Introduction to Agile & Waterfall Model

As a rookie individual developer, you must be confused when you first heard the words Agile and Waterfall. Both of them refer to the software development methodologies which numerous benefits for the final success of the project.
But, what are they? How do they differ? Which one should you choose? Don’t get worked up, here in this article you will get answers to all these questions. Okay without further let’s dive into the content.

What is Waterfall Model?

Waterfall refers to the sequential approach of developing software. Under the Waterfall model, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is divided into different phases like requirement, gathering, analysis, coding, testing, and delivery.
The development will start working the first phase, and only on the successful completion of the first phase, they move to the next phase. Like this development process will follow a sequential order.
It is necessary to prepare the requirements and plan accordingly at the beginning because if anything changed during the process this will lead to a complete restart.

Advantages of Waterfall Methods

• Full design with whole system approach
• Defined workload and team roles
• Straightforward planning and cost-efficient
• Easy to manage and best pick for the smaller projects
• The fastest delivery of the product is possible

Disadvantages of Waterfall Methods

• It is not ideal for the large scale projects.
• It has a very rigid structure and you can’t be moved back and front easily.
• Errors or bugs will be found in the testing phase which will be after the development, thus it might lead to the complete revision of the work.
• There is no allowance for uncertainty.
• Limited consumer engagement might lead to poor satisfaction

What is the Agile Model?

It is teamwork-based software development where continuous iteration is possible and focuses on customer satisfaction. Here both development and testing are done simultaneously.
The development cycle is divided different sprint, which is usually two weeks. At the start of each sprint the consumer requirements are gathered and at the end developed code is present before the consumer for testing.

Advantages of Agile Methodology

• Client satisfaction is possible as he oversees every stage.
• It assures a better quality of development
• Best choice for large and complex projects with non –defined funds.
• It is an incremental process and any change can be made in the mid of the development, this reduce the development risk
• Promotes better communication between the teams.

Disadvantages of Agile Methodology

• It is a client process focussed, thus the client needs to be continuously involved in the project.
• Co-location of the team and client is required for efficient communication which is not always possible.
• Time boxed iteration might increase the cost of the project if not controlled properly.
• Cost implement the agile method is a little costlier and there is the risk for the project to go off-track.

Comaprison Table: Agile vs Waterfall Model

Here are the major differences between Agile and Waterfall Model –

PARAMETERS	AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT	WATERFALL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
Classification	The Software Development Life Cycle is divided into different sprints.	Software Development Life Cycle is divided into different phases
Approach	It takes an incremental and continuous iteration approach	It is sequential in order.
Flexibility	Agile is comparatively flexible to the changes.	The software development is very rigid and there is no room for change.
Testing	Testing and planning is done after each sprint	Testing is the final phase and is not done during the development stage.
Focus	Customer satisfaction and better quality product or software is the main focus in the Agile	Fast turnover of the product and meeting the deadline is the main focus.
Managerial need	There is no need for a product manager as the whole project is managed as a team.	It is a straightforward approach, where a project manager is needed to check the proper working.
Suitability	It can handle many small projects and some large projects	It can handle only one single project at a time.
Requirements	The requirements can change day today.	The requirements are collected at the beginning of the project and there no room for change.

Download the Comparison Table: Agile vs Waterfall

From the above difference, you can select which method is suitable for you. If you have any further questions please leave those in the comment section below.

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