Azure Test Plans vs Xcode Cloud

Azure Test Plans gives teams tools to plan, run, and track manual and exploratory testing for apps. For scripted tests, teams can track actionable defects and connect test cases and suites to user stories, features, or requirements. Exploratory sessions let testers design and run tests at the same time. During manual tests, Test Runner can capture screenshots, image action logs, and screen recordings. Reports, dashboard widgets, and customizable Power BI reports show plan progress and trends. The service integrates with Azure Pipelines for CI/CD testing and offers REST APIs and an extension contribution model. Manual testing is available in the web portal through supported browsers on major platforms; a free Test & Feedback extension supports exploratory testing in Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The free Stakeholders plan does not allow users to create or manage Test Plans. Basic is free for the first five users, then $6 per user per month; Basic + Test Plans costs $52 a month, billed at $52 per user per month. A 30-day trial is listed. Azure DevOps cloud-based load testing is deprecated; Microsoft points users to Azure Load Testing for managed load testing.

Xcode Cloud is a freemium continuous integration and delivery service built into Xcode for Apple developers. It builds committed code changes and runs automated tests in parallel using cloud resources. Teams can customize workflows or begin with a built-in workflow. Xcode shows build and test results, live status, and user crash feedback, while App Store Connect displays build and test information and lets teams edit workflows or launch builds. Builds can be delivered to team members and selected external testers through TestFlight. Source repositories may be hosted on Bitbucket, GitHub, or GitLab, including supported self-hosted versions. Apple says builds use temporary isolated environments, source code is not persisted, credentials are not directly exposed to build environments, and data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Use requires Apple Developer Program membership, Xcode 15 or later, and a remote Git repository. Plans include 25 compute hours monthly at free, 100 hours for $49.99 a month, 250 for $99.99 a month, 1000 for $399.99 a month, and 10000 for $3,999.99 a month. Unused hours do not roll over.