Why Companies Are Abandoning Microservices for Monoliths – The Hidden Costs Revealed

Why the Microservice Hype Is Fading

For years we were told that microservices are the future: "Split everything into small independent services, let teams scale independently, deploy faster, and act more agile."

"We went too far."

What’s Wrong With Microservices?

The original promises sound attractive:

Each feature can be updated independently (change one place without affecting others)

Teams can own their own stack (frontend, backend, database each handled separately)

Clear boundaries (who owns what is obvious)

In practice, many teams encounter the following problems:

Code becomes a pile of Lego bricks – hundreds of tiny components that newcomers can’t understand

Systems get slower – services constantly exchange data, like couriers running out of stamina

Constant plumbing work – engineers spend most of their time maintaining servers and debugging communication

Bug hunting feels like detective work – "Where did this error originate?"

If you’ve been there, you’ve probably sighed at your screen: "Where’s the promised convenience? Why is it getting more complicated?"

A Simple Example

Imagine building an e‑commerce system. A microservice split might look like this:

Authentication Service

Product Catalog Service

Cart Service

Order Service

Notification Service

Cool, right? But then you need to:

Glue all services together with Kafka or RabbitMQ

Share sessions via Redis

Run a CI/CD pipeline that takes 30 minutes for all services

Write a lot of code just to make services talk to each other

A “simple” new feature now requires changes in five services, three pull requests, and approvals from two teams.

Real‑World Microservice Experience

Developing an online store typically splits into modules such as user login, product display, cart, order processing, and notifications. While the division looks logical, the reality includes:

Special tools (Kafka, RabbitMQ) to connect modules

Additional data‑sharing systems (Redis)

Half‑hour‑plus CI/CD cycles for every update

Lots of code just for inter‑module messaging

Hidden Costs of Microservices

"Microservices don’t really simplify the system—they just move the difficulty elsewhere."

When everything is packaged in a single large application, all problems stay within the code. After adopting microservices, you face:

Slower inter‑server communication

Strict interface contracts

Data‑synchronization issues

More complex individual releases

Need to track the location of each service

Additional monitoring tools required

Experienced engineers note that managing dozens of dispersed services is far harder than maintaining a well‑designed monolith.

Why Are Big Systems Returning to Monoliths?

Simplicity wins. A monolithic system offers:

All functionality in one program

Debugging feels like looking up a dictionary

Code changes are straightforward

No cross‑service integration headaches

Simpler development environments

Modern languages like Go or Rust and containerized deployment now allow monoliths to handle massive traffic efficiently.

Real Enterprise Cases: From Microservices Back to Monolith

Shopify : Previously split everything into small services, now consolidating into a large system.

Segment : After performance and productivity issues with microservices, published a post titled “Why We’re Dropping Microservices.”

Even Amazon admits that microservice architecture only works if many other problems are solved first.

A New Approach: Integrated Modular Design

Many companies are trying a hybrid model:

The whole system is packaged and run as a single unit.

Internal functional modules have clear boundaries.

It borrows microservice ideas for module division without extra network overhead.

This lets you keep:

Clear functional separation

No cross‑service communication concerns

Avoid complex deployment pipelines

For Java projects, the code structure might look like:

/cart          # Shopping cart feature
/order         # Order management
/notification  # Message notifications

Although they appear as independent modules, they belong to the same cohesive system.

Should You Abandon Microservices Entirely?

Not necessarily. Microservices still make sense for:

Platforms serving millions of users

Organizations with many teams needing rapid, independent updates

Teams that have mastered monitoring and automated deployment

Conversely, small teams (<50 people) focusing on a single core product and spending more time on maintenance than feature development may benefit more from a monolith.

Choosing the Right Technical Solution

Technology trends shift like fashion. The once‑celebrated microservice hype is now recognized as not universally suitable. The key is to pick a solution that:

Enables smooth team workflow

Doesn’t add unnecessary overhead

Lets you focus on business functionality

Good technical choices should feel like a well‑fitted shoe—comfort matters more than being the newest model.