Microservices vs Monolith: Making the Right Choice

# Microservices vs Monolith: Making the Right Choice The microservices vs monolith debate continues. Here's practical guidance based on real experience. ## Monolith Advantages ### Simplicity - Single codebase - Easy deployment - Simple debugging ### Performance - No network latency between services - Shared memory ### Development Speed - No distributed system complexity - Easier refactoring ## Microservices Advantages ### Scalability - Scale individual services - Technology flexibility ### Team Independence - Teams own services - Independent deployments ### Fault Isolation - Service failures don't crash everything ## When to Choose What ### Choose Monolith When - Small team (< 10 developers) - New product, unclear requirements - Simple domain - Fast time-to-market needed ### Choose Microservices When - Large team with clear boundaries - Need for independent scaling - Different tech stack requirements - High availability requirements ## The Middle Ground ### Modular Monolith Monolith with clear module boundaries: - Easier to split later - Best of both worlds - No distributed complexity ## Common Mistakes 1. **Starting with microservices**: Build a monolith first 2. **Wrong service boundaries**: Domain-driven design helps 3. **Shared databases**: Each service owns its data 4. **Ignoring operational complexity**: Monitoring, tracing, debugging ## Migration Strategy If you need to migrate from monolith to microservices: 1. Identify bounded contexts 2. Start with least coupled service 3. Use strangler pattern 4. Migrate incrementally ## Conclusion There's no universal answer. Start simple, evolve as needed.