Comparison between monolithic and microservices architectures: advantages and challenges.

vantagens e desafios

Abstract

This study aims to provide a comparative analysis between monolithic and microservices software architectures, highlighting their main characteristics, advantages, and challenges, in order to support professionals and students in choosing the most suitable approach for different application contexts. The research is based on a literature review of books and scientific articles, as well as the analysis of case studies, adopting criteria such as coupling, cohesion, scalability, performance, maintenance, and complexity. The results indicate that the monolithic architecture, although simpler to implement, with lower initial cost and easier management in small systems, presents significant limitations in environments that require high scalability and resilience. On the other hand, the microservices architecture demonstrates greater flexibility, granular scalability, and fault isolation, making it more suitable for complex and constantly evolving systems, but it demands robust infrastructure, higher technical maturity, and advanced monitoring and orchestration practices. It is concluded that there is no universally superior solution, but rather models that best fit according to the project’s requirements, the team’s experience, and the available resources. Therefore, the architectural choice should be guided by technical and organizational criteria, considering the trade-offs of each approach to ensure sustainability, efficiency, and adaptability throughout the system’s lifecycle.