applications and mobile applications are built. They need complete support for all sorts of technologies."

"The UI for managing test cases, test sets, test runs could be a little more integrated, currently, these feel disjointed at times and confusing. Also, the test steps page needs to display the test steps closer to the top of the UI so as to not have to scroll down to find."

"The user interface is slightly complicated and not very consistent. It could be more user friendly."

"Migrating is not very easy. It depends on the organization, how efficient and effective the decision-making process is. The plug-ins should be easier and more integrated rather than the user trying to integrate the tools which are more popular, like Jira et al."

"It should develop integration with JIRA. We have some complexities which caused us not to decide to integrate it with our JIRA, like synchronous data."

"The folder organization in Inflectra SpiraTest could be better, though I cannot comment whether that is structure-related. Most of what I need would probably be in the tool, but as a test manager, I need to be able to create dashboards and reports easily."

"Two areas that can stand improvement: integration with third party products and making it more intuitive."

"Being able to add scripting for testing can and does save a lot of time. When you are able to just ‘run’ a test case rather than manually add it and run it."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is much cheaper than Micro Focus LoadRunner. We need perpetual licenses. Support is included in the first sale. After that, you need to renew support every year."

"The pricing was excellent. I would recommend the enterprise solution."

"I Googled the pricing for Inflectra SpiraTest, and it's about $4,000 annually."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

31%

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

14%

Real Estate/Law Firm

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

15%

Real Estate/Law Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Comparisons

Apache JMeter vs IBM Rational Performance Tester

Compared 57% of the time

OpenText Professional Performance Engineering (LoadRunner Professional) vs IBM Rational Performance Tester

Compared 26% of the time

Tricentis NeoLoad vs IBM Rational Performance Tester

Compared 18% of the time

More IBM Rational Performance Tester Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Rational Performance Tester

June 2025

Download IBM Rational Performance Tester product report

Buyer's Guide

Inflectra SpiraTest

June 2025

Download Inflectra SpiraTest product report

Also Known As

Rational Performance Tester

SpiraTest, Spira

Overview

IBM Rational Performance Tester is a performance testing solution that validates the scalability of web and server applications. Rational Performance Tester identifies the presence and cause of system performance bottlenecks and reduces load testing complexity.

IBM

SpiraTest is an integrated Requirements and Quality Management solution that manages your project's Requirements, Test Cases, Releases, Defects and Issues in one environment, with complete traceability throughout. After defining your project's requirements, you generate the test cases and test steps that validate the functionality. The test execution modules allows users to run through the tests, logging defects/issues as they go. SpiraTest is Fully Web-Based. Free 30-Day Trial.

Inflectra

Sample Customers

andagon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon

- Morningstar - Deutsch Bank - Sopra Group - Booz Allen & Hamilton - UBS - US Government

Buyer's Guide

IBM Rational Performance Tester vs. Inflectra SpiraTest

June 2025

Free Report: IBM Rational Performance Tester vs. Inflectra SpiraTest

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Rational Performance Tester vs. Inflectra SpiraTest and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

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