Burndown Chart Calculator

Generate and analyze burndown charts to track project progress, visualize work remaining, and forecast completion dates for sprints or iterations.

Calculate Your Burndown Chart Calculator

Total work to be completed in the sprint

Number of working days in the sprint

Enter story points completed each day, separated by commas

A burndown chart is a visual representation of work left to do versus time. It's a key tool in agile project management that helps teams track progress and forecast completion dates. The chart "burns down" as work is completed, showing both actual and ideal work remaining.

Understanding Burndown Charts

In a burndown chart, the vertical axis represents the amount of work remaining (usually in story points or hours), while the horizontal axis represents time (usually in days). The chart includes two key lines:

  • Ideal Burndown Line: A straight diagonal line from the starting point to zero at the end of the sprint, representing the perfect scenario where work is completed at a constant rate.
  • Actual Burndown Line: Shows the actual remaining work on each day as tasks are completed. This line helps teams visualize their real progress compared to the ideal.

When the Actual Line is Above the Ideal

If the actual burndown line is above the ideal line, the team is behind schedule and may not complete all planned work by the end of the sprint unless they increase their velocity.

When the Actual Line is Below the Ideal

If the actual burndown line is below the ideal line, the team is ahead of schedule and likely to complete all planned work before the end of the sprint, possibly allowing for additional work.

Benefits of Using Burndown Charts

  • Visibility: Provides a clear visual representation of sprint progress
  • Early Warning: Quickly identifies when a project is falling behind schedule
  • Forecasting: Helps predict when work will actually be completed based on current velocity
  • Team Motivation: Creates transparency and a sense of accomplishment as the line burns down
  • Stakeholder Communication: Offers an easy-to-understand visual for updating stakeholders

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter the total number of story points planned for the sprint
  2. Specify the sprint duration in days
  3. Input the number of story points completed each day, separated by commas
  4. Click "Generate Burndown Chart" to visualize your progress
  5. Analyze the results to determine if your team is on track

Remember that a burndown chart is most valuable when updated daily. It serves as a conversation starter for daily standups and helps teams adjust their approach if they're falling behind. Use this calculator to track your current sprint or to analyze historical sprint data for continuous improvement.

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Frequently Asked Questions

While both track sprint progress, a burndown chart shows remaining work decreasing over time, starting high and ideally reaching zero. A burnup chart shows completed work increasing over time, starting at zero and rising to meet the total scope line. Burnup charts have the advantage of also showing scope changes, making them useful when requirements frequently change.

When scope changes during a sprint (either adding or removing work), you have a few options: 1) Adjust the total story points and redraw the ideal line, 2) Keep the original estimate but note the change on the chart, or 3) Consider using a burnup chart instead, which naturally shows scope changes. The most important thing is to be transparent about changes and maintain the chart's usefulness as a progress tracking tool.

If your team is falling behind: 1) Hold a team discussion to identify bottlenecks or blockers, 2) Consider whether some stories can be simplified or postponed, 3) Evaluate if additional resources can help, 4) Focus on completing stories rather than having many in progress, and 5) If needed, communicate with stakeholders about potential delays or scope adjustments. Remember that the purpose of the burndown is to prompt these conversations early.

Yes, include all work that consumes team capacity. For unplanned work that arises during the sprint: 1) Estimate it in story points, 2) Add it to the total scope, and 3) Update the ideal line if appropriate. For recurring support work or bug fixes, some teams set aside a buffer of points or create a separate lane on their board. The key is ensuring your burndown accurately reflects all work being done.

Velocity is the average amount of work (story points) a team completes per sprint, while the burndown chart visualizes work completion within a single sprint. They're related in that: 1) The slope of your actual burndown line represents your current velocity, 2) Historical velocity helps set realistic sprint commitments, and 3) Consistent burndown patterns can help refine velocity predictions. Together, they provide complementary views of team performance—velocity for planning capacity, burndown for tracking execution.

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