Microservices Architecture: When and Why to Make the Switch
In this article
The microservices vs. monolith debate has become almost religious in software circles. But the truth is simpler: architecture decisions should be driven by your team size, product complexity, and operational capabilities—not industry trends. Here is a practical framework for making the right choice.
50+
Team Threshold
developers before microservices make sense
3-5x
Faster Scaling
independent component scaling
10x
Deploy Frequency
more frequent deployments possible
40%
Complexity Cost
higher initial infrastructure overhead
Understanding the Difference
A monolithic architecture bundles all application components into a single deployable unit. Your user interface, business logic, and data access layers all live together, share the same database, and scale as one entity.
Microservices architecture breaks applications into small, independently deployable services. Each service owns its data, communicates via APIs, and can be built using different technologies. Teams can develop, deploy, and scale services independently.
When to Stay Monolithic
Stay with a monolithic architecture when:
- •Your team has fewer than 50 developers
- •You have a single product domain without clear boundaries
- •Decision-making is centralized and works well
- •Limited DevOps expertise or infrastructure automation
- •You are building an MVP or validating product-market fit
Custom Web Development
We build scalable monolithic applications designed for future microservices migration when needed.
When Microservices Make Sense
Consider microservices when you experience these specific pain points:
Scaling Bottlenecks
One component needs 10x resources while others sit idle
Team Conflicts
Multiple teams stepping on each other in the same codebase
Deployment Fear
Small changes require full regression testing and risky deploys
Technology Constraints
Stuck with outdated tech because migration affects everything
The Strangler Fig Migration Approach
Never do a big-bang rewrite. Instead, use the Strangler Fig pattern to gradually extract services while keeping your monolith running:
Identify Boundaries
Map domain boundaries and find loosely coupled components
Build New Service
Create microservice for one bounded context
Route Traffic
Use API gateway to route requests to new service
Verify & Iterate
Validate performance, then repeat for next component
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Our architects help you plan and execute microservices migrations without disrupting operations.