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 Option Framing | ![]() Architecture Request for Comments | ![]() Decision Making Constraint Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | In early decisions, alternatives are often still vague, incomplete, or blended together. Option Framing brings every possibility into a comparable form and makes visible which variant actually fits the question. | 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. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 45-120 min | 1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 3-8 | 3-20 Reviewer | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Option Frames, Assumption Notes, Comparable Shortlist, Decision Inputs | RFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or tickets | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | OptionsDecision framingStrategyComparison | ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions |



