OpenText Silk Central streamlines test management processes, catering to a knowledgeable user base seeking efficient, integrated testing environments to enhance software quality.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| OpenText Silk Central | 2.8% |
| OpenText Application Quality Management | 9.4% |
| TestRail | 5.9% |
| Other | 81.9% |
| Type | Title | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Test Management Tools | Jun 23, 2026 | Download |
| Product | Reviews, tips, and advice from real users | Jun 23, 2026 | Download |
| Comparison | OpenText Silk Central vs OpenText Application Quality Management | Jun 23, 2026 | Download |
| Comparison | OpenText Silk Central vs UiPath Test Cloud | Jun 23, 2026 | Download |
| Comparison | OpenText Silk Central vs TestRail | Jun 23, 2026 | Download |
| Title | Rating | Mindshare | Recommending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenText Application Quality Management | 4.0 | 9.4% | 89% | 208 interviewsAdd to research |
| Eggplant Test | 3.9 | 2.7% | 80% | 19 interviewsAdd to research |
OpenText Silk Central offers a flexible pricing model tailored to enterprise needs. Licenses are available based on the number of users and projects. Customers appreciate transparent pricing, frequently noting its competitive rates. Volume discounts and customizable packages enhance its value proposition for larger organizations seeking comprehensive test management solutions.
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Midsize Enterprise | 3 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 21 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 20 |
| Large Enterprise | 22 |
OpenText Silk Central provides a robust platform for handling complex test management requirements. It improves test execution and management by offering seamless integration with other tools and fostering a collaborative environment for test design, planning, and execution. As an established tool in the software testing industry, OpenText Silk Central effectively supports agile methodologies, allowing teams to manage testing processes continuously and reliably.
What important features does OpenText Silk Central offer?In industries such as finance and healthcare, implementing OpenText Silk Central helps maintain regulatory compliance through thorough test documentation and audit trails. Its adaptability aids in meeting industry-specific testing standards, providing a reliable framework that ensures the delivery of high-quality software products.
OpenText Silk Central was previously known as Micro Focus Silk Central, Borland Silk Central, Silk Central.
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Test Analyst at Kainga Ora | 3.5 | I've used OpenText Silk Central for seven years; it's decent but lacks modern features like traceability matrices. Reporting is valuable, though it's more suited to Waterfall than Agile. I'd rate it 7 or 7.5 out of 10. |
| Test Governance at Poste Italiane | 4.0 | I use this solution for testing and project management, appreciating its real-time data and excellent stability. While customization is valuable, I need more flexibility, better end-to-end integration, and UI improvements. Support is strong. |
| Application Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees | 4.0 | I've used this for two years. Its user-friendly GUI and keyword testing are great for team learning, and customer service is excellent. My main improvement would be the ability to schedule failed test executions. |
| Test Automation Lead at a insurance company with 5,001-10,000 employees | 2.5 | I value its defect management, but find reporting and planning weak. While stable, I’ve used better tools like JIRA and recommend exploring other market options for superior functionality. |
| Test Governance at Poste Italiane | 4.5 | After eight years, I value Silk Central's flexibility, easy onboarding, and strong reporting. Setup is fast, and support is good. Minor usability and mandatory field management improvements are desired, but it's a highly effective solution. |
| Quality Engineering at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees | 5.0 | I highly value this solution's execution planning for automation and its solid integration. It improved our configurability and stability, and I've experienced no issues with its quality, stability, or scalability. Customer service is great, and I recommend it for any project. |
| Senior Software Tester at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees | 3.5 | I find this product excellent for desktop and browser testing, significantly reducing manual effort. While setup was straightforward, it struggles with virtual machines and poor networks due to memory issues. |
| Senior Consultant at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees | 5.0 | I value its reporting and Caliber integration, offering a macro-view of tests and detailed reports. It's stable with good support, though I wish the portal was cleaner and faster. I recommend it. |
| Test Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees | 2.5 | I trialed this solution for a month, primarily due to its cheaper cost compared to ALM. I found it difficult to assign and view test cases, and couldn't import from Excel. Long-term commitment is needed to fully assess its value. |
| Staff Engineer - Automation engineer at a manufacturing company with 5,001-10,000 employees | 4.0 | I've used Silk Central for 10 months, valuing its efficient test case creation and Jenkins integration. My only improvement suggestion is addressing an issue where a deleted test case still appeared in execution runs. |
I could leave my opinion on some ALM that I have been working with lately. Recently, I have been working with Silk, Azure DevOps, but in the past, I have worked with ALM, QC, and all that kind of stuff. The first one I worked with was Silk.
I have been using OpenText Silk Central for the last seven years.
We use it with Jira; that is the only one we really integrated with OpenText Silk Central.
I am satisfied with the product; I would not say it is as good as ALM, but it is okay. It does the job.
The reporting is probably the most valuable feature.
I do use the requirements management feature, but my colleagues do not. It is not a forced requirement, but I have always used the requirements section.
OpenText Silk Central helped with the testing process, but it did not streamline it.
The reporting is valuable, and I use the requirements section, although it is not widely adopted by my colleagues.
It can be a bit slow sometimes, and it has not got some of the modern features many of the other competitors have.
I am talking about features such as traceability matrix; it is designed more for Waterfall than Agile, so it is not as efficient as it could be.
I have been using OpenText Silk Central for the last seven years.
I am satisfied with the product; I would not say it is as good as ALM, but it is okay. It does the job.
Positive
Before this, I was a tool administrator on ALM, HP ALM.
When OpenText used to be part of HP rather than OpenText, I had quite a bit of involvement in that way, but not recently.
It was already deployed.
I did not have much choice because I was made redundant, so I joined this company, and they were using OpenText Silk Central.
I do this for my own benefit, and it has nothing to do with any company views.
I work as a permanent employee for a government department.
OpenText Silk Central is coming to the end of its support, so we will have to move to something else, but I do not know what the other solution will be.
Automation is quite immature at our place. It has only really started, so there is no integration with OpenText Silk Central.
I would give it a rating of 7 out of 10; it could be 7.5. It just lacks certain features that would make it a higher grade if it had more modern features.
Our primary use case is for running tests and reporting the results of those tests. We have a lot of customized tests, and download more than twenty thousand reports per year.
This solution adds value because we are able to get the right information at the right time, which helps us to make the right decisions. We have more than one hundred and sixty users each day, and we manage more than one hundred projects. This results in a large volume of data that we can collect in real time.
This enables us to determine the status and risk of critical items, and supply this information to management. From there, each point is considered and decisions are made with respect to how to proceed in production. For example, testing may be halted or restarted depending on results contained within the reports. It adds real value for project management.
Before using this tool, we had many different Excel templates and used email to keep track of defects. This was very chaotic. The impact of adopting this product was very large.
The most important feature is the ability to customize it. Our company has many different needs, and creating a standard requires direct access to the database. It is very strong in this sense, with good performance.
We are primarily interested in improving the flexibility to customize parts of the tool. At this point, we feel that the customization is bad. For example, we would like to be able to automatize internal projects. We would like like to see the visibility improved, and want to perform certain tests faster.
We would also like to manage the integration testing end-to-end. This is very important to us.
In terms of usability and the interface, a few small improvements can lead to a lot of benefits. The interface is good but can be improved.
The section on managing requirements for testing has to be improved. This is an old feature that has not been updated at the same rate as the rest of the tool.
The stability of this solution is very good. In our experience it is approximately ninety-nine percent. Also, in terms of performance for the user, it is absolutely good with no problems.
We currently have a lot of licenses for this product. We manage many projects every month that results in a large volume of data.
The technical support is a very strong point for this tool. We have local support, here in Italy, and we speak directly to the project manager and the project owner. These calls happen monthly, and sometimes weekly.
We have an open channel with Micro Focus to discuss the features and improvements that we would like to see in new versions of the software.
Overall, it is very good support.
Originally, we did not use an automated tool. The process involved recording data in Excel worksheets and the reports were typed up in Microsoft Word.
When we made the transition to automated testing, we started with the Compuware testing tool. This was a predecessor to Silk Central, as it was acquired by Micro Focus and combined with other tools that were integrated into the current product. This resulted in a lot of benefits for us through additional functionality in the platform.
The installation and setup is not easy. You need to identify how the tool can be best used for your needs, and to share the best practices with all of the users. We hired the vendor, Micro Focus, to help us with the setup and configuration.
During our implementation we hired Micro Focus to assist us. They were very good, and helped us to set the tool up so that we could make the best use of it. We started with six months of support, initially.
The cost of this tool, in terms of licensing, is not large. Access to the technical support provides for good value because you enjoy the benefits of a company supporting you.
When it comes to selecting a vendor, the number one requirement is that they be able to provide the right support that we need to address our problem. The best vendor is able to best handle the needs of the market. We found this in Compuware.
We did not evaluate products other than Compuware, and this was eventually incorporated into Silk Central.
We did consider using the IBM Jazz Suite because we were using it for LAN application management. However, we felt that it was too complex and the learning curve was too great. There was no comparison in terms of usability. Therefore, we did not select it to use for automated testing.
I certainly recommend the use of this solution. You can start using it quickly, and we have found that the software is easy to learn. The tool offers many ways to get the same information, so in the beginning some users are unsure. However, for the basic user, such as a tester, it is very simple and direct.
We know that there are open source tools in the market that offer the same level of functionality, but open source means that you need to invest more in support. The community is good, but in our experience it is not the same as a good vendor.
I would rate this solution eight out of ten.We are in the process of wide spreading test automation skills to the teams of our organization. With the ease of use that Silk Central provides, our teams have a smooth learning curve in test automation.
From a test automation perspective, the main feature missing is the ability to schedule executions with only failed tests.
I have used it for two years.
Latest version (18) once had a problem with automated test execution. Our issue is still open, but it has not recurred.
Yes, but it has been solved with the latest version. The user management page was extremely slow, but this has been fixed now.
They respond very quickly and are very good in terms of product, technical info, and communication skills.
Yes, but in my previous companies.
I was not here at that time.
I was not here at that time.
Issues and Defect Management.
12 months.
None.
None.
Good.
I have used HPE Quality Center, HPE ALM, JIRA, and Rally. They are much better tools than Silk. When I move clients, I have to use the tool they currently use, so I just learn them all.
I am not sure, I didn’t set it up. It was set up in 1999 and I was not a part of my current organization.
I have heard it is not an expensive tool. However, I am not the one who bought it.
Not applicable to me.
Check for other tools in market. There are other better options available in market.
We manage more than 400 users and 120,000 test cases / year in our Test and Defect Management solution based on Silk Central, in an enterprise multi-company environment (postal, banking, insurance, telco, mobile, government, business), so for us the most valuable feature is flexibility.
With Silk Central we have many possibilities for customizing the utilization and we can also work easily at database level for custom reporting and to manage additional information and integration.
In addition we have great support from Micro Focus and real collaboration to drive future direction and new features.
The other valuable feature is the easy to use and immediate onboarding of manual testers and general users and test managers.
1) Directional reporting based on baseline (daily target of tests passed, set by test manager) with custom view of test results and defect resolution speed. Very good support for decision making.
2) Release management, cross projects, and directional reporting based on custom attributes set to any execution plans to join any current test activities (test, run, and defect) for platform/application, release (year/month) and test level (system-functional/system-integration/uat). Provides drill-down to single projects. This allows us to identify critical projects with impact on others and general release, at an early stage where you can drive decisions to reduce risks.
Better management of mandatory fields.
Some minor usability issues.
Eight years.
No showstopper issues.
No.
No.
Very good.
Technical Support:You have to send one or two replies before they get a full understanding of the request/issue. Then the level of support is very good and fast.
Tested different solutions, for flexibility, integration capabilities and fast/easy use.
Silk Central is ready to use in less than two hours for basic operation, from initial installation on server to first test run by tester.
In less than 30 minutes you can create a new project, create or import a test list from Excel, set up user permissions, create integration to internal or external defect management, setup email notifications for defect status change, create an execution plan, run a manual set, and produce standard reporting.
In-house.
Good value for price
If you are an enterprise site that needs a real customizable test and defect management solution, one that is easy to use and with a good level of out-of-the-box functionality and integration options, Silk Central is a good choice.
Also if you are not an "enterprise" operation, take in to consideration the fast startup to implement it.
Add mid-level expertise of SQL or ORACLE procedures to your support team and you can satisfy any management requests.
Of all of the features of this solution, I use execution planning the most. It helps with the automation of our tests and deployment to servers.
I also enjoy the solid integration flow starting from the requirements phase through design, validation, and report generation.
We've seen improvements to our organization in terms of the configurability and the stability of our product. With this solution, for example, configurability is no longer a risk factor for SCTM bugs.
I first used it more than two years ago, and to this day I still rely on its quality and stability.
We had no issues with deploying the solution itself, and any issues we had were mostly related to our machines.
We had no issues with the stability of the solution itself, and any issues we had were mostly related to our machines.
We had no issues with the scalability of the solution itself, and any issues we had were mostly related to our machines.
I enjoy the quick response of costumer service for our technical issues.
I didn't use anything previously to this.
I wasn't involved in the installation, so I can't comment on whether it was straightforward or complex.
We didn't look at other options.
Every Waterfall and Agile project should be using Silk Central. Automated and manual tests are easy to deploy and to update. Writing and reading test specifications are clearer and faster.
Desktop & Browser support
We have automated 5000 test cases and reduced lot of manual effort which resulted in cost cutting of the project.
Product does not respond well on virtual machines because of network and memory issues. It will be great if we get something which works well on bad network and takes less memory to execute the commands.
I've used it for four years.
There were issues, but a micro focus team resolved them and gave them solutions.
4/5
Technical Support:4/5
We worked with Selenium but as Silk Central supports Desktop applications as well so we chose this.
Set-up is straightforward.
We did it through a vendor.
Our client purchased the licenses themselves.
This is one of the best product if you have to handle desktop & browser application to complete a flow.
All the reports are very important for me, as is the integration with Caliber.
With SilkCentral, I can have a macro-view of all my tests. I can also have detailed reports about all projects.
I think that the portal could be cleaner and faster.
I've used it for about three years.
No issues encountered.
No issues encountered.
No issues encountered.
It's very important. I don't have a problem with support.
No previous solution was used.
I believe it was complex, but I wasn't involved.
I recommend doing it in-house, as it's both safer and simpler.
No other options were looked at.
Install it and be happy.
It's really hard to say what the most valuable features are with this solution.
Adding the test cases and assigning them to particular testers can be improved.
The testers who wrote the test cases and added it to the plan were the only ones able to see and execute it. Others, who weren't this involved, couldn't.
And we weren't able to find the import function of test cases from Excel.
I've used it for one month as a trial.
We previously used HP Quality Center, now ALM, before but moved to this product for trial purpose as the licenses of Silk Central ended up being quite cheap compared to ALM.
The setup was already done before we started using it.
It was implemented through a vendor.
I'm unsure of the exact price but was definitely cheaper than ALM.
It would certainly be worth the cost, but you need to be committed to using it long term. Only then would you actually know the real features of the product and how they can be helpful.
It helps us to manage the test cases efficiently, and it also supports integration with Jenkins. We can trigger a build on Jenkins and come back to see the test results on Silk Central.
So far so good. Although, I once met an issue where I created a test case, and deleted it immediately. However, it seems that this test case still exists in the database, and that this test case is still being included in our execution runs, I've no idea how to completely removed this unused test case.
I've used it for 10 months. I've only used a small part of the product - test case creation, and test case implement step.
I've never spoken to them.
Technical Support:I've never spoken to them.
This is my first solution like this.
I didn't setup it, but according to my colleague, it should be straightforward.
As far as I know, Silk Central is widely used in many IT companies in Taiwan.
