Free Agile Tool

Burndown Chart Generator

Enter your sprint details and daily completed points to visualize ideal vs. actual progress. Download as PNG.

Sprint Settings

Total Story Points

Sprint Duration (days)

Typically 10 days (2-week sprint).

Burndown Chart

Dashed line = ideal pace · Solid line = actual remaining points

Summary

Total Points 40

Completed 0

Remaining 40

% Complete 0%

Status Not started

Daily Completed Points

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Enter points completed each day (not cumulative).

Estimate upcoming work with your team in real time.

What is a Burndown Chart?

A burndown chart is a visual tool used in agile and scrum to track how much work remains versus how much time is left in a sprint or project. It shows two lines: the ideal burndown (a straight diagonal from total story points to zero) and the actual burndown (based on what your team completes each day). When the actual line tracks above the ideal line, the team is behind schedule; below it, they are ahead.

Scrum masters use burndown charts in daily standups to quickly identify whether the sprint is at risk. Rather than waiting until the end of the sprint to discover a shortfall, the chart makes scope and pace problems visible early — giving teams time to re-prioritize, cut scope, or ask for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a sprint burndown chart?

The X-axis represents sprint days and the Y-axis represents remaining story points. The dashed diagonal line shows the ideal rate of completion — if your team burned down points at a perfectly even pace. The solid line shows actual remaining points after each day. If the solid line is above the ideal line, you have more remaining work than planned. If it is below, you are ahead of pace. A flat section in the actual line usually means no progress was made that day.

What causes a burndown chart to go flat or trend upward?

A flat line means no story points were completed on that day — common during holidays, sick days, or blocked work. An upward trend (more remaining than the day before) usually means scope was added to the sprint mid-sprint, which is a sign of poor sprint planning or changing requirements. If you regularly see upward movement, consider having a stricter sprint scope freeze policy with your product owner.

How is a burndown chart different from a burnup chart?

A burndown chart tracks remaining work (counting down to zero), while a burnup chart tracks completed work (counting up to the total). Burnup charts are better at visualizing scope changes — if the total increases mid-sprint, both the completed line and the target line shift, making scope creep visible. Burndown charts are simpler and more common for sprint-level tracking, while burnup charts are preferred for release or product-level planning where scope often changes.

Estimate your next sprint with your team

Accurate burndown charts start with accurate estimates. Use Planning Poker to size backlog items with your whole team — free, no account required.

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