Kanban vs Scrum: Which Methodology Fits Your Development Team?

Kanban vs Scrum: which methodology fits your development team?

Choose Kanban for continuous delivery, support teams, and flexible priorities. Choose Scrum for predictable releases, dedicated teams, and stakeholder demos. GitScrum supports both: use sprint columns and velocity tracking for Scrum, or continuous flow boards with WIP limits for Kanban. Most modern teams use hybrid approaches combining both [Source: State of Agile Report 2024].

Kanban vs Scrum comparison table

When to choose Kanban:

1. Support and maintenance teams - Unpredictable incoming work
2. Continuous deployment - Ship when ready, not on schedule
3. Changing priorities - Stakeholders frequently reprioritize
4. Overhead-averse teams - Minimal ceremonies preferred
5. DevOps workflows - Continuous improvement focus
6. Mixed work types - Bugs, features, and support together

When to choose Scrum:

1. Product development - Building new features with demos
2. Stakeholder visibility - Regular sprint reviews
3. Predictable delivery - Know what ships when
4. New teams - Structure helps establish habits
5. Complex projects - Planning ceremonies add clarity
6. Cross-functional teams - Defined roles reduce confusion

GitScrum features for each methodology

Hybrid approach (Scrumban)

Combine the best of both:

• Use sprints for planning - 2-week iterations for commitment
• Apply WIP limits - Prevent overload within sprint
• Continuous refinement - Groom backlog continuously
• Flexible scope - Allow urgent items mid-sprint with rules
• Retrospectives - Keep improvement ceremonies

Related articles

• What is Kanban for software development
• How to set up sprint goals that drive focus
• Choosing the right project management methodology