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 |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Systems Thinking Behavior Over Time Graph |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. | A Behavior Over Time Graph shows how a metric or observation develops over time. The method makes trends, breaks, and recurring patterns visible that get lost in snapshots. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Tage | 20-45 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-4 | 1-4 | 1-10 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Behavior Over Time Graph, Trend Hypotheses, Key Events | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | Systems thinkingPatternsDynamics | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |