The differences between the two orders, the Doric and the Ionic, are mainly found on the columns and the frieze. The Doric column is directly based on the stylobate and its vertical flutes along its length are divided in arrises. The flutes, as well as the whole column, gradually get narrower towards the top. The capital is usually moulded on a single monolithic slab together with the upper part of the column. It consists of a moulded part -the echinus- which adjoins to a square block, the abacus. At first there is one but later more concave which mouldings compose the joining of echinus with the top drum. As a rule, the architrave is left plain, apart from a regula on its top decorated at set intervals where six small pegs appear, the guttae.

The diameter of the top of the columns in the early Doric temples, is nearly half of the diameter of its base and the echinus of the capitals is intensely curved. These elements, along with the triglyphs, reveal the imitation of practices that were already used in wooden structures.

The Doric frieze consists of narrow pieces with upright bars -the triglyphs- and of larger surfaces that usually have sculptured or painted representations, the metopes. Triglyphs and metopes interchange regularly and there are triglyphs over each column, over the middle of every intercolumnium distance and over the angles. Their placement is related to the known problem of the edge metope (which was the largest) and led to various solutions, such as the gradual change of the width of the intercolumnium. Over the frieze there is a cornice, with a slight inclination towards the outer side for protection from the rain, which consists of a simple kyma and corona. On the under part of the cornice and exactly over each triglyph and each metope there is a horizontal slab, the mutuli, decorated with series of guttae. Moreover, the area of the pediment is protected by the slanting cornice, known as raking.

As far as the designing of the Doric temples is concerned, their most important evolution is related to the analogy of the length to the width. The width of the early Doric temples usually exceeds 30 metres (hecatompeda), while their width is less than 10 metres. Gradually this ratio diminishes and in the 5th century B.C. approaches 2:1. However, the whole size increases, and the largest Doric temples of the Archaic period exceed 50 metres in length. The number of columns varies from 5 to 9 on its narrowest, and 11 to 18 on its longest sides. The most common design of an Archaic Doric temple is 6×13 or 6X15 columns. Over the passage of time, the intercolumnium distance also increases, along with the size of the columns. Finally the profile of the echinus of the capital, which was initially very moulded, gradually ends up conic.