Key takeaways
- No government, regulator or standards body certifies Scrum: every Scrum certification is issued by a private organization.
- The Scrum Guide states that "Scrum is free" and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0); it does not mention any certification.
- Scrum.org, Scrum Alliance and Scrum Inc. are well-known providers, but none of them is an official authority over Scrum.
- Providers differ widely: from USD 69 to USD 2,495 for an entry-level Scrum Master credential, with or without mandatory training and renewal fees.
- Credential names such as CSM or PSM are used by several providers and are not interchangeable: always check which organization issued a certificate.
Transparency notice. This guide is published by SCRUM Framework, one of the five providers compared below. Facts about other providers were checked on their official websites in October 2026 and are linked to their sources. Prices and rules change: always confirm on the provider's website before buying.
There is no official Scrum authority
Many candidates believe that one organization "owns" Scrum and delivers the "official" certification. This is not the case. No government, regulator, international standards body or professional order certifies Scrum. There is no legal title of "Scrum Master" and no single registry of certified professionals.
What exists is a free definition of Scrum, the Scrum Guide, and a market of private certification providers. Some were founded by the creators of Scrum, others are independent. Each one designs its own exams, sets its own prices and decides its own rules (mandatory training, number of attempts, renewal). None of them has legal authority over the others, and the Scrum Guide does not mention any certification at all.
This does not mean all certifications are equal: they differ in difficulty, cost, recognition by employers and verifiability. It means that "official Scrum certification" is a marketing expression, not a fact, and that you can choose a provider on objective criteria.
Scrum is free and openly licensed
Scrum was developed by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland in the early 1990s. They wrote the first version of the Scrum Guide in 2010; the current version dates from November 2020. The Scrum Guide itself says:
"Scrum is free and offered in this Guide."
Source: The Scrum Guide, November 2020
The Scrum Guide is published under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. Scrum is not software, but it works in the same spirit as open source: anyone can read, use, teach, translate and share Scrum for free, provided they credit the authors and share their adaptations under the same license. No license fee is required to practice Scrum, train people on it or build an exam on its content.
Who are the main certification providers?
| Provider | Type | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Scrum Alliance | Not-for-profit | Founded in 2001. Issues the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) through certified trainers. |
| Scrum.org | Mission-driven organization | Founded in 2009 by Ken Schwaber, co-creator of Scrum. Issues the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) assessments. |
| Scrum Inc. | Consulting firm | Founded by Jeff Sutherland, co-creator of Scrum. Issues the Registered Scrum Master (RSM) through its Agile Education Program. |
| International Scrum Institute | Company (LLC, Switzerland) | Active since 2011. Online certifications without mandatory training. |
| SCRUM Framework | Independent certification program | Run by the International Certification Institute. Online certifications without mandatory training, in five languages, operating in Africa, Asia and Latin America. |
Same names, different credentials
Because Scrum is free and no authority regulates certification titles, several providers use similar names: "Scrum Master", "Certified", "Professional". The SCRUM Framework Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Professional Scrum Master (PSM) are SCRUM Framework credentials: they are not the Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster or the Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master I, and are not issued or endorsed by those organizations.
The rule is the same for every provider: on your CV and LinkedIn profile, always write the issuing organization next to the credential (for example "CSM, SCRUM Framework"), and give employers a way to verify it.
5 Scrum Master certifications compared
Entry-level Scrum Master credential of each provider, as published on their official websites (October 2026):
| SCRUM Framework CSM |
Scrum.org PSM I |
Scrum Alliance CSM |
Scrum Inc. RSM |
Int. Scrum Institute SMAC |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (USD) | USD 50 $55 10% OFF | 200 per attempt | 250 to 2,495 (course + exam) | 1,995 (Scrum Inc. 2-day course) | 69 |
| Mandatory training | No | No (optional 2-day class) | Yes, 16 hours | Yes, at least 14 hours live | No |
| Exam | 50 questions, 75 min | 80 questions, 60 min | 50 questions, 60 min | Not published on the official page | 50 questions, 60 min |
| Passing score | 60% | 85% | 74% (37/50) | Not published on the official page | 60% |
| Attempts included | 5, voucher never expires | 1 per password | 2, within 90 days | See provider | Up to 10 free retakes |
| Validity | Lifetime, no renewal fee | Lifetime, no renewal fee | 2 years; renewal USD 100 + 20 education units | See provider | Lifetime, no renewal fee |
| Delivery | Online | Online | Online or in person | Live online or in person | Online |
| Languages | EN, ES, FR, PT, TR | EN, JA, ZH | 12 languages | See provider | See provider |
| Public verification | Yes, badge checker | Yes | Yes (active members) | Yes (opt-out possible) | Yes |
Strengths of each provider
An honest comparison also means recognizing what others do well:
- Scrum Alliance: the oldest provider (2001), not-for-profit, with a large community it reports at nearly 1.5 million professionals, and a credential it describes as one of the best known to employers. Training with a certified trainer is part of the experience, which also explains the higher cost and the renewal cycle.
- Scrum.org: founded by Scrum co-creator Ken Schwaber, with demanding assessments (85% passing score) and no renewal fees. It reports more than one million Professional Scrum certifications held worldwide, all levels included.
- Scrum Inc.: endorsed by Scrum co-creator Jeff Sutherland, with live instructor-led training that also counts toward PMI professional development units.
- International Scrum Institute: low price, online exam without mandatory training, generous retake policy and lifetime validity.
- SCRUM Framework: one of the lowest total costs, no mandatory training, 5 attempts per voucher that never expires, lifetime certification without renewal fees, exams and study material in five languages, a public badge checker, free in-depth learning resources and transparent published rules. It is also a younger program, less known by employers than Scrum Alliance or Scrum.org, and currently available in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
How to choose
Choose a specific provider if...
- a job offer or your employer explicitly requires its credential;
- you want instructor-led training and your company pays for it.
Choose SCRUM Framework if...
- you want to validate your Scrum knowledge at a low, transparent cost;
- you prefer to study on your own, at your pace, with free material;
- you want several attempts, no deadline and no renewal fees;
- you prefer to take the exam in Spanish, French, Portuguese or Turkish.
Whatever you choose, the knowledge is the same: Scrum as defined in the free Scrum Guide. A certification proves that you know it; your practice proves that you can apply it. Many professionals start with an affordable certification and add others as their career requires.
Validate your Scrum knowledge with SCRUM Framework
100% online, 5 attempts, lifetime certificate, publicly verifiable badge.
Compare our certifications Which level is right for me?Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, The Scrum Guide, November 2020.
- Manifesto for Agile Software Development, 2001.
- SCRUM Framework, How our certification exams work.
Exam content is based on the Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). SCRUM Framework is an independent certification body. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Scrum.org, Scrum Alliance or Scrum Inc., whose names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
