"Agile" and "Scrum" are often used as if they mean the same thing. They do not. Agile is a set of values and principles for delivering work in a flexible, customer-focused way. Scrum is one specific framework for putting those ideas into practice. Understanding the difference helps you talk about your work accurately, choose the right approach for a team and decide what to learn first.
Key takeaways
- Agile is a mindset described by the Agile Manifesto: four values and twelve principles.
- Scrum is a lightweight framework, defined in the Scrum Guide, with specific accountabilities, events and artifacts.
- Scrum is one way to be Agile; Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP) and Lean practices are others.
- All Scrum is intended to be Agile, but not all Agile work uses Scrum.
- Most people benefit from understanding Agile first and then learning Scrum in depth.
What is Agile?
In February 2001, a group of seventeen software practitioners met in Snowbird, Utah, and wrote the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. It describes four values:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
The manifesto notes that there is value in the items on the right, but the items on the left are valued more. It is supported by twelve principles, covering ideas such as delivering working software frequently, welcoming changing requirements, close daily collaboration between business people and developers, sustainable pace, technical excellence, simplicity, self-organising teams and regular reflection on how to become more effective.
Agile does not tell you exactly what to do each day. It is a way of thinking about work. Although it began in software, its ideas are now applied in many other fields.
What is Scrum?
Scrum is a lightweight framework for delivering value in complex work. It was created by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, who first presented it publicly in 1995, and it is defined in the Scrum Guide, most recently updated in November 2020. Scrum is based on empiricism and lean thinking, and it sets out:
- Three accountabilities: Scrum Master, Product Owner and Developers
- Five events: the Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective
- Three artifacts: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog and Increment, each with a commitment
Work happens in Sprints of one month or less, each producing a usable Increment. Our complete Scrum Master guide, Scrum events explained and Scrum artifacts explained cover Scrum in depth.
Agile vs Scrum: side by side
| Agile | Scrum | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A set of values and principles | A framework with defined accountabilities, events and artifacts |
| Defined in | The Agile Manifesto (2001) | The Scrum Guide (current edition 2020) |
| How prescriptive | Not prescriptive; describes a way of thinking | Lightweight but specific; the framework itself is fixed |
| Roles | None defined | Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developers |
| Rhythm | Frequent delivery, no fixed cycle | Sprints of one month or less |
| Scope | An umbrella covering many approaches | One specific approach under that umbrella |
How Scrum puts Agile into practice
- Frequent delivery: every Sprint aims to produce a usable Increment.
- Welcoming change: the Product Backlog is updated as the team and stakeholders learn.
- Customer collaboration: the Sprint Review brings stakeholders together to inspect results and decide what next.
- Regular reflection: the Sprint Retrospective is where the team improves how it works.
- Self-organising teams: Scrum Teams are self-managing and cross-functional.
Other Agile approaches
- Kanban: focuses on visualising work, limiting work in progress and improving flow, without fixed-length iterations. See Kanban vs Scrum.
- Extreme Programming (XP): focuses on technical practices such as pair programming, test-driven development and continuous integration.
- Lean practices: focus on reducing waste and improving the flow of value.
Many teams combine ideas from several approaches, for example using Kanban boards and XP technical practices within Scrum.
Common misunderstandings
- "We do Agile, so we do Scrum." Not necessarily. A team can be Agile without using Scrum.
- "Agile means no planning." Agile teams plan often; they just expect plans to change as they learn.
- "Scrum is just daily stand-ups." The Daily Scrum is one of five events in a complete framework.
- "Agile means no documentation." The manifesto values working results more, but still sees value in documentation.
Which should you learn first?
For most people, the best approach is to understand Agile's values and principles first, because they explain why Scrum works the way it does. Then learn Scrum in depth, because it is the most widely used Agile framework and the one most often asked about in job postings for roles such as Scrum Master and Product Owner. If you want a credential, Scrum Master Plus (Associate) and Product Owner Plus (Associate) are Scrum Intelligence's entry-level options.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scrum the same as Agile?
No. Agile is a set of values and principles. Scrum is one framework for applying them.
Is Scrum a methodology?
The Scrum Guide describes Scrum as a lightweight framework rather than a detailed methodology, because it leaves many practices up to the team.
Can you be Agile without Scrum?
Yes. Kanban, XP and other approaches are also Agile, and many teams build their own way of working based on Agile principles.
When was the Agile Manifesto written?
In February 2001, by seventeen software practitioners who met in Snowbird, Utah.
How many values and principles does Agile have?
The Agile Manifesto has four values and twelve principles.
Is Scrum only for software?
No. Scrum began in software but is used for many kinds of complex work.
Should I learn Agile or Scrum first?
Understand Agile's values and principles first, then learn Scrum in depth.