Agile vs Waterfall — What's the Difference?
Waterfall is a linear project methodology where each phase (requirements, design, build, test, release) completes fully before the next begins; Agile breaks...
Published October 5, 2026
Waterfall is a linear project methodology where each phase (requirements, design, build, test, release) completes fully before the next begins; Agile breaks work into small, iterative cycles that repeatedly deliver working increments and adjust based on feedback.
Why they differ
- Waterfall works predictably when requirements are well understood and unlikely to change during the project
- Agile accommodates changing requirements and delivers value incrementally, but requires more ongoing collaboration and can make long-term scope harder to fix upfront
How to choose
- Waterfall can suit projects with fixed, well-defined requirements and regulatory constraints, like certain hardware or compliance-heavy projects
- Agile suits most modern software development, where requirements evolve as users and stakeholders see working software
FAQ
Is Scrum the same thing as Agile?
No — Agile is a broader set of values and principles; Scrum is one specific, popular framework for implementing Agile, alongside others like Kanban.