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Any product that is mainly digital or has a digital component could benefit from application lifecycle management software (ALM software). ALM platforms are designed to combine software development with ongoing planning and execution of support, updates, and feature roadmaps.
As we all know, the first version of your product is rarely the “final” version. That’s where ALM tools come in: they help you continuously brainstorm, outline, and chart further improvements. ALM solutions can be used to plan and track the governance, development, and maintenance of your software product.
Below you’ll find an overview of each of the 10 best ALM software with screenshots, feature overviews, and pricing.
What is ALM Software?
Application lifecycle management (ALM) software is a suite of tools and processes that enable organizations to manage the entire lifecycle of software development projects, from ideation to deployment and maintenance. ALM software provides a centralized platform for teams to collaborate on software development, tracking progress, managing requirements, automating testing, and managing release cycles.
ALM software encompasses a wide range of activities, including project planning, software design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance, and incorporates best practices and standards to ensure that software is delivered on time, within budget, and with the desired quality.
How I Selected the Best ALM Software
If you're wondering how I selected the best ALM software, here's where I'll break it all down for you. First of all, I started with application lifecycle management software that have high user review and satisfaction ratings. Then, using my experience in product management, I discerned what key criteria were most important for ALM software and compared how each of them stacked up against the rest.
I empathize with how much time it takes to source the right software for a job. I do this work so that you don't have to. I've been using and reviewing product software for years so you can trust me to do the heavy lifting and compile all the facts you need to make your final decision.
If you have more general questions about ALM software, you can skip to our FAQ at the bottom of the page. Or, you can jump right to the best ALM software overviews if you're ready to start comparing.
Selection Criteria
After careful consideration, I've determined that these are the most important criteria when selecting the best ALM software. Here's a brief list outlining the whats and whys of my selection.
Comparison Criteria
What do I look for when I select the best ALM app? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
User Interface (UI):
I look for application lifecycle management tools that aren't too cluttered, hard to navigate, or aesthetically outdated. Ie: Can product managers and their application development team find what they are looking for quickly and easily every time?
Usability:
I look for an ALM system that comes with training resources, ongoing learning opportunities, an attentive customer service team, and any other perks (webinars, blogs, podcasts, whitepapers, and so on).
Integrations:
I look for an ALM tool that can connect to other third-party software development tools (SW development tools), deployment environments, servers, and reporting tools.
Pricing:
I look for an ALM software that is fair, scalable, and transparent in the pricing. Freemium plans, free trials, and/or free demos are favorable so users can try before they buy.
Overviews Of The 10 Best ALM Software Solutions
Here’s a brief description of each ALM system to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.
Jama Software
Best ALM software for requirements management
Jama Software is an award-winning requirements management software that can tailor to any application lifecycle management strategy. They offer industry-specific solutions for medical devices, automotive and semiconductors, aerospace and defense, software development, and industrial manufacturing.
Some key features of Jama Software include end-to-end live traceability of people, data, and processes, along with real-time impact analysis, reviews, and approvals with team collaboration. Additionally, they offer the ability to accurately capture and communicate requirements, goals, progress, and interdependencies throughout the development process.
You can integrate Jama Connect requirements and test plans with ALM, PLM, QA, and MBSE. With API integrations and third-party integration hubs, teams can work in familiar tools while contributing to projects in Jama Connect.
Jama Connect licenses are available on a user and floating basis through an annual subscription model.
Pricing and trial information is available upon request.
Targetprocess
Best ALM software for SAFe and/or LeSS frameworks
Targetprocess is an agile project management tool that uses SAFe, LeSS, or your own framework to assist in your application lifecycle systems and strategy. It is currently used by Chevron, Belfius, ePay, and Callrail for their various product management initiatives.
Targetprocess boasts an intuitive and easy-to-use user interface that encompases workflow configuration, task management, requirements management, and web-based administration (field-level mapping, automated conflict resolution). You can set up reporting dashboards at the portfolio, program, or product level.
Targetprocess comes with 60+ pre-built integrations and offers plugins, mashups, webhooks, REST API and SDK to sync with your existing SLDC tools. It’s available as a SaaS and as an on-premise solution.
Targetprocess costs from $20/user/month. They also offer a free Team version with unlimited users.
Orcanos Application Lifecycle Management
Best ALM software for risk- & CAPA-management
Orcanos Application Lifecycle Management is a secure, robust, and simple platform used for ALM by companies like GE, Medtronic, ReWAlk, and Zimmer. They offer ALM systems as well as tools for research and development (like requirements management and testing).
Orcancos’ ALM system provides a single data repository for R&D quality and regulations, end-to-end traceability (project requirements, test cases, FMEA risk items, CAPA and customer complaints), document generation, and impact analysis.
Orcanos doesn’t go out of their way to promote available integrations. However, this is because they really are an “all-in-one” tool that–in many cases–won’t require supplementary software to get the job done.
Orcanos Application Lifecycle Management costs from about $69/user/month.
Collabnet VersionOne
Best ALM software for a robust integrations ecosystem
TeamForge is a traditional ALM solution focused on bi-modal development that is especially suited for companies in the embedded and/or IoT space. Key features include collaboration, end-to-end traceability across disparate tools, version control, and monitoring, reporting, and analysis capabilities.
Digital.ai (previously CollabNet) owns a series of software for traditional ALM, version control, agile management, and DevOps.
TeamForge is their ALM solution and it integrates completely with their other tools if you need them.Collabnet VersionOne comes with 80+ pre-built integrations with leading tools like Jira, CA Agile, ServiceNow, Microsoft TFS, HP, Salesforce, Perforce, GitHub, Jenkins (and the list goes on).
Collabnet VersionOne costs from $29/month/user.
Tuleap
Best ALM software for small teams & startups
Tuleap is an all-in-one, open source ALM software that provides an open framework for various ALM configurations. And by “various configurations” we really mean anything. The tool is marketed as “designed to be re-designed” so that you can integrate any number of tools you are already using: project management, requirements management, code versioning, code review, CI, test management, documentation, collaboration, and tracking.
One of the best things about Tuleap (like many open source tools) is the robust community support that users can tap into—or even add to themselves. The team at Tuleap further enhances these resources with their own webinars, live training, tutorials, and Q&A sessions.
This is a great ALM tool for teams who use, and like using, a lot of different tools and simply want a central place to integrate them.
Tuleap integrates with Jira, Jenkins, and GitLab.Paid versions of Tuleap cost from €5/user/month (~ $5.71 USD/user/month).
Microsoft Azure DevOps
Best ALM software for enterprises
In 2018, Microsoft rebranded their Visual Studio Team Service (VSTS) as Azure DevOps. Whether you consider this an ALM tool depends on how you define ALM, but Azure DevOps does work much like an ALM solution. It provides a standardized environment for managing a software application through its complete lifecycle with a unified DevOps approach.
You can further expand Microsoft Azure DevOps’ capabilities by connecting it to their first-party Microsoft Power Platform. This opens up the ability to build data-driven business solutions with Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Virtual.
As part of the Microsoft ecosystem, Azure DevOps offers dozens of pre-built integrations and a readily accessible library of extensions.
Azure costs from $1/user/month. It’s free for 5 users or less.
Micro Focus ALM Software
Best ALM software for easy setup and implementation
Micro Focus (formerly HPE ALM) has product development and issue management suite that makes it a perfect ALM solution. They also have tools for customer support and helpdesk, contract management, asset management, business support, project management, CRM, and service management. Micro Focus is great for teams that deal with all sorts of customers and contacts across their product portfolio.
Their full coverage solution to development and customer service makes them ideal for large ongoing projects as well as fast ad hoc-solutions in all your departments.
Micro Focus can be integrated with third-party tools through its REST API, and it comes with out-of-the-box integrations with leading tools like TFS, Jira, Jenkins, Git, and Visual Studio.
Micro Focus ALM Software costs from approx. $150/month.
Jira Software
Best ALM software for flexibility & scalability
Atlassian is a household name in software development circles that is geared toward agile development teams in anything from startups to corporate enterprises. They are perfect for agile ALM workflows and processes.
The Atlassian software suite for ALM can include any number of Atlassian products, sold separately, that integrate with one another.
These include Jira (task and project management), Confluence (collaboration), HipChat (real-time messaging), Bitbucket and Stash (code management and software developing tools), and add-ons like Jira Service Desk (issue management and support).
These are available on-premise or as SaaS.Jira is well-known for integrating with a wide variety of tools, including ones for data analysis, bug tracking, project management, resource planning, and communications.
Their apps marketplace is home to thousands of apps that easily connect with Jira, from Slack, Zoom, GitHub, Zendesk, and many more.
Jira costs from $10/month for 1-10 users.
codebeamer
Best ALM software for safety-critical industries
codebeamer is an integrated ALM platform created by Inland Software that specializes in advanced software or product development in safety-critical industries like medical, automotive, and aviation.
codebeamer’s core capabilities include ALM, requirements management, software development, QA and test management, IT operations and DevOps, demand management, risk management, and variants management.
codebeamer integrates with Jira, Microsoft Word, Excel, IBM Rational DOORS, and plenty more.
codebeamer is available as an on-premise or cloud-hosted SaaS starting at $125/user/month. A free 30-day trial is available.
Visure
Best all-in-one open ALM platform
Visure is an open ALM tool designed to integrate with any existing ALM environment in order to best accommodate different teams and cultures across your organization.
Visure has a long list of capabilities, including requirements management, traceability management, change management, bug & issue tracking, collaboration management, version control, requirements report generation, standards & certification, test management, risk management, and quality management.
Visure’s API integrates with third party tools such as modeling tools, other RM tools, prototyping tools, bug-tracking tools, testing tools, project management tools, ALM tools, and PLM tools.
Visure’s pricing and trial information are available upon request. They also offer demos and product sheets.
The 10 Best ALM Software Solutions Summary
| Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jama Software Best ALM software for requirements management | 30-day free trial | Pricing Upon Request | Visit Website |
| 2 | Targetprocess Best ALM software for SAFe and/or LeSS frameworks | Free Team version | From $20/user/month | Visit Website |
| 3 |  Orcanos Application Lifecycle Management Best ALM software for risk- & CAPA-management | Not available | From about $69/user/month | Visit Website |
| 4 |  Collabnet VersionOne Best ALM software for a robust integrations ecosystem | Not available | From $29/month/user | Visit Website |
| 5 |  Tuleap Best ALM software for small teams & startups | Free community edition | $6.46/user/month (min. 10 users) | Visit Website |
| 6 |  Microsoft Azure DevOps Best ALM software for enterprises | Free for 5 users or less. | From $1/user/month | Visit Website |
| 7 |  Micro Focus ALM Software Best ALM software for easy setup and implementation | Not available | From approx. $150/month | Visit Website |
| 8 | Jira Software Best ALM software for flexibility & scalability | 7-day free trial | $10/user/month | Visit Website |
| 9 | codebeamer Best ALM software for safety-critical industries | 30 days free trial | From $125/user/month | Visit Website |
| 10 |  Visure Best all-in-one open ALM platform | Not available | Pricing Upon Request | Visit Website |
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Other Options
I haven’t had time to fully review these, but if the featured software above doesn’t work for you. Here is an additional list of ALM tools to check out:
- IBM CLM - Best ALM platform for existing IBM users
- Digite SwiftEnterprise - Best ALM platform for lean and agile teams
- Rocket Application Lifecycle Management - Best for built-in change management capabilities
- Kovair ALM Studio - Best ALM platform for automating task workflows
- Polarion - Best for built-in test and issue management
- Rommana ALM - Best for traceability of requirements
- VisionFlow - Best combined project management & ALM
- Helix ALM - Best for creating requirements and sharing requirements documents
- Enterprise Architect - Best ALM platform for fast, intuitive modeling and design
- Rocket Aldon ALM Software - Best for ALM + change management working together
- SpiraTeam - Best cloud-based ALM for software development lifecycles & defect tracking
Related Read: Feature Flag Software For Managing Feature Flags
People Also Ask
This mini Q&A is a great starting place for those new to ALM software.
What are the Benefits of ALM Software?
There are numerous benefits to using Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) software, including:
- Improved collaboration: ALM software provides a centralized platform for teams to collaborate on software development projects, facilitating communication and coordination between developers, testers, and other stakeholders.
- Enhanced visibility: ALM software enables teams to track the progress of software development projects in real-time, providing greater visibility into project status, issues, and risks.
- Streamlined processes: ALM software automates key processes such as testing, deployment, and release management, enabling teams to focus on higher-value activities and improving overall efficiency.
- Better quality software: ALM software incorporates best practices such as code reviews, testing, and quality assurance, helping to ensure that software is delivered with fewer defects and issues.
- Faster time-to-market: ALM software helps teams to accelerate software development cycles, enabling faster delivery of new features and functionality to users.
- Improved compliance: ALM software can help organizations comply with regulatory requirements and industry standards by incorporating compliance checks and audits into the software development process.
- Automation: Handle mundane, repetitive tasks without manual intervention, such as changing a status or alerting an assignee to updates.
What are ALM Platform Key Features?
Here are some of the key features I look for when evaluating the best ALM tools:
- Requirements Management: Requirements management will be critical in determining priority levels for different features, from launch items to roadmap wishlists.
- Testing and QA: The product life cycle will be a continuous cycle of build, deploy, test, fix. Testing and QA should be built-in or easily integrated into your ALM platform of choice.
- Bug-Tracking: Part of application maintenance will be finding and logging bugs to address them when you have time. Issue tracking should also have a priority system so you can distinguish between a “nice to have” vs a “can’t wait” bug fix.
- Project Management: This will be a way to assign and track project goals, milestones, tasks and subtasks, and monitor things like item dependencies.
- Product Reporting and Analytics: What’s working and what’s not during your development and maintenance processes? A good reporting and analytics suite will help you figure this out.
- Collaboration Tools: Product lifecycle management isn’t performed in a vacuum; it is important that you have tools at your team members' fingertips for communication, collaboration, and process transparency.
- Automation: Handle mundane, repetative tasks without manual intervention, such as changing a status or alerting an asignee to updates.
- Continuous Delivery/Continuous Integration: Constantly and automatically testing, building, and deploying code changes to product production environments.
What Product Management Resources Should I Check Out Next?
If you're already thinking about an application lifecycle management solution, these resources are a great next step:
- An Updated Approach To The Product Life Cycle
- Product Life Cycle Management Guide: What It Is & 4 Stages
- Best Product Requirements Software
- Best Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software
- Best Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software
Product Lifecycle Management for Top Notch Products
The landscape of application lifecycle management software has evolved significantly in recent years, with numerous high-quality options available to businesses of all sizes and industries. Ultimately, the best ALM software for your organization will depend on your specific needs and requirements. I encourage you to consider my top picks and explore their capabilities to determine which one can help you achieve your goals.
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Also Worth Checking Out: What Does A Digital Product Manager Do?