Scrum vs Kanban: what is the difference and which should you choose?

Short answer:
Scrum uses fixed Sprints, roles and ceremonies and is ideal for product development and teams working towards fixed releases.
Kanban uses continuous flow and WIP limits and is better suited for operational work, support and teams where work arrives unpredictably.

Many teams eventually use a combination of both (Scrumban).

What is the main difference between Scrum and Kanban?

Aspect	Scrum	Kanban
Approach	Working in Sprints	Continuous flow
Planning	Fixed sprint moment	Continuous prioritization
Roles	Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developers	No required roles
Meetings	Fixed Scrum events	Optional
Change during work	Not during Sprint	Always possible
Focus	Predictable delivery	Lead time and flow

When do you choose Scrum?

Choose Scrum if you:

• Work on product development
• Want to release regularly
• Teams need more structure
• Are just introducing Agile within an organization

In practice, Scrum often works well for software development, product teams and organizations that want to increase predictability.

When do you choose Kanban?

Choose Kanban if you:

• Have unpredictable work
• Have a continuous stream of work
• Work in support, maintenance or operations
• Want to improve processes without major change

In practice, Kanban often works well for service teams, platform teams and operational IT teams.

Scrum or Kanban: which should you choose?

The choice mainly depends on the type of work:

Choose Scrum if:

• You're working towards releases
• Your team works together on one product
• You need rhythm and predictability

Choose Kanban if:

• Work continuously comes in
• Priorities change frequently
• You want to optimize flow and lead time

Can you combine Scrum and Kanban?

Yes. Many teams use a combination, often called Scrumban.

Typical combination:

• Sprint structure from Scrum
• Visual board from Kanban
• WIP limits from Kanban
• Retrospectives from Scrum

Why do many organizations eventually use Scrumban?

Because Scrum provides structure and Kanban provides flexibility. Teams often start with Scrum and then add Kanban elements to improve flow.

What works best in practice?

In practice, there is no "best" framework. The best framework is the one that fits the type of work, team maturity and organizational context.

Learn to apply Scrum and Kanban in practice

In our Agile trainings you'll learn not only the theory of Scrum and Kanban, but especially when to use which approach in practice.