It's nice when everything is manageable at the early stage of an app. One codebase. One team. One deploy. Boom💥done.
But as your app grows, your challenges grow.
At that point we get teams asking: "... Should we be monolithic or go Microservices ".
What is a Monolithic Architecture?
A monolithic application is built as one big unit. All your app’s features (authentication, database access, UI, payments, etc.) are packed into one codebase and deployed together.
Think of it like a giant LEGO block. Easy to build at first, but tough to reshape later.
Pros✅:
- Simple to develop and deploy.
- Easier debugging and testing.
- One source of truth.
Cons❌:
- Hard to scale specific parts.
- One small bug can crash the whole app.
- Slow updates. You have to redeploy everything, even for tiny changes.
What Are Microservices?
In a microservices architecture, your app is split into independent services, each doing only one job. Like: User service, payment service, notification service; they interact using APIs.
Pros✅:
- Teams can work independently.
- Easier to scale specific features.
- Faster deployments (change just one service!).
Cons❌:
- More moving parts = more complexity.
- Requires strong communication between services.
- Harder to test end-to-end.
Imagine💬:
Monolithic:
Like one big office where everyone (HR, Security, Accounting) works in the same room and shares the same desk.
If one team wants to update their process, the whole office has to change.Microservices:
Like a company with separate departments (HR, Security, etc.), each in its own office with its own staff and tools.
They communicate by emails or phone calls (APIs).
Each department can upgrade or fix issues independently without disturbing the others.
The Netflix Story📺
Since Netflix was growing rapidly back in 2009; their monolithic architecture could not keep up with that. So, they pioneered a move to microservices (even before the term “microservices” existed!).
Today they run over 1,000 microservices, deploy code thousands of times a day, and deliver smooth streaming to millions.
So... Monolith or Microservices?
| Feature | Monolith | Microservices |
|---|---|---|
| Codebase | One big app | Many small services |
| Deployments | All together | Independently |
| Scaling | Whole app | Per service |
| Speed (Early On) | Faster to build | Slower to start |
| Speed (Later On) | Slower to grow | Faster & more flexible |
When to use a Monolith:
- You’re a small team or a new project.
- You want to build and iterate quickly.
- You don’t have infrastructure complexity yet.
When to Consider Microservices:
- Your app is growing fast.
- Teams need independence to move faster.
- You want to scale parts of your app separately (e.g., auth or payments).
Final Thoughts
Microservices aren’t better. They’re just better when scale demands it. For many teams, starting with a monolith makes perfect sense, and when things get too tangled, that’s when microservices can shine.
Start small. Grow wisely. And always build for the future, but don’t over-engineer for a future that isn’t here yet. 😉
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