Overview
Scrum and Kanban are two of the most popular ways to run agile projects. Both use visual boards and both aim to help teams deliver work steadily, but they work differently. This article explains the main differences in plain language, when to use each one, and how they map to TeamTrace.
The Short Answer
- Scrum organizes work into fixed-length cycles called sprints. It suits teams that deliver in planned steps.
- Kanban moves work through a continuous flow and limits how much is in progress at once. It suits teams whose work arrives unpredictably.
- TeamTrace supports both in the same tool.
What Is Scrum?
Scrum is a structured framework. The team works in sprints, usually one to four weeks long. Before each sprint, the team picks the most important items from the product backlog and commits to finishing them. At the end of the sprint, the team reviews the results and plans how to improve. Scrum defines three roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers, plus regular meetings such as sprint planning, daily check-ins and retrospectives.
What Is Kanban?
Kanban is a flexible method built on a visual board. Each task is a card, and each stage of your workflow is a column. Cards move from left to right as work progresses. Kanban doesn't need sprints. Instead it uses work in progress (WIP) limits, which cap how many cards can be in a column at once, so the team finishes work before starting more. Kanban doesn't prescribe roles or meetings, so you can start with the team structure you already have.
Scrum vs Kanban at a Glance
| Aspect | Scrum | Kanban |
| Approach | A framework with defined roles, events and artifacts | A flexible method focused on visual workflow |
| Cadence | Fixed sprints, usually 1 to 4 weeks | Continuous flow, no fixed cycles |
| Roles | Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers | No required roles |
| Planning | Sprint planning before each sprint | Just in time, as capacity opens up |
| Commitment | The team commits to a set of items for the sprint | The team commits to finishing the task in hand |
| Limiting work in progress | Indirectly, through the size of the sprint | Directly, with a WIP limit on each column |
| Changes during the work | The sprint scope is usually kept fixed until the sprint ends | Priorities can change at any time |
| Board | Shows the sprint's work, and is reset each sprint | Always on, and shows WIP limits |
| Key measures | Velocity, burndown | Lead time, cycle time, flow |
| Estimation | Usually part of planning | Optional |
| Best for | Projects delivered in planned increments, such as new product development | Ongoing, unpredictable work, such as support, operations and maintenance |
When to Use Scrum
- You are building a product or feature step by step.
- You want a regular rhythm of planning, delivery and review.
- Stakeholders expect to see progress at set intervals.
- Your team can agree on a scope for a sprint and protect it.
- You are happy to take on defined roles and regular meetings.
When to Use Kanban
- Work arrives unpredictably, such as support tickets, bug fixes or requests.
- Priorities change often, and you need to react quickly.
- You want to improve an existing process without changing roles or titles.
- You want to find and fix bottlenecks in your workflow.
- Your team is small, or you want the lightest possible setup.
Can You Use Both?
No, currently TeamTrace has no such feature.
Scrum and Kanban in TeamTrace
You choose the method when you create a project, by selecting a template. Under Browse Templates, the predefined templates are Scrum and Kanban. You can also choose Create Custom and set up your own configuration.
| Feature | Scrum in TeamTrace | Kanban in TeamTrace |
| Planning | Product backlog and time-boxed sprints. Add a sprint from Quick Add > Add Sprint, then start it from the sprint's three-dot menu. | A continuous board. Cards are pulled through the columns as the team has capacity. |
| Board | Online Scrum board showing sprint planning, backlog management and task status | Online Kanban board with customizable columns |
| Limits | Sprint scope and capacity planning | Work in progress (WIP) limits on columns |
| Reports | Burndown, velocity, cumulative flow, sprint, lead time and cycle time reports | Cumulative flow, cycle time, lead time, WIP, blocked work, task aging and burndown reports |
| Capacity | Capacity planning to monitor team bandwidth against sprint commitments | WIP limits to stop overload |
What both have in common in TeamTrace
- A Board view, with List, Calendar and Gantt views alongside it.
- Customizable statuses, which become the board columns. See Task Statuses Explained in TeamTrace.
- Tasks, subtasks, assignees, priorities and tags.
- Task dependencies between tasks in a project. See Task Dependencies Explained in TeamTrace.
- Milestones and epics for larger phases of work.
- Automatic time tracking, and monitoring that is tied to tasks.
How to Choose: A Quick Guide
| Question | If yes |
| Do you deliver work in planned steps with clear goals? | Scrum |
| Does new work arrive daily and priorities change often? | Kanban |
| Do stakeholders expect regular reviews or demos? | Scrum |
| Do you want to improve a workflow without changing roles? | Kanban |
| Do you want a regular planning rhythm and a flexible daily board? | A hybrid of both |
| Are you new to agile and want the simplest start? | Kanban, with a basic three-column board |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Scrum or Kanban better?
Neither is better everywhere. Kanban suits continuous flow, and Scrum suits time-boxed, predictable delivery. Choose the one that fits how your work arrives.
Does Scrum have WIP limits?
Not explicitly. Scrum limits work in progress indirectly, through the amount of work the team commits to in a sprint. Kanban sets explicit limits on each column.
Do I need special roles to use Kanban?
No. Kanban doesn't require specific roles, so teams can keep their current structure.
Can I use both in TeamTrace?
Yes. TeamTrace lets you manage Scrum sprints and Kanban flows in the same tool and on the same screen.
Can I change a project from Kanban to Scrum later?
If a ticket is already created then the workflow cannot be changed. You can only change the workflow before any activity on the project (before creating any ticket.)
Related Articles
Was this article helpful?
That’s Great!
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry! We couldn't be helpful
Thank you for your feedback
Feedback sent
We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article