Burndown Chart vs Burnup Chart

It is a visual representation of the amount of work remaining to be done over time.

 Burndown ChartBurnup Chart
DefinitionA burndown chart is a visual representation that shows the amount of work remaining to be done over time, commonly used in Scrum to track the progress of a project.A burnup chart is a visual representation that shows the amount of work completed over time, illustrating the cumulative progress towards the scope or goals of the project.
Purpose-It is used by teams to track and forecast progress, manage scope changes, and make data-driven decisions.
Categoriesmetric, progress tracking, scrumagile, metrics, scrum

What is a burndown chart?

It is a visual representation of the amount of work remaining to be done over time.

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Definition

A burndown chart is a visual representation that shows the amount of work remaining to be done over time, commonly used in Scrum to track the progress of a project.

Time vs. Work

This chart demonstrates the relationship between the amount of pending work and the time available to complete it, helping teams manage their work and meet established deadlines. The horizontal axis of the chart represents time, while the vertical axis represents the amount of work remaining.

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Iterative Tracking

The chart is updated regularly, throughout the sprint, to reflect actual progress.

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Ideal Trend

It includes a line representing the ideal progress, showing how the work should decrease over time if everything goes as planned.

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Actual Trend

The actual remaining work is plotted against the ideal trend, providing a clear visualization of the expectation to finish the planned scope.

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Performance Analysis

The chart also serves as a tool to evaluate team performance and identify areas for improvement.

What is a burndown chart? →

What is a burnup chart?

It is a visual representation of the amount of work completed over time.

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Definition

A burnup chart is a visual representation that shows the amount of work completed over time, illustrating the cumulative progress towards the scope or goals of the project.

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Interpretation

The x-axis represents time, typically in sprints or weeks, while the y-axis represents the amount of work completed, often in story points or other relevant metrics.

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Purpose

It is used by teams to track and forecast progress, manage scope changes, and make data-driven decisions.

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Contrast with Burndown Chart

Unlike the burnup chart, the burndown chart tracks the remaining work instead of completed work, with the ideal scope line decreasing over time.

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Scrum

The burnup chart is a tool commonly used in agile frameworks like Scrum to monitor and manage delivery.

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Ideal Line

A straight line is drawn to represent the ideal scope, indicating the total work that needs to be completed.

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Scope Changes

The chart is updated to reflect any changes in scope, adjusting the ideal scope line accordingly.

What is a burnup chart? →