nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Is there a way to change a project from kanban to scrum in the free version?

Jorge Trashorras

I need to change the kanban board to scrum ( or activate the sprints in the kanban board ). I am using free version and I am getting crazy trying to activate the sprints feature but Isimply dont find the features option to activate it.

In fact, I cant find the configuration button supposedly found "in the lower left corner". I thinkthat I simply cannot change from kanban to scrum in the free version, neither connect a new scrum board with an existent kanban board.

Captura de pantalla 2026-08-20 123744.png

Accepted answers

Evgenii

Hi @Jorge Trashorras ,

Good news: sprints are available on the Free plan, so this is not a licensing limitation. The steps depend on the project type, and that's most likely why you can't find the option.

First, check the project type: go to the projects list (Projects > View all projects), the Type column shows "Team-managed" or "Company-managed".

If it's a team-managed project (space):

Open the space and look at the horizontal navigation tabs at the top (Summary, Timeline, Board, ...). Select the + button at the end of that row (next to "More"), choose Backlog in the Views list, and select Add to navigation.
Go to Space settings > Features and enable the Sprints toggle. It stays greyed out with "Requires a backlog" until the Backlog view is added, and that's exactly the state you're stuck in.
Your board switches to sprint mode: existing work items move to the backlog, keeping their statuses.

If you don't see Space settings at all, you are not an admin of that space. That's not a Free plan restriction, you just need the space admin role. Ask whoever created it to add you (Space settings > Access).

If it's a company-managed project:

There is no toggle here, board type is fixed at creation. But you don't need to convert anything: you can create a new Scrum board on top of the same project and keep the existing kanban board.

Go to Boards (search "Boards" in the top navigation) > Create board > Scrum.
Choose "Board from an existing project" and pick your project.
Both boards show the same issues; you plan sprints on the Scrum board, the kanban board keeps working as before.

If neither matches what you see, share which project type you have and I'll point you to the exact spot.

Trudy P Claspill

Hello @Jorge Trashorras

In the image you provided it shows "espacio empresarial" below the space name. Translated to English that is Business space.

Business spaces use a kanban-style board by default. They do not inherently provide a method to create a Scrum board.

What you can do is create and save a Filter that selects all the issues in the space. Then you can create a new Scrum board based on that filter. To create the board from the saved Filter click the Search field at the top of the screen and then the Boards button.

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.37.05 PM.png

Then click the Create Board button

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.39.26 PM.png

Then click the Create A Scrum board button.

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.39.35 PM.png

Then select Create board from an Existing Filter, and proceed with the remaining steps of the wizard.

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.41.08 PM.png

You wont' be able to select the Business space as the Location for the new board (a later step in the wizard), but you can use the Shortcuts feature in the Business space to add a Shortcut within the space to the Scrum Board you created.

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.42.45 PM.png

Here are some resources where you can find more details:

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/work-with-boards-in-business-projects/

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/add-edit-or-delete-a-shortcut/

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-articles/Multiple-boards-in-Business-and-Team-Managed-Projects-You-bet/ba-p/1719761

All comments

Marc -Devoteam-

Hi @Jorge Trashorras

Are you getting an error?

Are you the space admin, as this feature option is in the Space settings.

Did you enable the backlog feature in the Kanban board?

What type of space is this Team or Company managed?

Evgenii

Hi @Jorge Trashorras ,

Good news: sprints are available on the Free plan, so this is not a licensing limitation. The steps depend on the project type, and that's most likely why you can't find the option.

First, check the project type: go to the projects list (Projects > View all projects), the Type column shows "Team-managed" or "Company-managed".

If it's a team-managed project (space):

Open the space and look at the horizontal navigation tabs at the top (Summary, Timeline, Board, ...). Select the + button at the end of that row (next to "More"), choose Backlog in the Views list, and select Add to navigation.
Go to Space settings > Features and enable the Sprints toggle. It stays greyed out with "Requires a backlog" until the Backlog view is added, and that's exactly the state you're stuck in.
Your board switches to sprint mode: existing work items move to the backlog, keeping their statuses.

If it's a company-managed project:

There is no toggle here, board type is fixed at creation. But you don't need to convert anything: you can create a new Scrum board on top of the same project and keep the existing kanban board.

Go to Boards (search "Boards" in the top navigation) > Create board > Scrum.
Choose "Board from an existing project" and pick your project.
Both boards show the same issues; you plan sprints on the Scrum board, the kanban board keeps working as before.

If neither matches what you see, share which project type you have and I'll point you to the exact spot.

Jorge Trashorras

Hi Marc, thanks for the reply! To answer your questions:

- Nope, I am not getting an error, I simply dont find the option.

- I am the admin, but where in the space settings? I enter the config of the space but I dont seem to have that option. ( screenshot attached )

- Where is the backlog feature and/or how do you activate it?

- It is a Team managed space.

Hope it helps! And thank you.

Captura de pantalla 2026-08-20 132934.png

Marcelo Montaño Sánchez

Hi @Jorge Trashorras

Your screenshot seems to indicate that the project is company-managed ("Espacio empresarial"), while you mentioned that it is team-managed.

Could you confirm the project type? The steps to enable sprints are different depending on the project type.

Marcelo

Trudy P Claspill

Hello @Jorge Trashorras

In the image you provided it shows "espacio empresarial" below the space name. Translated to English that is Business space.

Business spaces use a kanban-style board by default. They do not inherently provide a method to create a Scrum board.

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.37.05 PM.png

Then click the Create Board button

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.39.26 PM.png

Then click the Create A Scrum board button.

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.39.35 PM.png

Then select Create board from an Existing Filter, and proceed with the remaining steps of the wizard.

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.41.08 PM.png

Screenshot 2026-08-20 at 10.42.45 PM.png

Here are some resources where you can find more details:

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/work-with-boards-in-business-projects/

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/add-edit-or-delete-a-shortcut/

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-articles/Multiple-boards-in-Business-and-Team-Managed-Projects-You-bet/ba-p/1719761

Jorge Trashorras

Thank you everyone! @Trudy P Claspill , @Evgenii , @Marc -Devoteam- and @Marcelo Montaño Sánchez

I finally got it searching, selecting boards and creating a new scrum board based on the current project. I did not know that it could be done by searching and creating a new scrum board. :-)

And sorry because I said it was a team managed project but it is indeed a company managed one.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Quick Links

Find more posts tagged with

jira

cloud

jira-cloud

kanban

scrum

sprint