Agile vs. Waterfall — from software development to project management.
10-14-2025
Agile and Waterfall are two common project management practises that are often misunderstood. They each have different qualities, but it’s easy to decide between them once you know the basic features that each system offers. Here, we break down what these strategies bring to the table and compare Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
This post will cover:
The difference between Agile and Waterfall.
Agile and Waterfall are two popular methods for managing collaborative projects, but they have fundamentally different approaches. The core distinction lies in their structure. Agile is incremental and iterative, meaning it breaks projects into small, repeating cycles. In contrast, Waterfall is linear and sequential, progressing through distinct phases one after the other.
These different approaches also lead to varied team management structures. In the Waterfall method, each project phase must be completed and approved before the next phase begins, with clear roles and a top-down approach. In contrast, Agile promotes continuous collaboration, adaptability and cross-functional teams that work in short "sprints," allowing for flexibility and feedback throughout the entire project lifecycle.
What is Agile?
Agile is an adaptable project management system that reflects a fast-moving project lifecycle. Managing a project with Agile means dividing a large project into smaller tasks to track progress and thoroughly match changing specifications.
Working with an Agile philosophy also prioritises individuals over processes by emphasising team members instead of tools. Highlighting smaller tasks enables a faster workflow and clearer expectations, allowing teams to avoid overbearing workloads. Agile management’s structure naturally enables customers to voice their thoughts as tasks are completed and to request changes when necessary.
Advantages of Agile.
Agile can be an efficient project management tool for those with self-motivated teams. Here are some of the benefits that might make using Agile an ideal choice:
- Faster delivery due to short development cycles
- Reliable products thanks to in-flight testing
- Quick improvements enabled by frequent feedback loops
- Easier changes through continuously revisiting steps
Agile project management works best with teams of independent workers who reliably contribute to the project.
Disadvantages of Agile.
While Agile is practical for fast-changing products and consistent feedback, it’s not ideal for every team. The primary disadvantage of Agile is that internal teams each have unique needs.
Requirements for Agile success include:
- More project management is required because there’s no strict schedule
- A self-motivated team that can work independently on several in-process steps
- Flexibility for a moving schedule with deadlines and requirements that may change
- Thorough funding management because of the sporadic project structure
What is Waterfall?
The Waterfall model is a sequential project management framework that emphasises detailed planning and documentation in the early stages of product development. Waterfall relies on completing each phase of a project in a sequence before moving on to the next one.
It requires completing an initial task, allowing the team to build on it and begin the next one. With Waterfall, you’ll follow this process until the entire project is completed. This linear structure mirrors the flow of a waterfall — starting at the top and working your way down, much like a river.
Waterfall emphasises the importance of adequate preparation for each phase. The more preparation there is, the easier it is for team members to complete their tasks. This detailed research at the beginning of the process leads to more effective time management and release dates.
To further prepare for future steps, planning and research are carefully documented. Documenting the details of each step provides clear insight when encountering an error later in the development process. With the Waterfall model, workload balance requires significant effort during the research stage to achieve effective outcomes.
Advantages of Waterfall.
Waterfall’s thorough planning and documentation provide several advantages for teams. This initial planning stage drives many of these benefits, including:
- Clear direction for the team through a detailed project plan
- Clear expectations for clients
- Easily traced errors
- Accurate project costs based on defined requirements
- Easy integration of new team members
Disadvantages of Waterfall.
With its benefits, Waterfall also presents challenges for teams that aren’t well suited to this methodology.
- Setbacks or complications can derail the entire project due to strict scheduling
- QA and testing are more complex because they occur at the end of the process
- No flexibility for client changes once the project is in motion
- The chronological approach may take longer to deliver a product than an iterative method
How to choose between Agile and Waterfall methodologies?
Selecting the appropriate project management methodology isn't about picking the better one, but rather the right one for your specific context. The choice depends on a careful evaluation of your project's unique characteristics, your team's dynamics and your organisational culture.
1. Understand your project's nature.
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Requirement Clarity and Stability:
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Choose Waterfall if your project's requirements are clearly defined and unlikely to change. This structure works best when you know exactly what you need to build from the start.
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Choose Agile when requirements are expected to evolve, are initially unclear or may change during the project. Its iterative nature allows for constant adaptation and refinement.
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Project Scope:
- Waterfall is suitable for projects with a fixed scope.
- Agile is more effective for projects where the scope can be flexible, refined or discovered over time through continuous feedback.
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Project Size and Complexity:
- While Waterfall can manage large projects with stable requirements, Agile is often more effective for highly complex projects by breaking them into manageable iterations that reduce risk and encourage continuous learning.
2. Assess stakeholder and client involvement.
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Client Collaboration:
- Waterfall typically involves clients at the start (for requirements) and at the end (for final review).
- Agile thrives on active, continuous client and stakeholder involvement, with regular feedback loops built into each iteration, ensuring the final product meets evolving needs.
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Project Visibility:
- If you need continuous visibility into working increments and early opportunities for course correction, Agile is the preferred approach. Waterfall provides progress updates against a plan, but a working product is typically not visible until later stages of development.
3. Evaluate your team's characteristics.
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Team Structure and Experience:
- Waterfall suits teams that prefer clear hierarchies, defined roles and a structured, linear progression.
- Agile works best with self-organising, cross-functional teams that embrace collaboration, rapid feedback and continuous improvement. Consider your team's readiness for this level of autonomy.
- Geographical Distribution: While modern tools can bridge gaps, the frequent communication inherent in Agile (e.g., daily stand-ups) can be challenging for highly distributed teams without robust communication strategies in place.
4. Consider your organisational culture and resources.
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Organisational Flexibility:
- Waterfall aligns with organisations that have a rigid, highly structured and often risk-averse culture.
- Agile requires a culture that champions adaptability, empowers teams and values continuous learning over strict adherence to an initial plan.
- Resource Availability: Agile demands consistent availability of dedicated team members and engaged product owners throughout each iteration.
5. Risk management philosophy.
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Upfront vs. Iterative Risk Handling:
- Waterfall aims to identify and mitigate all foreseeable risks at the project's inception, thereby preventing potentially costly issues that may arise later.
- Agile embraces risk as an ongoing element, identifying and addressing it continuously in short cycles, allowing for quicker adaptation to emerging challenges.
Mixing Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
While Agile and Waterfall each offer distinct advantages, many teams find success by blending elements of both into a hybrid project management approach. This allows organisations to use the strengths of each methodology while mitigating their individual drawbacks.
A common approach to combining these frameworks is to adopt different techniques at various project levels. For instance, a project manager might use a Waterfall approach for the overall project structure, particularly for the initial planning and fixed requirements phases. At the same time, individual development teams within that larger structure could operate using Agile sprints for their specific tasks, benefiting from iterative development and continuous feedback.
The success of any hybrid model hinges on clear communication and well-defined expectations. By fostering an environment where team members can determine which system best aligns with their specific work, organisations can effectively combine the benefits of both Agile's adaptability and Waterfall's structure.
Get started with Agile or Waterfall.
When you’re ready to get started, Adobe Workfront can support all your projects, whether you’re using Agile, Waterfall or a mix of both. Workfront streamlines project management because the platform adapts to each project management system and team.
Ready to see it in action? Book a demo to see how Workfront can help streamline your project management processes.
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