So, you’ve built a nice little CRUD app, your users can log in, maybe you’ve got a few API calls running, and you’re feeling pretty good. But suddenly, you’re hit with a thought: "Should I switch to microservices?" You’ve read all the articles, seen the conference talks, and it seems like every tech company is moving to microservices. It’s the new cool, right?
WRONG. You are not Netflix. You are not Amazon. You have, what, five users? Maybe a few dozen on a good day? You don’t need microservices. Let me say it louder for the folks in the back: YOU AREN’T GONNA NEED IT.
Here’s why:
1. Microservices Are a Maintenance Nightmare
You think splitting up your app into tiny services is going to make it easier? Guess again. Now, instead of one app to maintain, you’ve got 10 different services, each with its own deployment pipeline, its own logging system, and its own potential points of failure. Congratulations! You’ve just turned one simple app into a hydra of headaches.
Every new feature now has to be coordinated across multiple services. Need to update a database schema? Better make sure that all five services that rely on it are compatible. Oh, and don’t forget to deploy them all in the right order, or you’ll enjoy some late-night firefighting.
2. You Aren’t Handling Google-Level Traffic
Microservices are great when you’re dealing with insane amounts of traffic. That’s why Netflix and Amazon use them—they’re running at a scale where splitting up services helps them handle millions of requests per second.
But let’s be real: you’re not even close to that scale. Your app is probably getting a few requests per minute, if that. A well-built monolith will handle that traffic just fine without the added complexity of microservices. You’re building a simple app, not an intergalactic space station.
3. It’s a DevOps Time Sink
Unless you have a dedicated DevOps team (which I’m guessing you don’t), microservices will suck up all your time. You now need to manage multiple repositories, deploy multiple services, and monitor a bunch of different things. You’re going to spend more time writing deployment scripts, configuring CI/CD pipelines, and dealing with Kubernetes configs than actually building features your users care about.
And guess what? You probably don’t need to "scale independently" when your entire app could live on a single server without breaking a sweat.
4. Microservices Slow You Down
Microservices are supposed to make you agile, right? Wrong. Every time you add a new feature, you now have to figure out which service it belongs to. Should it be a new service? Does it belong in an existing one? What happens if the change requires modifications in two or more services? Now you’re juggling multiple deployments for a simple feature, all while trying to maintain your sanity.
You’ll spend so much time in meetings discussing architecture that you’ll forget why you’re even building the feature in the first place. Meanwhile, your competition (who’s sticking with their monolith) has already shipped and moved on.
5. Monoliths Are Fine!
Stop buying into the hype that monoliths are some kind of outdated relic. A well-structured monolith can serve you well for years. It’s easier to test, easier to deploy, and easier to maintain. You can still have modularity, separation of concerns, and good design practices in a monolith without the overhead of microservices.
Most apps start out small and grow over time. Let your monolith grow, and if you ever hit the scale where microservices make sense, you can refactor then. Spoiler alert: you’ll probably never hit that scale.
So, When DO You Need Microservices?
Here’s the truth: you’ll know when you need them. When your monolith is buckling under the pressure, your build times are sky-high, and every small change is bringing the whole app down, then—and only then—should you start thinking about microservices.
Until that day, resist the urge to over-engineer. Focus on building a product your users love, not an architecture that makes you feel cool.
Conclusion: Keep It Simple
Microservices might sound glamorous, but for most of us, they’re just unnecessary complexity. Stick with your monolith, keep shipping features, and let simplicity guide your decisions.
Remember: You Aren’t Gonna Need It. Not yet. Maybe never.
So go ahead, keep building, and leave the microservices to the giants.