Agile Vs. Waterfall: Which App Development Methodology Is Best For You?
There are two main app development methodologies that we use in the app development industry: Agile and Waterfall. Both methodologies are popular in software development but each is best suited for different types of projects. The end goal of each methodology is the same, to create an application, but the way they go about this feat is different. Over the past few years, most organizations have been making a strong, concerted push to shift to a more agile app development methodology from the traditional waterfall development model. According to the recent Annual State of Agile Report, there has been a strong increase in agile adoption with more than 94% of respondents noting that their organization is practising agile. And also 71% of companies use agile approaches as their software development methodology and business project approach. In this blog, we are going to discuss both app development methodologies and which is the best for your app development.
What is Agile Development Methodology?
Agile development methodology emphasizes the rapid delivery of an application. It is a team-based approach that emphasizes the rapid deployment of a functional application with a focus on customer satisfaction. Agile Development defines a time-boxed phase called a sprint which is a period of time allocated for a particular project component to be completed. The completed sprint results in a deliverable are referred to as a “build" which is a pre-release version of an app.
Pros and Cons of Agile Methodology
Advantages of Agile Methodology
- Short-term deadlines encourage productivity and efficiency.
- Assures that quality of the development is maintained and a lot of flexibility to change project direction and experiment with new directions.
- Client-facing that is focused on the client process, which means that the team shares progress and incorporates feedback into the process.
- Completely based on incremental progress, so that the client and team know exactly what is complete and what is not that reduces risk in the development process.
Limitations of Agile Methodology
- Not a useful method for developing small projects.
- Requires an expert while taking important decisions in
-The cost of the agile method is a little more compared to other development methodologies.
-Difficult to determine the project timeline from the start, and it is also more susceptible to change.
What is Waterfall Development Methodology?
The Waterfall methodology is a “traditional” approach that emphasizes a logical progression of steps; it is a linear approach to software development. It is a sequential approach that divides the SDLC into distinct phases such as requirements gathering, analysis and design, coding and unit testing, system and user acceptance testing, and deployment. In this Waterfall model, the next phase can only proceed if the previous phase has been completed.
Pros and Cons of Waterfall Methodology
Advantages of Waterfall Methodology
- Provides a concrete plan from start to finish.
- One of the easiest models to manage, each phase has specific deliverables and a review process.
- Works well for smaller-size projects.
- Project delivery is fast and the process and results are well documented.
Limitations of Waterfall Methodology
- Not a suitable model for larger projects.
- It is a less effective method if the requirement of the project is not clear at the beginning.
- Difficult to move back to the previous phases and make changes.
- High chances of bugs to be found later in development where they are expensive to fix.
Waterfall vs. Agile: How To Choose the Right Methodology for Your Development
When choosing between Agile and Waterfall methodologies, consider how involved the project owners will be in the project. Agile Methodology is better suited for projects where the owners of the project are closely involved every step of the way. The waterfall is a more structured app development methodology and does not lend itself to the same type of flexibility.
Bottom Line
To summarize, Agile and Waterfall are two different app development methodologies best suited for different types of projects. If you clearly understand the project from the beginning, Waterfall may be the best fit and is a better method when a project must meet strict regulations as it requires deliverables for every phase before proceeding to the next phase. Alternatively, Agile methodology is best suited for teams that plan on moving fast, experimenting with direction and don’t know how the final project will look before they start. It is flexible and requires a collaborative team, plus frequent check-ins with project owners and stakeholders about the progress.
You are unique and so should your methodology if you choose your development methodology for your next project, keep in mind that Hepto has adopted the right methodology for your software development that helps us create timely and effective solutions that help achieve our client’s goals.