ADR tools compared, and decisions captured in the flow
adr-tools, Log4brains, dotnet-adr, and the Backstage ADR plugin for architecture decision records, next to recording decisions with patcharc decision while the change is being made.
updated 2026-08-22 · competitor pricing and claims checked 2026-08-22 · PatchArc facts as of 0.2.0
Architecture Decision Records are the accepted way to write down why a system is the way it is. The tools below help you create and publish them. PatchArc does something adjacent: it captures the smaller decisions made during a single change, with timestamps, and seals them with the evidence. This page compares the tools and explains why the two kinds of record belong together.
The ADR tools
| Tool | What it is | Format | Output | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adr-tools | Shell CLI: adr init, adr new, adr new -s N to supersede | Nygard | Markdown files in doc/adr/ | GPL |
| Log4brains | Node CLI plus a static site: log4brains init, adr new, preview, log4brains-web build | MADR by default | Markdown files and a generated website | Apache-2.0 |
| dotnet-adr | .NET global tool with templates | Several | Markdown | MIT |
| Backstage ADR plugin | Surfaces ADRs from repositories inside Backstage | Markdown | Backstage page | Apache-2.0 |
| ADG, pyadr, adr-log, ADR Manager | Language-specific CLIs and a web editor | Various | Markdown | Various |
All of them are free. Third-party posts describe adr-tools and Log4brains as lightly maintained; we did not verify that against the repositories, so check recent activity before adopting either. The full catalogue is at adr.github.io/adr-tooling.
adr-tools
The original. Three commands, Nygard's template (context, decision, status, consequences), files numbered 0001-…md. Supersession links records to each other. If you want the least possible tooling, this is it.
Log4brains
Adds what adr-tools lacks: a preview server, a generated static site with search, and MADR as the default template. Better for teams who want decisions browsable outside the repository.
dotnet-adr and Backstage
dotnet-adr fits .NET shops that want templates and a global tool. The Backstage plugin is for organisations already running Backstage who want ADRs visible in the catalogue.
Where PatchArc fits
ADRs are documents you write deliberately, for decisions big enough to deserve a file. Most decisions are smaller: which helper to keep, why the migration was split, which test was regenerated instead of reviewed. They are made in the middle of a change, often while an AI agent is proposing alternatives, and they are lost by the time the PR is opened.
PatchArc records them where they happen:
$ patcharc decision "Keep SQLite; Postgres is not justified below 50k sessions"
✓ decision recorded
$ patcharc risk "Migration on existing databases is untested"
✓ risk recordedEach entry is timestamped and attached to the active Arc. At patcharc stop, decisions and risks become section six of the deterministic review and are sealed into the capsule with the commits and patches they relate to. A reviewer sees the decision next to the diff that implemented it, and can verify the whole record offline.
Not the same thing
| ADR tools | PatchArc | |
|---|---|---|
| Granularity | Architectural, long-lived | Per change, per Arc |
| When written | Deliberately, as a document | In the flow, one line each |
| Where stored | doc/adr/ in the repository | Inside the sealed capsule, with the evidence |
| Supersession | Yes (adr-tools -s, MADR status) | No; an Arc is a point in time |
| Publishing | Log4brains site, Backstage | ArcLink |
| Integrity | Git history | Ed25519 signature, offline verify |
Use both
Record small decisions with patcharc decision as you work. When one of them turns out to be architectural, promote it: write the ADR with adr-tools or Log4brains and reference the ArcLink or capsule id in its context section. The ADR explains the why at the system level; the capsule proves what was decided and changed at the time.
Frequently asked questions
Which ADR tool is maintained?
We did not verify maintenance status against the repositories for this page. Third-party commentary describes adr-tools and Log4brains as lightly maintained; check commit activity before adopting, and consider the Backstage plugin if you already run Backstage.
CLI or web for ADRs?
adr-tools and dotnet-adr are CLI only. Log4brains is CLI plus a generated site. ADR Manager is a web editor. Pick by where your team reads documents.
Where do decisions go when an AI agent makes them?
Nowhere, unless something records them. With PatchArc, you (or the agent, if you instruct it) run patcharc decision at the moment, and the entry is sealed with the change. See Working with AI coding agents.
Can PatchArc export to MADR?
Not in 0.2.0. Decisions are in evidence/summary/review.json inside the capsule; unzip -p capsule.parc evidence/summary/review.json | jq '.decisions' gets you the list to paste into an ADR.