Outsourced QA for teams that ship every week
Outsourced QA means paying an outside team to test your software, usually an agency billed by the hour or a managed service. Smoketest gives you that outside check from an AI teammate that tests each ticket as it reaches QA.
How outsourcing QA usually works
The steps are much the same with any agency. The time goes on the handoffs between them.
- 1
You scope the work
You agree which flows, devices, and hours the team will cover.
- 2
They learn your product
New people read your docs and ask questions, often for a few weeks.
- 3
They test in cycles
They run test cases each sprint and file what they find on your board.
- 4
You manage the handoff
Someone on your team writes the briefs and answers their questions.
Your three options
Each one takes testing off your team in a different way. Here they are on the same questions.
| QA agency | Managed QA service | Smoketest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | QA agencyTesters assigned to your account | Managed QA serviceTheir team, with their tooling | SmoketestAn AI teammate, set up with our founder |
| How you pay | QA agencyBy the hour or by the person | Managed QA serviceBy the test, on a contract | SmoketestFrom $399 a month for 1,000 runs |
| When it starts | QA agencyAfter scoping and onboarding | Managed QA serviceAfter onboarding and a coverage ramp | SmoketestThe day you start |
| When a ticket is picked up | QA agencyIn the next test cycle | Managed QA serviceWhen the suite next runs | SmoketestAs soon as it reaches QA |
| Where results land | QA agencyBug reports and a test summary | Managed QA serviceBug reports and a dashboard | SmoketestResult, recording, and steps on the ticket |
| Who learns your product | QA agencyThe people assigned to you | Managed QA serviceTheir team | SmoketestSmoketest, and it keeps what it learns |
When each one fits
An agency is the right call for some teams. Here is how we would decide if we were in your seat.
A QA agency fits when
- You need people testing on physical devices
- You need a large one-off test cycle before a launch
- You need testers who work in specific languages
A managed service fits when
- You want a full test suite built and run for you
- You have budget for a yearly contract
- You want someone else to own the test code
Smoketest fits when
- Every ticket should be tested as it reaches QA
- You want the proof on the ticket itself
- You want to start this week and shape it as you go
What each option costs
The rate is only part of it. Someone on your team still briefs the testers, answers their questions, and reads their reports.
Market ranges from QA agency rate listings and remote.qa. Your quote will vary.
Passed · 4 of 4 requirements · 2m 12s · Attempt 2
- ✓Admin can open Billing
- ✓Adding one seat updates the Billing page
- ✓Invoice preview shows the proration
- ✓Invoice PDF shows the same amount
Not tested: other invoice languages, because the ticket only covers English.
Watch the recording · View attempt
Recording looks right. This goes out today.
Here is what comes back on a ticket.
No brief to write
The ticket is the brief. It reads the comments and the pull request too.
No queue to join
It starts when the ticket reaches QA, at any hour.
No report to chase
The result, the recording, and what it did not test land on the same ticket.
Questions about outsourcing QA
Weighing other options? See them side by side
It means paying an outside team to test your software instead of hiring your own testers. Most teams buy it from an agency by the hour, or from a managed service on a contract.
Agencies usually publish rates from $25 to $99 an hour. A small managed team runs from about $8,000 to $30,000 a month. Add the time your own team spends briefing them and reading reports.
No. The agent does the testing, and no outside testers work on your tickets. Our founder sets it up with you and keeps shaping it, so you get the outside check without a new team to manage.
When you need people on physical devices, a large one-off test cycle, or testers in specific languages. If that is you, we will say so on the call.
The release decision, the standards you test against, and someone who knows the product. Whichever option you pick, a named person on your team should own the call to ship.
Yes. Smoketest takes the first pass on each ticket, and the agency keeps the device testing and the larger cycles.
It starts at $399 a month for 1,000 runs. Each run is up to 10 minutes, and a longer test counts as two runs or more, one for every 10 minutes. If your team needs more, we design a Scale plan with you, so you stop buying extra runs.
Every result links to the recording, the steps, and the reasoning, and says what it did not test, so you can check its work the way you would check a teammate's.
Try one ticket before you sign a statement of work.
Book a call and we will run one ticket with you. If an agency is still the better fit, we will say so.