A burndown chart plots the work remaining in a sprint or project against time, so a team can see at a glance whether it is on track to finish.
The vertical axis shows remaining work (story points or issue count) and the horizontal axis shows days. An ideal line runs from the total at the start to zero at the end; the actual line shows real progress.
Reading a burndown
- Actual above ideal: the team is behind.
- Flat stretches: work is not being finished, often because items are too large.
- A line that goes up: scope was added during the sprint.
Burnup charts
A burnup chart shows completed work rising toward a total, which makes changes in scope easier to see.