What is the difference between microservices and monolithic architecture?

Question

Accepted Answer

**Microservices** — independent services. **Monolithic** — single unit.

**Microservices:**
- Independent services.
- Separate databases.
- Independent deployment.
- Complex initially.
- Better scalability.

```
Microservices:
[User Service] [Order Service] [Payment Service]
  (Independent)
  (Separate databases)
  (Separate deployments)
```

**Monolithic:**
- Single codebase.
- Shared database.
- Single deployment.
- Simple initially.
- Hard to scale.

```
Monolithic:
[All modules together]
  (Single codebase)
  (Shared database)
  (Single deployment)
```

**Key differences:**
- **Microservices** — independent.
- **Monolithic** — single unit.
- **Microservices** — complex.
- **Monolithic** — simple.

Systems Analyst: What is the difference between microservices and monolithic architecture?