What is the difference between Scrum and Kanban?

Scrum and Kanban are popular agile software development methodologies, but they have significant differences.

Scrum

• Iterative: work is divided into fixed-time sprints (usually 1-4 weeks).
• Roles: clearly defined (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team).
• Artifacts: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment.
• Ceremonies: Daily Scrum, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective.
• Focus: on delivering a working increment at the end of each sprint.
• Changes: undesirable during a sprint.
• Useful for projects with high uncertainty and requiring frequent feedback.

Kanban

• Flow-based: work is organized into a continuous flow.
• Roles: no prescribed roles.
• Artifacts: Kanban board visualizing the stages of the workflow.
• Ceremonies: stand-up, retrospective (optional), cadences (regular meeting rhythms).
• Focus: on optimizing flow and minimizing cycle time.
• Changes: welcomed at any time.
• Useful for projects requiring high throughput and a constant flow of tasks (e.g., support, maintenance).

Main Differences Table:

Characteristic	Scrum	Kanban
Approach	Iterative (sprints)	Flow-based (continuous)
Cycle Time	Fixed (sprint duration)	Variable (optimized)
Roles	Clearly defined	No prescribed roles
Changes	Undesirable during a sprint	Welcomed at any time
Focus	Delivering an increment	Flow and cycle time optimization
Metrics	Velocity	WIP, Lead Time, Cycle Time