Kanban and Scrum have proven to be great frameworks for all kinds of teams (remote, non-remote, and especially hybrid) to work with if used correctly. Both have different approaches to help teams organize and work in the same direction overall.
But which one is better? What are the advantages of Kanban and Scrum? And had they changed in 2026? Let’s dive deep into analyzing the Kanban vs. Scrum methodology and their newest updates!
What is Kanban?
The Kanban we know in software development is a workflow management method inspired by Toyota’s Kanban. The former Kanban methodology was created by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer, seeking to improve Toyota’s manufacturing process. Toyota’s Kanban and the Kanban used in Agile are very different, so let’s focus on the one we will use.
Kanban aims to visualize work and maximize its efficiency, used across different types of industries. Teams focus on reducing the time it takes to make a project from start to finish.
For those wondering, Kanban (Japanese word) means billboard or signboard.
Kanban adheres to the six principles below:
1. Visualize the workflow
Observing the current workflow helps visualize how tasks are progressing or the roadblocks that need to be solved to move forward. According to the updated 2025 Kanban Guide, at a minimum, Kanban system members must create their own Definition of Workflow by using all of the following elements:
a. Work Items (The “What”)
Define what a single unit of value looks like. Is it a bug fix? A blog post? A feature? You can’t track progress if you haven’t agreed on what you’re actually moving.
b. Start & Finish Points (The “Boundaries”)
Clearly mark where the clock starts and where it stops.
Started: When the team commits to doing the work.
Finished: When the value is actually delivered to the customer.
c. Defined States (The “Path”)
List the specific steps (columns) an item must pass through. Anything sitting between your “Start” and “Finish” points is officially Work in Progress (WIP).
d. WIP Control (The “Governor”)
Decide how you will limit the amount of work happening at once. This is usually done via WIP Limits (e.g., “We only allow 3 items in ‘Testing’ at a time”) to prevent bottlenecks and multitasking.
e. Explicit Policies (The “Rules”)
These are the “Definition of Done” for each step. What specific criteria must a task meet before it can move from “Development” to “Testing”? Making these rules visible removes guesswork.
f. Service Level Expectation / SLE (The “Forecast”)
This is your team’s “weather report” for speed. It’s a data-backed guess that says: “We usually finish tasks in X days, with Y% certainty.”
Example: “There is an 85% chance we’ll finish this in 10 days or less.”
2. Limit work in progress
In the world of Kanban, WIP (Work in Progress) may be the silent killer of productivity. While it feels intuitive to start everything at once to stay busy, Kanban argues that the more things you start, the fewer things you actually finish.
Every time a person jumps between tasks, they lose time “reloading” the context in their brain. Lower WIP ensures people can find a “flow state.” By focusing all energy on a few items, those items move through the system much faster.
Moreover, high WIP creates several types of waste (or Muda in Lean terminology). The longer a task sits unfinished, the higher the chance that the requirements change or the work becomes irrelevant.
If you have 20 tasks in progress and realize you made a fundamental error in the first one, you might have to fix that error in all 20. If WIP were limited to 2, you’d only have 2 to fix.
3. Perform True Flow Engineering
Kanban manages the flow by focusing on movement rather than just status. In the world of project management, Kanban isn’t just a to-do list “on steroids.” It’s a system designed to treat work like water in a pipe. If you shove too much in at once, the pressure builds, the pipe leaks, and nothing actually comes out the other end.
4. Make process policies explicit
Every member of the team should be aware of the policies, rules, processes, and guidelines. That way, misunderstandings and conflicts within the group are avoided, and teams cooperate because everyone knows what to do.
Team members must create explicit policies on how work items can flow through each state, from the starting point to the ending point. At least the minimum elements of the Flow Definition, which includes the policies, must be transparent on the Kanban board.
This transparency is considered essential for processing information that guides the optimal operation of the flow and facilitates continuous improvement.
There is no rigid format for the policies themselves; members are free to use their imagination and consider specific factors of their context when making them transparent.
5. Feedback Loops
Feedback loops are an essential part of Kanban. They consist of short daily meetings in which members of the team tell others what they did the previous day and what their plans are for today. This way, team members and stakeholders are aware of what everyone is doing and if they need help with something.
6. Improve collaboratively
Kanban’s goal, just as Scrum’s, is to deliver projects faster and more reliably. Teams that understand their goals, workflow, and processes are more likely to solve problems efficiently and work together to improve continually. It all relies on making stronger, faster, and united teams by changing their perception of working on a project collaboratively.
Implementing the Kanban Methodology
Kanban’s aim to visualize projects takes place through a board. Kanban boards, also utilized by some Scrum Teams, include cards representing a single task that moves through diverse project stages. Besides cards, the board also has columns (usually To-Do, In-Progress, and Done), WIP (Work in Progress) limits, commitment points, and delivery points.
Kanban’s board might be either physical or virtual. Some on-site companies use whiteboards and put post-its on them. Other teams use different types of boards, but overall, they all look like this:
If you are wondering why to choose Kanban, it depends on how your team works. But overall, Kanban is an excellent methodology for remote teams. Although on remote means you can’t have a physical board, you can have a virtual one. With platforms such as Trello, you can adapt it to the Kanban model. For example, we use a Trello board in our content marketing team that helps us organize and visualize our current tasks and the upcoming tasks better.
Kanban Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Focuses on continuousdelivery | Teams can overcomplicate the board with many statuses and columns |
| Increases productivity and efficiency | Lacks schedule management |
| Reduces the time cycle of the process | |
| Easy methodology to implement | Lack of predictability (hard to foresee deadlines, requires discipline) |
| Flexible methodology | Has to be constantly updated |
| Improves the delivery flow | Limited plan structure |
(Just a friendly reminder that any Cons in Kanban or Scrum are easily mitigated by applying good practices from other frameworks. ☺️)
Biggest Kanban Guide Updates for 2026
In May 2025, the Kanban Guide simplified the definition of Kanban, focusing on workflow optimization. It became more Agile and focused on complex workflows.
1. New Term Conventions
The guide added formal definitions for fundamental terms to ensure clarity about the system’s purpose:
Value: Defined as a potential or realized benefit to a stakeholder.
Risk: Defined simply as the chance of something bad happening.
Visualize: Now refers to any method for effectively conveying ideas (including conceptual clarification), not limited to visual elements alone.
2. Simplified Kanban Definition
Kanban is now more directly defined as a “strategy for optimizing the flow of value through a process,” composed of three main practices:
- Define and visualize a workflow.
- Actively manage the items in the flow.
- Improve the flow.
3. Changes in Practice and Structure
The Service Level Expectation (SLE) has a central role in Kanban a forecast based on elapsed time and probability (e.g., “85% of items finish in 8 days or less”).
There is also a more flexible WIP control. The guide has become less explicit (and therefore more flexible) on how Work in Progress (WIP) should be controlled.
Moreover, there is now a more detailed explanation of how use multiple Flow Definitions for different groups or levels of your company.
4. Flow Metrics
The former “Kanban Metrics” are now called Flow Metrics. The guide emphasizes that the names may vary (e.g., Cycle Time may be Flow Time), as long as the four mandatory metrics are tracked:
- WIP: Items started but not finished.
- Throughput: Number of items completed per unit of time.
- Work Item Age: Time elapsed from the start to the current date.
- Cycle Time: Time elapsed between the start and end of the item.
What is Scrum?
Scrum is an Agile framework that helps teams to develop and deliver complex products. It was first implemented in software development, but it has been used in other fields as well. The term Scrum comes from rugby, where a scrum consists of a formation of players. It emphasizes teamwork.
Scrum encourages teams to self-organize and collaborate while working on a project. And to continuously seek improvement by reflecting on their wins and losses.
How Does Scrum Work?
The Scrum framework has a process with several elements that guide the team to complete their project. First, it’s important to understand that a team works in a series of iterations called sprints. A sprint is a time-boxed period in which a Scrum team works to complete determining work objectives. It’s meant to deliver an incremental value every sprint, instead of finishing the product in a short amount of time. Each sprint (or iteration) consists of:
1. Scrum Team (Roles)
Unlike Kanban, Scrum has roles as a central piece of its framework. The Scrum Team consists of three special roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Developers. With the Scrum Expansion Pack released in 2025, a new Scrum role emerged, called “Stakeholder”.
- Product Owner: They manage the Product Backlog and ensure value maximization by guiding the team to build the right things for the customer.
- Scrum Master: They act as a coach, removing obstacles (blockers) and helping the team follow Scrum principles.
- Developers: The people doing the work. They are cross-functional and self-organizing.
- Stakeholder: A stakeholder is an entity, individual, or group interested in, affected by, or impacting inputs, activities, and outcomes. They are in Scrum, but they are not part of a Scrum accountability or Scrum Team.
- Supporter: A supporter is a specific type of Stakeholder. They are change agents and support the team (e.g., Marketing, HR, Finance, etc.).
2. The Tools (Artifacts)
Scrum produces different artifacts from Kanban.
- Product Backlog: The single source of truth containing everything needed in the product.
- Sprint Backlog: The specific set of tasks the developers commit to finish during a single Sprint.
- Increment: The “Done” work in a Sprint that adds value to the product.
3. The Sprint
Scrum happens in an iteration cycle called a Sprint, which usually lasts from 1 to 4 weeks. At the end of a Sprint, the team delivers a functional piece of the product, called an Increment. This is where Scrum contrasts with Kanban; Kanban delivers value continuously (but not necessarily incrementally). In a Sprint, there are these Scrum Ceremonies:
- Sprint Planning: The team decides what can be delivered in the upcoming Sprint and how they will do it.
- Daily Scrum: A 15-minute “stand-up” to sync activities and identify any roadblocks.
- Sprint Review: At the end of the Sprint, the team demos the work to stakeholders to get feedback.
- Sprint Retrospective: The team looks inward to discuss what went well and what could be improved for the next cycle.
Scrum Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| It’s collaborative | It involves many meetings |
| Makes large projects easier by dividing them into sprints | Requires an Agile company, not just the team |
| Continuous feedback that helps improve future products | Needs a committed team for the assigned tasks |
| By working on sprints, teams can catch mistakes before release | It’s hard to scale up |
| Budget-friendly and get fast results | It’s mostly suitable for small teams |
| It’s easier for teams to make changes |
Biggest Scrum Expansion Pack Updates for 2026
Just as Kanban had an update in 2025, Scrum had one as well. It does not replace the official 2020 Scrum Guide. Instead, it acts as a deep, optional extension designed to address modern complexity.
Below are the key changes and additions introduced by this expansion pack:
1. New Roles and Expanded Responsibilities
The guide now formalizes figures that previously orbited the Scrum Team without a defined role:
- Stakeholders: Now have a formal role with clear expectations, actively participating in the definition and validation of outcomes.
- Supporters: Individuals outside the Scrum Team who help remove systemic barriers or provide specialized support (e.g., Legal, Marketing, Compliance).
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is introduced as a “member” or supporting tool. The focus is on using it to accelerate discovery and delivery while maintaining human accountability for the results.
- Scrum Master as Change Agent: The role is reinforced. They are not just a facilitator, but a transformational leader. Scrum Masters act on organizational strategy and impediment removal.
2. The Distinction Between Output and Outcome
One of the most impactful shifts is the focus on actual value delivered rather than just completed tasks:
- Definition of Output Done (DoOutputD): Focused on technical quality and whether the increment was built correctly (the traditional “Definition of Done”).
- Definition of Outcome Done (DoOutcomeD): A new commitment that measures whether the delivery generated the expected impact (e.g., increased user satisfaction or revenue), rather than just whether the code was deployed.
3. Scrum Evolution of Events and Planning
Sprint Planning is now structured around three essential questions:
- The Why of the Sprint: Why is this Sprint valuable?
- The What for the Why: What can be done to achieve this value?
- The How for the What: How will the work be performed?
Moreover, the Sprint Review is a working session, moving away from being a simple demo to becoming a deep collaborative session where value, the market, and progress toward the Product Goal are inspected.
4. Reinforced Theory and Philosophy
The Expansion Pack officially integrates several theories that help sustain Scrum in high-uncertainty environments:
- Cynefin Framework: Used to understand the degree of complexity and adapt the approach accordingly.
- Lean Thinking: Emphasis on waste reduction and value stream optimization.
- Product Thinking: A shift from a “project” mindset (with a beginning, middle, and end) to a “product” mindset (focus on continuous value).
5. Multi-Team Scrum (Scalability)
The guide offers clearer guidance for when multiple teams work on the same product, requiring:
- A single Product Backlog.
- A single Product Goal.
- A single Product Owner.
- Shared Definitions of Done to ensure seamless integration.
What is the Difference Between Scrum and Kanban?
Scrum focuses on work cycles to deliver incremental value, while Kanban focuses on a continuous workflow. Scrum addresses your company’s and product’s complexity, while Kanban optimizes workflow efficiency and value stream.
We’ve seen what each methodology is about, its advantages and disadvantages, and how they work on teams. Both are different methodologies that work effectively, depending on your team’s objectives.
On the infographic below are the main differences that might help you decide why to choose one over the other:
Who Wins the Battle: Kanban or Scrum?
When analyzing Scrum vs. Kanban, you’ll see there is no winner. Both methodologies can help teams to finish projects and reach the desired results successfully. It depends on how well the methods are implemented, but mostly on what your objectives are.
Nowadays, some teams are even working with both methodologies, calling it Scrumban, a framework that combines the best features of both. We do recommend that before deciding to analyze the projects you need to finish, as well as to know well how your team works.
If you are still unsure which option is better for your company, contact us. We will gladly help you with your company’s needs!
