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AgilevsScrum
What is the difference between Agile and Scrum?
Updated 2 min read6 differences
In short
Agile is a set of values for building software in small, frequent steps with feedback, while Scrum is one framework that applies it with roles and sprints.
Agile
Agile is an approach to software development that delivers working software in small, frequent increments and adjusts plans based on regular feedback.
Read the page on AgileScrum
Scrum is an Agile framework in which a small team delivers a product in fixed-length cycles called sprints, using defined roles, events, and artifacts.
Read the page on ScrumAgile and Scrum compared
| Aspect | Agile | Scrum |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A mindset: values and principles | A framework with defined rules |
| Origin | The Agile Manifesto, 2001 | Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, 1995; the Scrum Guide |
| Roles | None prescribed | Product owner, scrum master and developers |
| Rhythm | Frequent delivery, at a pace the team chooses | Fixed-length sprints of one to four weeks |
| Meetings | None prescribed | Sprint planning, daily scrum, sprint review, retrospective |
| Flexibility | Fits any method that follows its values | Change the core rules and it is no longer Scrum |
The difference, explained
Agile comes from the Agile Manifesto of 2001, which values individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration and responding to change over heavy processes and fixed plans. It describes a mindset and twelve principles, not a method: it says what matters, not exactly what to do each day.
Scrum is a framework that turns those ideas into a routine. Work happens in sprints of one to four weeks; a product owner orders the product backlog, a scrum master helps the team work the Scrum way, and the developers commit to a sprint goal. Every sprint has a planning meeting, a daily scrum, a review and a retrospective.
So the relationship runs from general to specific: Scrum is Agile, but Agile is not only Scrum. Kanban, Extreme Programming and Lean are other Agile approaches, and many teams mix them, for example holding Scrum's meetings while tracking work on a Kanban board.
A common misconception is that a team is Agile because it holds daily stand-ups and sprints. Meetings without frequent delivery, real customer feedback and the freedom to change the plan are Agile in name only; the values come first, and the framework is a tool for living them.
Which one should you use?
Choose Agile when…
- You are deciding how your team should think about planning, delivery and feedback.
- Your work does not fit fixed sprints, as in support or operations.
- You want to combine practices from several methods.
Choose Scrum when…
- Your team wants a clear, ready-made structure to start with.
- The work can be planned in chunks of one to four weeks.
- Stakeholders need regular, predictable reviews of progress.
Readers ask
Is Scrum the same as Agile?
No. Scrum is one way to practice Agile. Agile is the broader philosophy; Scrum adds specific roles, events and artifacts.
Can you be Agile without Scrum?
Yes. Kanban, Extreme Programming, Lean and home-grown approaches are all Agile if they follow its values of frequent delivery and responding to change.