{"id":17270,"date":"2020-09-24T14:47:13","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T14:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud\/?post_type=pm&p=17270"},"modified":"2025-09-30T09:49:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T14:49:10","slug":"kanban-vs-scrum-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/rnd\/kanban-vs-scrum-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Kanban Vs. Scrum: What\u2019s The Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a project manager, you always strive to get your teams working faster and more productively without completely overhauling their workflows.<\/p>\n

Most project managers striving to get their teams working more efficiently are familiar with Kanban and Scrum\u00a0 \u2014 two popular project management frameworks that bring the Agile methodology to life.<\/p>\n

While they have different processes, both Scrum and Kanban aim to help teams achieve the same goals of more productive work, greater team collaboration, and quicker product delivery through improved workflow.<\/p>\n

But with some team leaders championing Scrum and others promoting Kanban, how do you know which framework to use for your team? And more importantly, what exactly is the difference between Scrum and Kanban?<\/em><\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll cover the main differences between Kanban and Scrum, identify their similarities, and provide tips for choosing the right methodology. Plus, if you like the idea of a hybrid approach, (because why limit yourself by picking just one!) we\u2019ll show you how to get the best of both frameworks with monday.com.<\/p>\n

Try monday dev<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

What is Kanban?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Kanban is an Agile project management framework<\/a> that uses visual goals and tasks to manage workflows. This is often through the use of a Kanban board: a series of cards and columns representing individual tasks and their stages. Its continuous workflow structure and real-time communication keep teams Agile, ready to adapt and improve processes.<\/p>\n

Kanban is best known for its use within DevOps software development, but its emphasis on visualization makes it excellent for all types of business teams \u2014 especially those with numerous incoming requests that vary in priority and size.<\/p>\n

For example, a project manager using Kanban methodology would assign all tasks and map out steps that make up a project by breaking it down in a visually organized board.<\/p>\n

Read more about the Kanban methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is Scrum?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Scrum is another Agile project management approach with the same general goal of Kanban \u2014 to make project workflows more effective for teams.\u00a0 However, rather than an emphasis on visual organization, Scrum helps teams structure and manage their work through short iterative cycles.<\/p>\n

Scrum prescribes breaking work into goals for completion within time-boxed iterations called sprints. There\u2019s a very specific method to ensuring the success of Scrum which involves pre-defined roles and daily stand-up Scrum meetings<\/a>, or daily scrums, to assess progress. It\u2019s widely used in software development and other industries.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s based on empirical process control, where decisions come from observation, experience, and experimentation, and has three pillars \u2014 transparency, inspection, and adaptation.<\/p>\n

Read more about the Scrum methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kanban vs. Scrum: What are the differences?<\/h2>\n

Now that we have a general understanding of both frameworks, let\u2019s get to the big question: What are the differences between Kanban and Scrum?<\/p>\n

Kanban vs. Scrum: Roles and responsibilities<\/b><\/h3>\n

Kanban has no predefined roles, although most teams will have a project manager. Team members collaborate and help one another to balance the workload.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, in Scrum, there are three defined roles:<\/p>\n