Agile vs Waterfall: Which Is The Best Software Development Methodology?

Choosing a Development Methodology is the most important decision to develop software, websites, web apps, and mobile applications. It decides, organizes each development phase and actions in it. Every custom software development company in USA uses some form of development method to develop the best IT products for customer uses.

Agile and waterfall are the two widely used software development methodologies by IT companies. Both carry their own set of development instructions, development phases, different features, and provide advantages to the software developers. Overall, both are beneficial to the software development team, but the big problem is which one to choose?

In the “Agile vs. Waterfall” article, we will cover the following topics!

Agile vs waterfall development methodology is always a heated debate. It is discussed in various software development conferences, online videos, IT application development blogs, and software development service providers.

However, people still confuse and fail to take a bright decision that can give them their life’s best online product. That’s why CMS Website Services from USA is stepping in to give a healthy Agile vs. Waterfall differences.

Both are the most popular SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) methodologies. If Waterfall is a sequential order, then the Agile is an iterative order. 

“For software development, Waterfall is a traditional approach and agile is an adaptive approach.”

Both follow the best process of software development still, they have a big difference in them because the Agile method is a newer development approach than the Waterfall method, but it’s not exactly brand new.

They give successful software with their specific technical approach and organize each development phase properly. Many IT companies have collaborated both development approaches (Agile + Waterfall) to make a new approach for their own purposes.

We too have our own development approach under the concept of agility, which we use in making software projects, websites, web-based applications, browser extensions, plugins, and mobile applications.

Both are mature, none of them is about styling and managing the project; both are about on-time development and quick deployment.

Also Read: Software Development Ideas For Online Business Startups

With this article, our aim is to find out “Which one is fast in development & deployment, Agile or Waterfall?” To find out this, we should first know the basic meaning of Agile and Waterfall, before knowing the best between agile vs waterfall.

Let's begin with -

Agile vs Waterfall: Introduction To Software Development Methodologies

The Waterfall method is the traditional approach to software development that takes small steps at a time and complete the sequence from conception to implementation. Also, the waterfall methodology is known as Linear Sequential Life Cycle Model.

This software development method flows in one direction and shifts to the next phase when the previous phase is completed. The development phases of Waterfall are as follows:

“Gathering, Analysis, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance.”

The first formal description of the Waterfall software methodology came in 1970 in an article written by Winston W. Royce. However, in 1976, Bell and Thayer, first used the term Waterfall when they published their paper for the future of software development methodologies.

The Agile method breaks the software development project into incremental stages known as Sprints. Sprints’ function is to guide each phase into slow but successive development.

The agile process increases communication between developers, test departments, managers, and customers. Each sprint planning is done at the start and takes a week or two to complete the MVP (minimum viable product).

The Agile approach is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) with the phrases like :

“Concept, Inception, Construction, Release, Production, and Retirement.”

Jon Kern and 16 other software developers in 2001 published the Agile Software Development Life Cycle manifesto and termed Agile software development methodology!

Also Read: Software Development Challenges Of Startups In IT Industry

Between Agile vs. Waterfall project management, Agile develop software in less time.

​

Agile vs Waterfall: Differences To Know!

Now, we have the answer to our question, “Which development methodology is fast in development?” 

It is the Agile SDLC!

But, we are still unanswered with another question, “Who gives fast deployment?”

Waterfall software development methodology is best when there is no access to the customer’s constant feedback at each development phase. It suits best to the projects having dispersed teams with fixed scope and budget.

In the case of Agile, it suits well to a complex project with access to constant customer feedback, and changing project requirements. That’s why agile development has become a dominating development methodology in large IT companies.

“Today, 65% of the top software development company in USA use Agile methodology and 20% are using Waterfall methodology in USA.”

Remaining 15% of the organizations have made its own development approach by intermixing Agile and Waterfall project management.

From the different surveys of benefits of agile vs waterfall, waterfall was found to be the worst methodology because it takes more time in development, is expensive, fails to manage requirements, fails to act on changing customer needs, hard to manage, and is less satisfying to the customers, when they receive the finished software product.

Lack of customer contact during waterfall software development life cycles leads to dissatisfaction when the product is revealed.

Due to this, more and more organizations have started using the agile methodology because it gives valuable experience to customers, developers, and clients. Despite the dramatic success of the agile approach, a waterfall is still a valid approach.

CMS Website Services is among the leading software companies in Raleigh NC, USA, which personally believes that no matter what is your development methodology, the final product should satisfy the end-users.

Waterfall vs Agile: The Final Face-off!

​

Agile vs Waterfall: Which Software Development Methodology Is Best?

In this article, we have briefly described the meaning of Agile and Waterfall. How they are used? What are the differences in their development process? How they eliminate risks in development? Lastly, how customers look over both the methodologies?

Furthermore, we discussed their development stages, i.e., Sprints vs Phases in Agile vs Waterfall respectively. Additionally, we pointed out the team coordination and how it differs in both software development methodology.

Also Read: Ways to Measure the Reliability of a Custom Software Development Company

Also, we gave you a slight hint of creating your own methodology to develop software, web applications, and mobile applications. Most probably your new method can be an intermediate of Agile and Waterfall.

Zrix - leader of the top-rated software companies in Raleigh, NC, USA follows a hybrid development methodology for building IT products.

You can contact us at any time for your software development related queries. Otherwise, click below to get an estimated quote for your project development.