A Sprint Retrospective and a Sprint Review might sound similar, but they are two distinct activities with distinct objectives. The main differences between the two can be summarized into six points. Firstly, while a Spring Retrospective is focused on team improvement and recognizing successes, a Spring Review is more about demonstrating what has been accomplished within the sprint period. Next, the attendees of a Spring Review will typically include stakeholders, whereas those attending a Spring Retrospective tend to just be members of the project team. Thirdly, the atmosphere for both activities differs as well - with the review being relatively formal and objectives-oriented whilst the retrospective being more informal in order to foster open communication about successes and potential improvements for upcoming sprints. Additionally, despite retrospectives involving future planning and strategizing, there should not be actual decisions made during these sessions; assessment should instead take place outside of it. Lastly, retrospectives commonly span one-hour sessions, whereas reviews can vary from anything from five minutes to an entire day, depending on the size of the project.
