Scrum vs Waterfall: What’s Best for Your Startup in 2025?
Scrum is better when flexibility and speed matter; Waterfall works best when structure and predictability are the main.
Choosing between them isn’t just a project approach; it can impact how quickly you launch, how well you stay on budget, and how satisfied your customers are. The right approach depends on what you’re building, who’s on your team, and how often things might change along the way.
If you’re working with an offshore software development company or building a dedicated product team, understanding these methods can help you get the most out of your investment.
In this blog, we’ll break down the difference between Scrum vs Waterfall, when to use each, and how to decide what’s best for your next project.
What Is Scrum and Why Is It Disrupting Traditional Models?
Scrum is a project management approach that breaks projects into small tasks. These are called sprints.
So, instead of planning everything at once and hoping it all goes properly, Scrum focuses on staying flexible. It delivers valuable results, and works closely as a team step by step.
Here’s what makes Scrum work:
- Projects move forward in short sprints (usually 2-4 weeks)
- Teams include a Product Owner, Scrum Masters, and Developers
- Feedback from customers is part of every step
- Your team can quickly adjust if things change
- A working version of the product is delivered early and often
Why it’s popular: Scrum is great when things change often or need to move fast. That’s why many startups, tech teams, and digital agencies prefer it. In fact, according to the 17th Annual State of Agile Report, 87% of agile teams use Scrum or a hybrid of Scrum. It shows how widely adopted it has become across industries.
What Is Waterfall and Where Does It Still Shine?
Waterfall is a step-by-step process to project management, where each stage is completed before moving on to the next.
Additionally, it follows a fixed order, including planning, designing, building, testing, and launching, with all details decided upfront. Once the project begins, there’s little room for changes.
Main things about Waterfall:
- All plans and requirements are made before any coding starts
- The project moves forward by getting clear milestones
- Clients don’t give much feedback during the process
- Budget and timelines are set from the very beginning
Why it’s still useful: Waterfall methodologies work best when projects have clear goals, must follow strict rules, or don’t need many changes, like in government, construction, healthcare, or banking.
How Scrum and Waterfall Differ: Planning, Delivery, Flexibility, and Team Dynamics
The key difference between Scrum and Waterfall is that Waterfall follows a fixed, step-by-step process; on the other hand, Scrum is fast, flexible, and adapts as the project progresses.
| Aspect | Waterfall | Scrum |
| Planning | Heavy upfront planning | Just enough planning, done iteratively |
| Delivery | full delivery, One-time | Incremental delivery each sprint |
| Flexibility | Low, expensive changes | High, feedback is welcomed each sprint |
| Team | Role-specific, siloed | Cross-functional, collaborative |
| Client Input | Typically limited to start/end | Continuous throughout the project |
| Risk | High if requirements change | Lower due to adaptability |
When to Choose Scrum: Ideal Use Cases and Benefits
Choose Scrum when your project needs to move fast, deliver working results, and handle changes often.
Scrum teams are perfect for working flexibly. If your project doesn’t have all the details figured out at the start, the Scrum framework helps you adapt along the way and keep delivering valuable results.
Use Scrum when:
- You’re creating a digital product or platform
- Project needs may change as you go
- You want regular feedback from stakeholders or customers
- Your team can manage itself and work across roles
- Getting to market quickly is important
Benefits of using Scrum:
- Faster Return on Investment: You start releasing usable features early, allowing you to see value sooner.
- More Visibility and Accountability: Everyone is aware of what’s happening, and the team is responsible for regularly showing progress.
- Closer Alignment with Users: Regular feedback helps the team build what the customer actually wants, rather than just what was initially guessed.
- Continuous Learning and Improvement: Teams reflect on what went well and what didn’t after each sprint, and get better over time.
When to Stick with Waterfall: Where Structure Still Wins
Choose Waterfall when your project requires precise planning, strict control, and minimal changes along the way.
Waterfall is best for projects where all requirements are known upfront. It provides a solid project plan, a clear path from start to finish, and detailed documentation. This makes it perfect for work that must stick to rules or won’t undergo significant changes.
Use Waterfall when:
- The requirements are already precise and unlikely to change
- You’re working in a regulated field (like finance or healthcare)
- Each step needs approval before moving to the next
- Your team works best with fixed processes and roles
- You’re building something physical, like infrastructure or hardware
Benefits of using Waterfall:
- Predictable cost and schedule: Since everything is planned early, it’s easier to stay on budget and finish on time.
- Simple vendor and team coordination: With clear phases, it’s easy to assign tasks and manage external partners.
- Strong documentation for compliance: All steps are well-documented, which facilitates audits, legal reviews, and adherence to industry rules.
Can You Combine Scrum and Waterfall? The Rise of Hybrid Approaches
Yes, you can combine Scrum and Waterfall using a hybrid approach, and many companies already do.
In real-world projects, it’s not always one or the other. A popular mix is called Water-Scrum-Fall, where planning and budgeting follow the Waterfall method, product development is done using the Scrum process, and delivery returns to a traditional model.
This setup works well when your business needs structure, but your team also requires flexibility to build and test quickly. It’s amazing for companies moving from Waterfall to Agile projects, and for teams working with finance or legal departments that need detailed plans.
Therefore, hybrid models are useful for large, complex projects that require balancing creativity and control.
Conclusion
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer in the Scrum vs Waterfall debate. Your choice should depend on your project goals, the frequency of changes, and how your team works best.
Use Scrum for fast-moving, flexible projects. Choose Waterfall for clear, structured plans. Consider a hybrid if you need a combination of both.
Whatever you choose, success comes from using the right tools, mindset, and support. If you’re building an agile team, ensure your process aligns with your goals, which will help you to deliver value, stay on track, and grow with confidence.
FAQs
Which is faster, Scrum or Waterfall?
Scrum is usually faster because teams deliver working parts of the product every few weeks. Waterfall takes longer since results are not available until the end. However, Waterfall can be faster for simple, fixed projects with no expected changes.
Is Scrum better for software development?
Yes, Scrum is often the better choice for software development. It supports frequent changes, user feedback, and faster delivery. Developers can quickly test ideas, refine features, and continually release updates instead of waiting until the entire product is complete.
When should I use the Waterfall model?
Use Waterfall when requirements are clear, fixed, and unlikely to change. It works well for projects in regulated industries or construction, where structure and approvals are necessary. Waterfall gives a predictable plan with clear timelines and budgets.
Can I switch from Waterfall to Scrum mid-project?
Yes, switching is possible but requires careful planning. Teams need to adjust workflows, roles, and timelines. It may slow things down at first, but moving to Scrum mid-project can make development more flexible and responsive in the long run.
What is a sprint in Scrum?
A sprint is a short cycle, typically lasting two to four weeks, during which teams plan, build, test, and deliver a working feature. Each sprint ends with a review, so progress is visible and improvements can be made quickly.
