{"id":29769,"date":"2026-10-30T10:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T10:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tekrevol.com\/blogs\/?p=29769"},"modified":"2026-11-06T10:02:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T10:02:09","slug":"software-development-models","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tekrevol.com\/blogs\/software-development-models\/","title":{"rendered":"SDLC Models: 9 Types Compared and How to Choose One"},"content":{"rendered":"

SDLC models are the patterns that decide how a software project moves through the seven phases of the life cycle: planning, requirements analysis, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. This guide compares nine models and lists the six questions to choose one.<\/p>\n

What are software development models and how do they differ from methodologies?<\/h2>\n

A software development model is a pattern for sequencing the SDLC phases. It decides whether they run once, repeat, or overlap, and how much the team commits to up front. The phases stay constant, and the model changes their order and rhythm. For the life cycle itself, see our software development life cycle guide.<\/a><\/p>\n

A model is not a methodology. A model describes how the phases are sequenced, and a methodology describes how a team organizes its work inside that sequence. Waterfall and Spiral are models, while Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming are software development methodologies<\/a> that run inside an Agile model.<\/p>\n

What are the 9 software development models?<\/h2>\n

The nine models are Waterfall, V-Model, Incremental, Iterative, Spiral, Prototype, RAD, Big Bang, and Agile. The table shows how each one runs its phases and when the first working software arrives.<\/p>\n

\"Nine<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Model<\/strong><\/td>\nHow it runs the phases<\/strong><\/td>\nFirst working software<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Waterfall<\/td>\nOnce, in strict order<\/td>\nAt the end<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
V-Model<\/td>\nSequential, with a test phase paired to each design phase<\/td>\nAt the end<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Incremental<\/td>\nPhases repeat, and each cycle ships a finished piece<\/td>\nEarly, in slices<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Iterative<\/td>\nPhases repeat, and each pass refines the whole product<\/td>\nEarly, rough<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spiral<\/td>\nLoops in risk order, prototyping the biggest unknown first<\/td>\nAfter each loop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prototype<\/td>\nA mock-up first, then the real build<\/td>\nVery early, often disposable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RAD<\/td>\nCompressed cycles built from reusable components<\/td>\nWithin weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big Bang<\/td>\nNo defined sequence<\/td>\nWhenever<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Agile<\/td>\nAll phases repeat in short cycles<\/td>\nWithin weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What is the Waterfall model in SDLC?<\/h2>\n

The Waterfall model runs every SDLC phase once, in strict order, with a sign-off gate between each. Nothing moves backward without a formal, priced change request.<\/p>\n