Commonly confused
Kanban vs Scrum
Kanban and Scrum are both agile, but differ in cadence and commitment. Scrum works in fixed-length sprints with set roles (product owner, scrum master) and ceremonies (planning, standup, review, retrospective), committing to a batch up front and measuring velocity and burndown. Kanban has no iterations — work flows continuously, pulled as capacity frees up and capped by WIP limits, measured by cycle time and throughput. Scrum optimizes for a predictable rhythm; Kanban optimizes for flow and responsiveness (many teams blend the two as Scrumban).
Kanban vs Scrum, in short
- Kanban and Scrum are both agile, but differ in cadence and commitment. Scrum works in fixed-length sprints with set roles (product owner, scrum master) and ceremonies (planning, standup, review, retrospective), committing to a batch up front and measuring velocity and burndown. Kanban has no iterations — work flows continuously, pulled as capacity frees up and capped by WIP limits, measured by cycle time and throughput. Scrum optimizes for a predictable rhythm; Kanban optimizes for flow and responsiveness (many teams blend the two as Scrumban).
- When to use kanban: Reach for Kanban when work is interrupt-driven or continuously flowing — support, ops, or steady streams where priorities shift without waiting for a sprint boundary.
- When to use scrum: Reach for Scrum when a planning rhythm and discrete releases help — a fixed cadence makes commitments and forecasts repeatable.
| Aspect | Kanban | Scrum |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Kanban is a visual workflow method that maps work onto a board of columns representing stages — typically backlog, in progress, and done. Cards move left to right as work advances. It emphasizes continuous flow, making bottlenecks visible, and limiting work in progress rather than committing to fixed time-boxes. | Scrum is an agile framework for delivering work in fixed iterations called sprints. A small cross-functional team plans a sprint, works without mid-sprint scope changes, then inspects and adapts through review and retrospective. Defined roles, events, and artifacts give the framework structure while leaving the actual engineering practices up to the team. |
| When to use it | Reach for Kanban when work is interrupt-driven or continuously flowing — support, ops, or steady streams where priorities shift without waiting for a sprint boundary. | Reach for Scrum when a planning rhythm and discrete releases help — a fixed cadence makes commitments and forecasts repeatable. |
| Full definition | Kanban | Scrum |