What is the best application architecture style for your project?

1 Monolithic Architecture

A monolithic architecture is a style where your entire application is built as a single unit, usually as a single executable or deployable file. All the functionality, logic, and data access are contained within the same code base, and the application runs as a single process. A monolithic architecture is simple to develop, test, and deploy, as you only have one code base to manage and one file to run. However, a monolithic architecture also has some drawbacks, such as being difficult to scale, update, and debug, as any change in one part of the code can affect the whole application. A monolithic architecture is suitable for small and simple applications that do not require frequent changes or high performance.

3 Serverless Architecture

A serverless architecture is a style where your application is built on top of a cloud platform that provides the backend infrastructure and services for your application, such as computing, storage, database, authentication, and so on. You only write and deploy the code that implements your business logic, and the platform handles the rest. A serverless architecture is cost-effective, scalable, and easy to deploy, as you only pay for the resources you use and the platform automatically scales up or down according to the demand. You also do not have to worry about managing servers, patches, or updates. However, a serverless architecture also has some limitations, such as vendor lock-in, cold start latency, and reduced control over the environment. A serverless architecture is suitable for applications that have unpredictable or sporadic traffic, event-driven or stateless logic, and low maintenance requirements.

4 Event-Driven Architecture

An event-driven architecture is a style where your application is based on the production, detection, and consumption of events, which are discrete and meaningful occurrences that trigger a reaction or a change in the state of the application. For example, a user clicking a button, a sensor detecting a temperature, or a message arriving in a queue are all events. Your application consists of event producers, event consumers, and event brokers, which are components that generate, process, and route events respectively. An event-driven architecture is reactive, asynchronous, and decoupled, as the components only communicate through events and do not depend on each other's availability or response. You can also easily add, remove, or modify components without affecting the rest of the application. However, an event-driven architecture also has some drawbacks, such as increased complexity, testing difficulties, and data consistency issues. An event-driven architecture is suitable for applications that have dynamic and distributed behavior, high concurrency and scalability, and real-time or near-real-time processing.

5 Layered Architecture

A layered architecture is a style where your application is divided into logical layers, each with its own responsibility and abstraction level. The most common layers are presentation, business, and data, which handle the user interface, the business logic, and the data access respectively. The layers communicate with each other in a hierarchical and sequential manner, meaning that each layer can only interact with the layer above or below it. A layered architecture is modular, maintainable, and reusable, as you can easily separate and isolate the concerns and functionalities of each layer. You can also swap or replace layers without affecting the rest of the application. However, a layered architecture also has some disadvantages, such as reduced performance, increased coupling, and rigid structure. A layered architecture is suitable for applications that have clear and stable requirements, well-defined and standardized interfaces, and low dependency and variability.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?