Monolith vs microservices: which should I choose?

Answer

A monolith packages all functionality into a single deployable unit, which keeps development, testing, and deployment simple and is usually the right starting point for new or small systems. Microservices split functionality into independent services, enabling separate scaling and team ownership at the cost of distributed-systems complexity. Choose a monolith when the domain is still evolving or the team is small; consider microservices when clear bounded contexts, independent scaling needs, and multiple teams justify the operational overhead. Many teams succeed with a well-structured 'modular monolith' before splitting.