Free Tool · No signup
MoSCoW. Scope the release.
Must, Should, Could, Won't have. Force scope decisions before the deadline forces them for you.
Add item
Counts
Backlog
Must have
Should have
Could have
Won't have
How it works.
If everything's a Must, nothing is. Force the team to demote until you hit the 60/20/20 rule. Won't-have isn't failure — it's communicated scope.
FAQ.
What is MoSCoW prioritization?+
A scoping framework: Must have (release-blocker), Should have (important not vital), Could have (nice if time), Won't have (out of scope this cycle). Originally from DSDM agile delivery.
What's the 60/20/20 rule?+
Healthy MoSCoW splits: ~60% effort on Musts, ~20% Shoulds, ~20% Coulds. If everything is Must, nothing is. Force the rebalance.
MoSCoW vs RICE — when to use each?+
MoSCoW for scoping a release with hard deadline. RICE for ongoing roadmap prioritization. They complement: RICE picks what enters the cycle, MoSCoW scopes what ships within it.
Should I rank within each bucket?+
Yes — within Must especially. 'All Musts are equal' becomes 'half the Musts slip when reality hits.' Rank, then defend the order.
Why use 'Won't have' instead of just leaving things out?+
Explicit deprioritization beats silent dropping. Won't-have items get communicated to stakeholders so expectations are set. Silent dropping creates surprises at demo.