Scrum.org & Scrum Alliance Compared

There are 2 recognised Scrum training organisations: Scrum.org & Scrum Alliance. Scrum Alliance is a little bigger, Scrum.org is a lot better. I am of course biased being a Professional Scrum Trainer with Scrum.org.

Scrum.org is run by Ken Schwaber who co-created the Scrum framework in the 1990’s. The big advantages of Scrum.org are:

• Consistent – Professional Scrum Trainers (PSTs) bring their own style and experiences with a consistent delivery of Scrum.org training around the world. You can be assured that each course we teach is aligned with Scrum, and all of your team are learning from the same message.
• Quality – Scrum.org Professional Scrum Trainers go through extensive peer reviews, testing, training, and interviews prior to being accepted as a PST, certifying each individual who can teach.
• Forever – Scrum.org Professional Scrum certifications are yours for life with no renewal costs to retain them.

A More Detailed Comparison

	Scrum.org	Scrum Alliance
Mission	“Improving the profession of software delivery.”	“Transforming the world of work.”
Leadership	Founded and led by Ken Schwaber, co creator of Scrum.	Governed by a board of directors.
Scrum Master Certification	Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) Professional Scrum Master II Professional Scrum Master III	Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
Training	2 day PSM Course	2 day CSM Course
Courseware	Collaboratively maintained courseware from all Trainers, ensuring a consistent high quality learning experience, globally. Overseen by Ken Schwaber	Created by individual trainers, so content, quality and learning experience varies per trainer.
Certification	Must pass a rigorous assessment associated with the course content. No requirement to attend a course.	Must attend 2 days of training. Assessment is almost impossible to fail
Cost	Assessment cost included in the training. $150 without training. No renewal fee.	First two years of certification included in training, then $100 every 2 years.
Other Training	Professional Scrum Foundations Professional Scrum Product Owner Professional Scrum Developer Scaled Professional Scrum	Certified Scrum Product Owner Certified Scrum Developer
Other Certifications	Professional Scrum Product Owner I Professional Scrum Product Owner II Professional Scrum Developer Scaled Professional Scrum	Certified Scrum Professional Certified Scrum Product Owner Certified Scrum Developer
More Information	www.scrum.org	www.scrumalliance.org

---