View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion | ![]() Architecture arc42 | ![]() Decision Making Delphi Method | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | When knowledge is distributed and direct dominance should be avoided, groups quickly fall under the sway of their opinion leaders. The Delphi Method gathers assessments iteratively and gradually brings expert judgments closer together. | An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-4 Wochen | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 6-30 Experten | 3-20 Reviewer |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Expert Forecast, Consensus Range, Assumption Notes | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ForecastingExpertsDecisionStrategy | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance |
Often compared together
Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.






