ISC Systems Development · Updated November 2026

Agile vs Waterfall SDLC: Iterative Delivery or Sequential Phases?

Waterfall emphasizes planned sequential phases; Agile emphasizes short iterations and frequent feedback.

Waterfall

Waterfall generally moves through defined phases such as requirements, design, build, test, and deployment with stronger sequencing.

Agile approaches deliver work in smaller increments, use frequent stakeholder feedback, and expect priorities to evolve.

Both methods still need authorization, testing, segregation of duties, documentation, security, and controlled deployment.

Do not equate Agile with no documentation or no controls. The main distinction is iterative versus sequential delivery.

Agile changes how work is organized and delivered; it does not eliminate governance, testing, or security controls.

Yes.

Yes.

No.