Agile Vs. Waterfall: Which Mobile App Development Methodology Is The Best?

By Author: Ankitha Prasannan
Total Articles: 4
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The approach you take to an app idea when developing a mobile app greatly influences the final product. As you may already be aware, no mobile app development company should use a "one-size-fits-all" method of development. There are a plethora of varying mobile app development methodologies available in the market, which are determined by various factors like the app's features, demands, and process direction. But when it comes to choosing the best mobile app development methodology, Agile and Waterfall are usually the two that rule the market. which this article will talk about both of them.

Agile Mobile App Development Approach

Agile methodology is a fast, iterative method for developing applications that emphasizes teamwork and a more "time-boxed" sprint action style. The best mobile app development companies claim that this approach places a strong emphasis on becoming lean and producing minimum viable products (MVPs) over a predetermined time frame while improving with each iteration.
The various stages of the mobile app development cycle can occur concurrently, keeping tabs on the anticipated ...
... features and specifications. Thus, the main features of the Agile app development approach are collaboration, ongoing improvement, ongoing feedback, and flexibility.
The benefits and drawbacks of using an agile app development approach are as follows.

Merits of Agile App Development Methodology

The below-mentioned are the various advantages of the agile mobile app development methodology.
Places a strong emphasis on collaboration and regular communication, both of which are necessary to deliver outcome-driven apps while sustaining workflow.
Users get their hands on the application far sooner—even before it launches. This lessens the possibility of creating an app that no one wants to even try by enabling you to gauge how they will react to it.
The procedure's adaptability is increased by the brief app development cycles. Any component can be simply added, removed, or updated at any stage of the development cycle, even after the app has been released onto the market.
Every phase concludes with testing, resulting in an early experience with bugs and their mitigation.

Demerits of of Agile App Development Approach

If the mobile app development companies you are working with are not well-versed in the Agile methodology, which is linked to continual reprioritization, the product may not be delivered within the prearranged time frame.
This method favours functional software over extensive documentation. This is somewhat helpful, but agile app developers still need to strike the correct balance between documentation and code.
The entire team must be dedicated to the project because the Agile methodology emphasizes active team participation and in-person interactions (ideally in the same physical space). If not, the project's timeline will exceed expectations.

Waterfall Mobile App Development Methodology

According to market research, the waterfall methodology is the most traditional and continuous app development lifecycle model. The beginning, evaluation, design, development, testing, and deployment phases of this mobile application development approach are separated into distinct stages, and each must be completed before moving on to the next. This implies that the phases cannot possibly overlap. For similar reasons, it is also called a linear-sequential app development lifecycle model.

Merits of Waterfall App Development Methodology

You can look into the following merits of waterfall mobile app development methodology. This will help you understand whether to choose for the mobile app development process.
Determining outcomes and controlling the model's firmness are made simpler by the fact that mobile app development stages are handled and finished one at a time.
Very basic, easy to understand, and simple to put into practice.
As previously mentioned, finishing the current phase of mobile app development is a prerequisite for moving on to the next. This dispels any uncertainty about keeping distinct phases and enhancing the review procedure.
The waterfall technique makes it simple to estimate the time and cost breakdown for developing a mobile app.
Above all, the mobile app development process includes documentation, which helps to establish the groundwork for future projects and facilitates following the logic of previous projects.

Demerits of Waterfall App Development Methodology

The various demerits of the waterfall mobile app development approach is given bellow.
You have to finish the entire life cycle before going back to the previous stage. That implies that you aren't allowed to modify an app until it's completely ready, regardless of any changes in consumer demands or market conditions.
In the absence of a functional prototype, users may find it difficult to specify their needs. There is a chance of overlooking an important detail because the waterfall app development methodology begins with requirement collection. To put it briefly, a scoping session for the entire project cannot be completed at once.
You may find it challenging to address mistakes and flaws that could have been simple to resolve if addressed at the outset because testing is done at the end of the process. which may prevent you from releasing a flawless, fully functional mobile application onto the market.
Before the coding phase begins, consumers will not be able to see a preview of the mobile app.
The process of developing a mobile app requires starting from scratch for even the smallest changes, which increases the expense, effort, and time required.

Which Mobile App Development Methodology is Best?

In one or more circumstances, both mobile app development approaches are worthwhile to take into account. Therefore, the best way to choose the best option is to consider the requirements first. which suggests determining when the Agile app development approach is preferable and when the Waterfall approach is.

When to Apply the Waterfall Model

App demands are precise, well-defined, and recorded.
Important technology is well-known and not evolving.
The process of developing an application does not contain any unclear demands.
There are plenty of resources with the necessary knowledge at hand.
The project at hand is brief.

When to Apply Agile Techniques

There is no prior preparation or record.
The process involves the minimum demands for applications.
The environment for development is unstable.
There are only so many resources available at any given time.
The app must be opened as soon as possible.
Contact Mindster to gain more insights into the mobile app development process.