An Empirical Comparison of Microservice and Monolithic Architectures in Software Development

This paper looks at two main ways to build large software pro- grams: the traditional Monolith, which is one large, unified applica- tion, and Microservices, which are many small, independent parts. The goal is to use real-world studies and experiments to clearly explain the confirmed pros and cons of each approach. The findings show that for new or small projects, the Monolith is generally faster and cheaper to launch. However, Microservices are much better at handling huge numbers of users, a key advantage known as scaling, and speed up development by allowing teams to work completely independently. The major trade-off is high com- plexity - Microservices are difficult to set up and operate, requiring specialized skills. I conclude that the best architectural choice is never fixed; it de- pends entirely on the project’s specific situation, such as the required size and growth speed of the system.