Monolithic vs microservices architecture

A monolithic architecture is like a Swiss Army knife with everything packed into one tool. Facebook started as a monolith where likes, posts, and messages lived in one codebase. It's simple to build and deploy, but changing one feature means redeploying everything.

Microservices split functions into separate services. Amazon uses microservices: the cart, payments, and recommendations are independent services. Each team can update their service without affecting others. However, this means your organization is now managing dozens of services instead of just one.^[1]

Startups often begin with monoliths because they're faster to build. As they grow, some migrate to microservices for flexibility. Others, like Shopify, keep successful monoliths by investing in good code organization. There's no universal right answer.