Compare

View methods side by side.

Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.

Selected:Decision Tree ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)Architecture Decision Record arc42

Criterion	Decision Making Decision Tree	Architecture ARID (Active Reviews for Intermediate Designs)	Architecture Architecture Decision Record	Architecture arc42
Purposedifferent	For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch.	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.	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.	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	30-90 min	2–4 h review as a planning range; preparation and evaluation additional	15-45 min	1-2 Tage
Participantsdifferent	1-6	Designers, developers as users, and facilitation	1-3	1-4
Formatdifferent	Workshop + async	Workshop + async	Async	Workshop + async
Outputdifferent	Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List	Prioritized development tasks, Jointly produced code or pseudocode, Observed difficulties and open design questions, Proposed design revisions	ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale	Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View
Tagsno overlap	DecisionTreeOptions	ArchitectureEngineeringFeedbackValidationTasks	ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance	ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication

Add more methods