--- description: Waterfall model is a sequential model that divides software development into different phases. Each phase is designed for performing specific activity during SDLC phase. It was introduced in 1970 by Winston Royce. title: "Waterfall Model in SDLC: Advantages & Disadvantages" image: https://www.guru99.com/images/waterfall-model-in-sdlc.png --- [Skip to content](#main) **⚑ Smart Summary** Waterfall Model in SDLC is a sequential development approach that divides a project into fixed phases, each finishing before the next begins. This resource explains its phases, when to use it, and its advantages and disadvantages. - 🌊 **Waterfall Meaning:** The Waterfall Model is a sequential SDLC approach with pre-defined phases and no overlap between them. - πŸ“… **Introduced 1970:** Winston Royce introduced the model in 1970, and each phase performs one specific activity. - 🧱 **Six Phases:** The phases are requirements, design, build, test, deployment, and maintenance. - βœ… **When to Use:** It suits short, clear projects with stable requirements and technology. - βš–οΈ **Trade-offs:** It gives strong documentation and control, but handles changing requirements poorly. - πŸ›‘οΈ **Why It Matters:** Understanding Waterfall helps teams choose the right model for a project’s needs. Read More ![Waterfall Model in SDLC](https://www.guru99.com/images/waterfall-model-in-sdlc.png) ## What is The Waterfall Model? **Waterfall Model** is a sequential model that divides software development into pre-defined phases. Each phase must be completed before the next phase can begin, with no overlap between the phases. Each phase is designed to perform a specific activity during the SDLC. It was introduced in 1970 by Winston Royce. [![Explain Waterfall Model in SDLC]()](https://www.guru99.com/images/6-2015/052615_1232_WhatisSDLCo1.png) *Waterfall Model in SDLC* | | #1 BEST OVERALL [![Zoho Projects]()](https://guru99.live/d88u2f) 9.8/10 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… [Start Free Trial](https://guru99.live/d88u2f) | [![Zoho Analytics]()](https://guru99.live/caed0l) 9.5/10 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… [Visit Zoho Analytics](https://guru99.live/caed0l) | [![Zoho WorkDrive]()](https://guru99.live/8h8gvo) 9.3/10 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… [Visit Zoho WorkDrive](https://guru99.live/8h8gvo) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Best For | Project Management | BI & Reporting | File Sharing & Collaboration | | Key Feature | *βœ“*Automate daily & weekly recurring tasks | *βœ“*AI-powered reports & insights | *βœ“*Admin control over shared files | | Also Includes | *βœ“*Classic, list & Kanban views | *βœ“*Blend data from multiple sources | *βœ“*Real-time file collaboration | | Free Trial | 15-Day Free Trial | 15-Day Free Trial | 15-Day Free Trial | | | [Start Free Trial](https://guru99.live/d88u2f) | [Visit Zoho Analytics](https://guru99.live/caed0l) | [Visit Zoho WorkDrive](https://guru99.live/8h8gvo) | #1 BEST OVERALL 1 [![Zoho Projects]()](https://guru99.live/d88u2f) 9.8/10 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… Best For Project Management Key Feature *βœ“*Automate daily & weekly recurring tasks Also Includes *βœ“*Classic, list & Kanban views Free Trial 15-Day Free Trial [Start Free Trial](https://guru99.live/d88u2f) 2 [![Zoho Analytics]()](https://guru99.live/caed0l) 9.5/10 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… Best For BI & Reporting Key Feature *βœ“*AI-powered reports & insights Also Includes *βœ“*Blend data from multiple sources Free Trial 15-Day Free Trial [Visit Zoho Analytics](https://guru99.live/caed0l) 3 [![Zoho WorkDrive]()](https://guru99.live/8h8gvo) 9.3/10 β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… Best For File Sharing & Collaboration Key Feature *βœ“*Admin control over shared files Also Includes *βœ“*Real-time file collaboration Free Trial 15-Day Free Trial [Visit Zoho WorkDrive](https://guru99.live/8h8gvo) Β  ## Different Phases of Waterfall Model in Software Engineering Following are the different Waterfall Model phases: | Different phases | Activities performed in each stage | | --- | --- | | **Requirement Gathering stage** | | | **Design Stage** | | | **Built Stage** | After the design stage comes the build stage, which is nothing but coding the software. | | **Test Stage** | In this phase, you test the software to verify that it is built as per the specifications given by the client. | | **Deployment stage** | Deploy the application in the respective environment. | | **Maintenance stage** | Once your system is ready to use, you may later require changes to the code as per customer requests. | ## When to use SDLC Waterfall Model? The Waterfall methodology can be used when: - Requirements are not changing frequently - The application is not complicated and big - The project is short - The requirement is clear - The environment is stable - The technology and tools used are not dynamic and are stable - Resources are available and trained **Don't Miss:** - [Difference Between XML and HTML](https://www.guru99.com/xml-vs-html-difference.html) - [10 Best FREE Live Chat Software & Apps (2026)](https://www.guru99.com/live-chat-software.html) - [13 Best FREE CSS Editor Software (2026)](https://www.guru99.com/free-css-editor.html) - [How to Reset Graphics Driver: 7 Easy Methods](https://www.guru99.com/how-to-reset-graphics-driver.html) ## Advantages and Disadvantages of Waterfall Model Here are the popular advantages of the Waterfall model in [Software Engineering](https://www.guru99.com/what-is-software-engineering.html), along with some disadvantages: | Advantages | Disadvantages | | --- | --- | | Before the next phase of development, each phase must be completed. | An error can be fixed only during the phase. | | Suited for smaller projects where requirements are well defined. | It is not desirable for a complex project where requirements change frequently. | | A quality assurance test (verification and validation) should be performed before completing each stage. | The testing period comes quite late in the development process. | | Elaborate documentation is done at every phase of the software’s development cycle. | Documentation occupies a lot of the developers’ and testers’ time. | | The project is completely dependent on the project team, with minimum client intervention. | The client’s valuable feedback cannot be included during the ongoing development phase. | | Any changes to the software are made during the development process. | Small changes or errors that arise in the completed software may cause a lot of problems. | ## FAQs πŸ”„ Is the Waterfall Model still used today? Yes. The Waterfall Model is still used for projects with clear, stable requirements, such as regulated or fixed-scope work. For products where requirements change often, teams usually prefer iterative approaches like Agile instead. βš–οΈ What is the difference between the Waterfall and Agile models? Waterfall is sequential: each phase finishes before the next starts, with little change once underway. Agile is iterative: work is delivered in short cycles with frequent feedback, so requirements can evolve throughout the project. ↩️ Can you go back to a previous phase in the Waterfall Model? Not easily. The model is strictly sequential, so returning to an earlier phase is costly and disruptive. This is why clear, well-documented requirements are gathered up front before design and coding begin. πŸ€– How is AI used in the SDLC? AI assists across the life cycle: drafting requirements, generating and reviewing code, creating test cases, and predicting defects. It speeds up each phase, while engineers still validate the design, code, and results before release. 🧠 Can AI help gather requirements in a Waterfall project? Yes. AI can analyze documents and stakeholder inputs to draft, organize, and check requirements for gaps or conflicts early. Since Waterfall depends on clear upfront requirements, this reduces costly changes later, though analysts confirm the final scope. #### Summarize this post with: ChatGPTPerplexityGrokGoogle AI **Stay Updated on AI** **Get Weekly AI Skills, Trends, Actionable Advice.** ##### Sign up for the newsletter Subscribe for Free You have successfully subscribed. 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