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 ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs) |  Architecture Views and Beyond |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture arc42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | ARID examines how well developers can work with a technical design. It focuses on a part of the system that can still be revised, between the architecture overview and the detailed specification. | 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. | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional | 1-3 Tage | 1-4 h | 1-2 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Designers, developers as users, and facilitation | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-4 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View |
Tags1 shared | ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication |