Product Backlog Vs Sprint Backlog: Top Differences For Beginners

Let us know about Product backlog vs Sprint backlog, a similar kind of technology with some notable differences which we are going to discuss in this blog. Product backlog shares a list of new features and other improvements in a product while sprint backlog is a part of the product backlog whose purpose is to identify items from the product backlog that the team is going to work on during a sprint.

The major difference arises between them based on the duration of planning where product backlog helps in long term planning and sprint backlog helps in short term execution. In this blog, let us learn more about the major differences between product backlog vs sprint backlog in detail.

Table of Contents

What is Product Backlog?

There will always be more to do than what your product roadmap can allow. Before it is ready to be built, you need a place to save this work. This is the backlog of your products. As you plan for future updates, moving things from your backlog to the roadmap might help you decide what to concentrate on. Your most valuable features should usually be at the top of the list.

Product backlog vs sprint backlog

The product backlog is a process which is needed to maintain a complete list of features to be added for enhancements, bug fixes, and other technical work for the product. It ensures that the backlogs of the product keeps on covering and stand on what the product should deliver.

It prioritises and manages all requirements for the product over the complete lifecycle. It ensures that they always prioritise the most valuable tasks from the product point of view.

What is a Sprint Backlog?

A Sprint backlog is a part of the product backlog which lists all the work items which must be completed in one specific sprint based on the most important product requirement during the life cycle. It presents the complete list of items the team is going to work on in the current sprint.

The objective is clear to organise the selected product backlog items into actionable tasks for the sprint. It provides transparency to the product development life cycle for short term cycles.

Product Backlog Vs Sprint Backlog: The Duration

The product backlog marks the complete backlog coverage of products which is ongoing and continuous throughout the entire product development life cycle.

Based on feedback received, market needs and business needs an item in the list can be added, removed, or repeated again for any time. Product backlog evolves and runs throughout the life of the product.

Sprint backlog is a temporary backlog which runs for a single sprint. The sprint duration is fixed and can run for one to four weeks. It is short lived and run for a specific duration of time.

Product Backlog Vs Sprint Backlog: Who Manages?

For product backlog, product owner tasks the responsibility to cover backlogs for the entire product development life cycle. It includes adding new features, removing outdated ones, prioritising specific items, and more based on customers needs and business goals.

Product backlog vs sprint backlog

For the Sprint backlog, the development team manages the current sprint based on the goal of the product. They decide how to implement the selected product backlog items during the sprint and also break them into different tasks and updates taken regularly (daily) for the progress. Their main role is to ensure that the delivery of the specific tasks is successful during the sprint.

Product Backlog Vs Sprint Backlog: Flexibility

The product backlog is a complete living documentation which evolves over time and as new customer needs emerge, market condition changes, feedback is received, or the business direction shifts then product owners can take steps to add new items, update existing items, remove irrelevant items.

This is done to ensure that the product is relevant to the targeted audience and saves it from getting outdated. You constantly learn and adapt based on the customer needs and market trends to maintain the demand of your product in the market.

While Spring backlog offers limited flexibility as it is locked during the sprint avoiding any kind of modification. Once the development team finalises the items to be covered during the current sprint then the plan is not changed. Any changes in sprint is avoided to maintain focus and commitment. The changes might get approved only under certain conditions.

Product Backlog Vs Sprint Backlog: Visibility

Product backlog offers an extensive visibility and transparency to the team as well as the stakeholders. Some of the major people involved or covered under this transparency are Product owner, scrum master, development team, business stakeholders, executives, marketing teams, customers.

This is because the product backlog represents the entire product vision which must be clearly conveyed or communicated with stakeholders, business teams, and other team members for enhanced decision making and feedback.

While the Sprint backlog is managed by the development team which contain specific tasks and items chosen for the current sprint. The details in the sprint backlog are highly technical and detail which need not to be transparent. Let us know get an overview of major differences between product backlog vs sprint backlog.

Product Backlog Vs Sprint Backlog: Difference Table

Let us checkout some of the major difference comparisons between product backlog vs sprint backlog in the table below.

Product Backlog	Sprint Backlog
Product backlog is a prioritized list of all desired features, enhancements, bug fixes, and tasks for the product.	Sprint backlog is a list of selected Product Backlog items and the tasks needed to complete them during the current sprint.
The aim is to capture the entire scope and vision of the product.	The aim is to guide the team in delivering the sprint goal.
It is managed am the Product Owner.	It is managed and updated by the Development Team.
It include features, epics, user stories, technical improvements, bugs.	It includes detailed tasks, estimates, and progress tracking for selected sprint items.
Product backlog is continuously updated where items can be added, removed, or updated again and again.	Sprint backlog is completely fixed during the sprint; changes only in exceptional cases.
It exists throughout the entire product lifecycle.	It is relevant only for the duration of the current sprint(usually 1–4 weeks).
Product backlog roadmap is visible to all stakeholders for alignment and transparency.	It is mainly used by the Scrum team, especially the development team.
It consists of High-level for long-term planning where detail increases as items near implementation.	It is highly detailed and technical where tasks are broken down for immediate execution.
Product backlog is in hands of Product Owner with product team input during backlog refinement	Sprint backlog is handled by the development Team regularly updated daily during the sprint.
It is used in Backlog Refinement and Sprint Planning.	It is created and used during the Sprint and Daily Standups.

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Product backlog vs sprint backlog FAQs

Q1. What is the Product backlog?

Ans: The product backlog is a process which is needed to maintain a complete list of features to be added for enhancements, bug fixes, and other technical work for the product.

Q2. What is a Sprint Backlog?

Ans: Sprint backlog is a list of selected Product Backlog items and the tasks needed to complete them during the current sprint.

Q3. Is the Sprint backlog a part of the product backlog?

Ans: Sprint backlog is a subset of product backlog where product backlog is a bigger valuation of the entire product development while sprint backlog covers only the current sprint.