Burndown Chart Calculator

Compare actual remaining work to the ideal burndown line, and find the velocity needed to finish the sprint on schedule.

Quick Facts

Formula
Ideal remaining = Total − (Total ÷ Days) × Elapsed
The ideal burn rate is total scope divided by sprint length; it defines the straight diagonal line on a burndown chart.
Velocity
Required = Remaining ÷ Days left
The average pace needed for the rest of the sprint to clear all remaining scope on schedule.

Your Results

Calculated
Ideal remaining work
-
Straight-line pace at this day
Actual remaining work
-
Total scope minus completed
Velocity needed to finish
-
Points per day, remaining days
Projected finish
-
At current velocity

Ready

Enter total scope, sprint length, days elapsed, and work completed, then press Calculate.

How the Burndown Chart Calculator works

A burndown chart tracks how much work remains in a sprint or project over time, plotting an "ideal" straight-line pace against the team's actual progress. This calculator applies the standard Agile/Scrum burndown formulas to your inputs so you can see, at a glance, whether the team is ahead, on track, or behind the pace needed to finish on schedule.

The formulas

For a total scope S (story points or hours), a sprint length of D days, E days elapsed, and C points completed so far:

Ideal burn rate = S ÷ D

Ideal remaining = S − (Ideal burn rate × E)

Actual remaining = S − C

Required velocity = Actual remaining ÷ (D − E)

Ideal remaining is the point on the straight diagonal "ideal line" that a textbook burndown chart draws from the total scope on day 0 down to zero on the last day. Actual remaining is where the team really stands. Comparing the two shows the schedule variance; dividing that gap by the ideal burn rate converts it into "days of work" ahead or behind.

Worked example

Take a two-week sprint with 200 story points of scope (D = 20 working days), 8 days elapsed, and 70 points completed. The ideal burn rate is 200 ÷ 20 = 10 points/day, so ideal remaining at day 8 is 200 − (10 × 8) = 120 points. Actual remaining work is 200 − 70 = 130 points — 10 points, or exactly one day of ideal pace, behind schedule. With 12 days left (20 − 8), finishing on time now requires 130 ÷ 12 ≈ 10.83 points/day, slightly above the original 10 points/day ideal pace.

Reading the schedule variance

  • Actual remaining below ideal remaining: the team is ahead of the ideal line.
  • Actual remaining equal to ideal remaining: the team is exactly on the ideal pace.
  • Actual remaining above ideal remaining: the team is behind the ideal line and needs a higher velocity than originally planned to still finish on time.

What the projected finish means

The projected finish uses the team's actual velocity so far (completed points ÷ days elapsed) and asks how many days it would take to clear the full scope at that same pace. It is only a projection — early-sprint days carry a lot of noise, so treat a projection made on day one or two with caution and re-check it as more days of real data accumulate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a burndown chart?
A burndown chart is a visual tracking tool used in Agile and Scrum project management. It plots total remaining work on the vertical axis against time on the horizontal axis, showing an ideal straight-line pace alongside the actual line traced by the team's real progress.
How is the ideal remaining work calculated?
Ideal remaining work equals total scope minus the ideal burn rate multiplied by days elapsed, where the ideal burn rate is total scope divided by the total number of days in the sprint. It assumes work is completed at a perfectly even pace across the whole sprint.
What does behind schedule mean here?
The calculator compares actual remaining work to ideal remaining work. If actual remaining work is higher, the team has less finished than the straight-line plan called for at this point, and the gap — converted into days of work using the ideal burn rate — shows roughly how far behind pace the team is.
Can velocity change during a sprint?
Yes. Velocity commonly varies day to day because of meetings, blockers, or task complexity, so the required-velocity figure is a planning signal, not a guarantee. Re-run the calculator as the sprint progresses to see whether the team is closing the gap or falling further behind.

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