Kanban vs Scrum: Which Agile Methodology is Right for Your Team

Kanban vs Scrum is one of the most common comparisons in the Agile world, as both are popular ways for teams to manage work and deliver results. Agile is a flexible way of working that focuses on teamwork, adapting to change, and delivering value step by step. While Scrum organizes work into fixed time periods called sprints, Kanban focuses on visualizing tasks and improving flow. In this blog, we will understand the key differences between Kanban and Scrum in detail, along with their similarities.

What is Agile?

Agile is a way of managing projects that is flexible and team-focused, in which the work is done in small parts instead of finishing everything at once. After each part is completed, it is shared and feedback is taken, and improvements are made based on the feedback. For example, if you are making a mobile app, you don’t wait to finish the whole app before showing it. First, you make a simple version with just the login. Next, you add the profile page, then notifications, and so on.

Agile vs Waterfall

Below is the difference between Agile and the Waterfall Model.

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What is Kanban?

Kanban is a visual way to manage work, instead of keeping the tasks in mind or in a list. It is used to improve efficiency and uses a board divided into columns to represent stages of the work, like

• To do the tasks that are planned but not started.
• In progress, the tasks that are currently being worked on.
• Testing or Review, the tasks that are being checked.
• Done, the tasks that are finished.

The tasks are represented by cards that move across the columns, which makes the workflow visible to everyone.

Below are the characteristics of Kanban.

• Kanban visualizes the work, i.e., puts every task on the Kanban board so that everyone can see the progress.
• It sets a limit on workflow stages, which means a new stage can only start after the previous one is finished.
• It helps to do continuous improvement as team members can see the progress and find out the issues that can be fixed by a step-by-step procedure.
• It defines clear workflow policies.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a structured Agile framework used to manage and complete complex projects by dividing them into fixed-step time-boxed cycles called sprints. The goal of each Sprint is to produce a usable and working piece of the product, i.e., something that can be tested or delivered.

There are three main roles in Scrum:

• The Product Owner is responsible for defining the product vision and all the features, tasks, and requirements.
• The Scrum Master ensures that the team follows the Scrum rules and helps to remove the obstacles so that the team can work smoothly.
• The Development Team consists of the professionals who design, build, and test the product.

Kanban vs Scrum

Below, we have discussed the key differences between Kanban and Scrum on the basis of various aspects.

1. Timeframe

• Scrum works in fixed and repeatable timeboxes called Sprints, which can be 2 to 4 weeks long. At the start of the Sprint, the team picks a set of tasks that have to be completed by the end of the Sprint, which creates a regular rhythm for review and improvement, and nothing new is added in the middle. For example, a team building an online shopping app decides that, in the next 2 weeks, we will complete the shopping cart feature of the application; hence, by the end of 2 weeks, the cart module must be ready.
• Kanban uses a continuous flow model with no fixed cycles, i.e., work items are done when the task is needed and move independently, which makes it better for irregular incoming work because things are delivered as soon as they are done rather than waiting for a sprint boundary. For example, a customer support team fixes issues as they are found. If three bugs are found, they handle them one by one and mark them done, without waiting for 2 weeks

2. Roles and Responsibilities

• Scrum defines three core roles, the product owner (what to build), the scrum master (ensures the rules are followed), and the development team (builds the product ), which create clear responsibility.
• Kanban does not have any fixed roles, it assumes the existing organizational structure stays in place. The teams can keep the Product owners and managers if they want, but Kanban mainly focuses on workflow policies and improving the flow of the project rather than specific role definitions.

3. Planning Approach

• Scrum uses a Sprint planning process, i.e., before each Sprint starts, the team looks at the backlog items that can be finished, before moving further.
• Kanban uses an on-demand planning approach, i.e., the backlog is always present and whenever a team member finishes something, they start with the next most important task and no need to wait for a Sprint to get completed. It is more incremental and reactive, i.e., the plans are divided into small batches rather than committing to a fixed batch.

4. Work In Progress

• Work in Progress (WIP) is limited in Scrum because the team only does a certain amount of work per Sprint, but inside the Sprint, people can multitask unless the team is highly disciplined. For example, the team promises to finish 5 features in 2 weeks, which is their WIP limit.
• Kanban has strict WIP limits for each column on the board, like if there are 3 tasks in progress at a time, no new task can start until the remaining one finishes, which prevents overload and highlights bottlenecks.

5. Flexibility to Changes

• Scrum is not flexible; once the Sprint starts, the team will not do any other work so that they can meet the Sprint goals, which provides stability at the cost of short-term flexibility. But if some urgent issues come up, they wait until the Sprint is completed (canceled or adjusted).
• Kanban is highly flexible, i.e., the items or tasks with higher priority can be added to the work as per the requirements, which makes the Kanban ideal where priorities change frequently or when urgent work arrives.

6. Meetings / Ceremonies

• Scrum defines a set of meetings with a clear purpose, i.e., Sprint Planning (decide what to do in the Sprint), Daily Scrum (15 minutes daily to check progress), Sprint Review (show finished work to stakeholders), and Sprint Retrospective (discuss what went well and what to improve), which creates a discipline in the workflow.
• Kanban does not require a set of meetings; instead, teams keep a daily record and may run according to the requirements. Teams can still have daily standups or weekly check-ins, but it is completely optional.

7. Delivery

• At the end of each Sprint, a set of tasks is completed, i.e., the team delivers a working product, a feature that can be released, which promotes a larger and predictable delivery on a regular interval of time.
• Kanban uses a continuous delivery model, meaning that each item is completed and can be released as soon as it passes all quality checks, which results in more frequent releases. Due to the continuous delivery of the items, the batch sizes and time are reduced.

8. Best Use Case

• Scrum is best for new product development, when the teams are making the products with medium-to long-term feature goals, where regular planning of the product matters, and is good for the cross-functional teams, which can easily track the complexity of the work. For example, building a brand-new mobile banking app.
• Kanban is best for operational work where continuous work and priorities matter, like support or maintenance teams or service teams. For example, handling IT helpdesk tickets or fixing server issues.

9. Metrics / Tracking

• Scrum commonly uses velocity (how many tasks are completed per Sprint), burndown charts (remaining work over the Sprint), and Sprint goal completion rates to plan and improve, which focuses on predictability across the Sprints.
• Kanban uses flow metrics like lead time (time from request to delivery), cycle time (time spent actively working on a task), and throughput (number of items delivered per unit time), which focuses on reducing delays and improving the flow of the work.

10. Structure

• Scrum is more structured and prescriptive, i.e., it has rules for roles, events, and artifacts, which makes it easier to implement and provides a clear framework for teams that are new to Agile.
• Kanban is less structured and more adaptive, i.e., it starts with the current workflow and improves it step by step, which makes it easier to adopt without disrupting the existing processes.

Similarities Between Scrum and Kanban

Below are the similarities between Scrum and Kanban.

1. Agile ideas

Both Scrum and Kanban are based on Agile principles, which means they focus on delivering value to the customer, continuous improvement, and adapting to change.

2. Board to track work

Both use a visual board to track the progress of the work, i.e., in Scrum, it is called a Scrum board, and in Kanban, it is called a Kanban board. The board is divided into columns that represent the stages of the workflow, and tasks are represented by cards that move across the columns.

3. Work visible and transparent

Both make the work visible and transparent to the team and stakeholders, which helps to identify the issues and improve the collaboration between the team members.

4. Aim to deliver value faster

Both aim to deliver value to the customer as quickly as possible by breaking the work into smaller parts and delivering them incrementally.

5. Control the amount of work

Both control the amount of work in progress to avoid overloading the team and to ensure that the work is completed efficiently.

Kanban vs Scrum Tools

Scrum tools are built around time-boxed work called Sprints. Some of the Scrum tools are as follows. 

• Jira (Scrum boards): It is great for managing backlogs and sprints.
• Scrumwise: It is built specifically for Scrum with backlog, sprint, and task tracking.
• ClickUp: It supports sprint planning and Scrum workflows.

Kanban tools are built around continuous flow and visualization. Some of the Kanban tools are as follows. 

• Jira (Kanban boards): It is powerful for larger teams needing tracking and analytics.
• Trello: It is a simple card-and-board system for tasks.
• Kanbanize: It is an advanced Kanban board with automation. 

Use-Cases: When to Use Kanban, When to Use Scrum

You should choose Kanban and Scrum wisely based on the requirements.

When to Use Scrum?

One should use Scrum,

• When you are building a new product or a new feature from scratch.
• When the requirements are clear and the team can commit to a set of tasks for a fixed time.
• When the team is cross-functional and can work together to deliver a working product increment.
• When the stakeholders want regular updates and demos.
• When the team wants to improve its predictability and planning.

Example: A software company building a new online platform can use Scrum, as they do not know all the details, and they can build small features like “Login Page” or “Course Dashboard” in each sprint, show it to customers, and improve step by step, if any changes are needed to it.

When to Use Kanban?

One should use Kanban,

• When you are doing operational work, like support, maintenance, or service requests.
• When the work is unpredictable and priorities change frequently.
• When the team wants to improve the flow of work and reduce delays.
• When the team wants to start with minimal changes to the existing process.
• When the team wants to focus on continuous delivery and reducing lead time.

Example: An operations team in a bank handling loan approvals can use Kanban, as applications come in daily, and the team needs to move each one through the steps like verification, processing, and approval. A Kanban board helps them manage the flow and avoid backlogs.

Kanban vs Scrum: Best Practices

Below are some best practices one should follow in both Scrum and Kanban.

• Talk openly and regularly: Team members should keep each other updated about what is going on, what has been done, and what problems they are facing. This will make it easier to solve the problems before they come or become large. 
• Focus on value, not just tasks: Finishing the task is not the goal of the project, but the real goal is to make sure that the customer gets what they want in a useful and valuable way. 
• Don’t do too many things at once: Doing more tasks at once can sound faster, but it actually makes the work slower and stressful, as while performing multiple tasks at once, the attention of the team members is divided. 
• Build trust in the team:  Team members can work efficiently with each other if they trust each other. They should feel safe to share their problems, mistakes, or new ideas without fear of being judged, and instead of blaming, the team should focus on learning and improving together.
• Keep improving step by step: After every Sprint in Scrum, or regularly in Kanban, the team should look back at what went well and what did not, and then should try one or two small changes to improve it next time. 
• Make work visible: If the work progress is not visible, the people will not know what is going on, which will create confusion among the team members. When tasks are visible, anyone can see the current status, and if something gets stuck, it is easy to notice and fix it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Kanban and Scrum are powerful Agile frameworks that help teams deliver value to the customer. Scrum is more structured and is best for new product development, while Kanban is more flexible and is best for operational work. The choice between Kanban and Scrum depends on the nature of the work, the team’s preferences, and the organization’s goals. Some teams even combine both frameworks to create a hybrid approach that works best for them.

Useful Resources:

• What is Project Management?
• Top 15 Project Management Skills to Master in 2025
• Project Manager Interview Questions
• Project Manager Salary in India

Kanban vs Scrum FAQs