Theory
Both BMAD and Spec-kit operationalize Spec-Driven Development, but they make very different trade-offs.
| Dimension | Spec-kit | BMAD |
|---|---|---|
| Setup overhead | Low file templates in any repo | Higher framework installation and configuration |
| Persona model | None (you drive the workflow) | Rich set of role-based AI personas |
| Artifact depth | Spec + Plan + Tasks | Brief, PRD, Architecture, Stories, Tasks |
| Best for | Small features, individual engineers, greenfield projects | Complex features, cross-functional teams, brownfield codebases |
| GitHub integration | Native PR workflow | Configurable, not GitHub-specific |
| Learning curve | Gentle | Steeper, but pays off on larger projects |
When to use Spec-kit
- You want a low-friction entry point into SDD
- Your team already uses GitHub heavily
- The scope is a single feature or small project
- You need to onboard engineers quickly
When to use BMAD
- You're working on a complex, multi-phase project
- You need consistent artifacts across a cross-functional team
- You're working in a brownfield codebase where context management matters
- You want quality gates and persona-guided reasoning built into the workflow
The frameworkless option
For very small tasks or experienced engineers, neither framework may be necessary. Frameworkless SDD writing a quick SPEC.md and TASKS.md manually is always a valid starting point.
Practice
Run this in a repository you already know, not a toy project. The point is to feel where the practice helps and where it gets in the way on code that has history.
- Take the Todo application you built with BMAD in the previous exercise.
- Optionally, re-implement a portion of it using Spec-kit's approach instead.
- Compare the two experiences across these dimensions:
- How did spec generation differ?
- How did the generated artifacts differ in depth and structure?
- Which approach felt more natural for your team composition?
- Where was AI assistance more or less effective?
- Write a one-page decision guide: given a project type and team size, which framework would you recommend and why?