Microservices, or microservices architecture, is an approach to software and website development that breaks down a large project into multiple, independent chunks of code. Each code, called a microservice, gets developed to perform a specific function within the overall software package. Microservices, designed by separate teams, run independently and combine with other microservices to fulfill a larger goal. For example, an e-commerce site includes different functions to manage inventory, product catalogs, customer data, and billing information. With a microservices approach to site development, they would get separately developed and tested before being combined to create the final website. Microservices get compared to “monolithic” software architecture, in which the entire software package gets developed as a single unit.

While a microservices architecture takes more initial planning than a monolithic architecture, it offers distinct advantages in large-scale systems. A microservices architecture breaks down complex software projects into smaller components. Because each microservice gets developed separately, the architecture facilitates faster development times as they get designed in parallel rather than in sequence. Since each microservice operates independently, the engineer can update one microservice without the changes causing problems with other microservices. That saves a lot of testing and debugging time in the overall software project. Finally, a microservices architecture helps development teams understand the general code easily, making the software easier to maintain and deploy.

Microservices are used primarily by software developers, especially front-end developers, back-end developers, and full-stack developers. DevOps engineers also get familiar with microservices—as tech companies implementing Agile and DevOps teams will more likely take advantage of microservices benefits. While a microservices architecture could theoretically get used for any software, web developers commonly create complex websites and web-based applications with it.