Kanban guide · Kanban compared
Kanban vs Scrumban: What Is the Difference?
Scrumban is a hybrid of Scrum and Kanban. It keeps some of Scrum's structure, such as regular planning and retrospectives, while adopting Kanban's continuous flow and WIP limits.
Key takeaways
- Scrumban blends Scrum's rhythm with Kanban's flow.
- It suits Scrum teams facing frequent unplanned work.
- Teams without Scrum can start directly with Kanban.
What Scrumban takes from each
| From Scrum | From Kanban |
|---|---|
| Regular planning meetings | Continuous pull of work |
| Retrospectives and reviews | WIP limits per column |
| Often a team with defined roles | Flow metrics: cycle time, throughput |
| A regular cadence for reflection | Persistent board with explicit policies |
Kanban vs Scrumban
| Kanban | Scrumban | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Your current process | Usually an existing Scrum team |
| Iterations | None | Optional; often kept for planning rhythm |
| Roles | None required | Often keeps Scrum roles |
| Planning | Replenishment as needed | Planning on demand or at regular intervals |
When to choose Scrumban
- A Scrum team's sprints are constantly disrupted by urgent work.
- A team wants to move from Scrum to Kanban gradually.
- Work mixes planned features with unplanned requests.
- The team values Scrum's rhythm of reflection but not fixed sprint commitments.
When pure Kanban is better
If you don't use Scrum today, start directly with Kanban. Scrumban is most useful as a bridge for teams already practising Scrum.
Frequently asked questions
Kanban vs Scrumban: who created Scrumban?
The term was popularised by Corey Ladas in the late 2000s, originally as a way for Scrum teams to transition towards Kanban.
Do Kanban and Scrumban use sprints?
Kanban does not. Scrumban can: some Scrumban teams keep sprint-length planning cycles; others plan whenever the Ready column runs low.
Kanban vs Scrumban: what is Scrumban?
Scrumban is a hybrid that combines Scrum's regular cadence and reviews with Kanban's continuous flow, visual board and WIP limits.
What is the difference between Kanban and Scrumban?
Kanban is a method for improving any existing process gradually, with no required roles or iterations. Scrumban adds some Scrum elements, such as regular planning or review meetings, on top of Kanban flow.
Do Kanban and Scrumban have defined roles?
Neither mandates roles. Teams moving from Scrum to Scrumban often keep a Product Owner or Scrum Master, while others drop them.
When should a team choose Scrumban vs Kanban?
Scrumban suits Scrum teams that want more flexibility or deal with a lot of unplanned work, and Kanban teams that want a regular planning and review rhythm.
Do Kanban and Scrumban both use WIP limits?
Yes. WIP limits on the board are one of the main Kanban elements Scrumban borrows.
How does planning differ in Kanban and Scrumban?
In Scrumban, planning happens on demand, for example when the Ready column falls below a set threshold, or at regular intervals, with no fixed Sprint commitment. Kanban replenishes continuously as capacity frees up.
Are Kanban and Scrumban official frameworks?
Not in the way Scrum is. Kanban calls itself a method and has published guidance, such as Kanban University's Kanban Method materials. Scrumban has no single official guide; it is a flexible approach teams shape to their needs.
Do Kanban and Scrumban teams hold retrospectives?
Most Scrumban teams keep a regular retrospective from Scrum, because reflection is valuable whatever the cadence of delivery. Kanban teams use service delivery and operations reviews for improvement, and many add retrospectives too.
Kanban vs Scrumban: which suits maintenance teams?
Both can. Scrumban is popular with teams that mix planned feature work with bugs and support requests, since continuous flow absorbs unplanned work better than fixed Sprints. Pure Kanban suits teams whose work is almost entirely unplanned.