This article explores the differences and similarities between modular architecture and microservice architecture,

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Architecture forms the foundation for a system's performance, scalability, and maintainability. This post contrasts microservice architecture and modular architecture, highlighting their key characteristics, including data management, scalability, flexibility, performance, state management, development complexity, maintenance, and cost considerations. Microservice architecture enhances agility and autonomy through independent services, while modular architecture provides a unified, simpler development environment with centralized data management. The choice depends on project specifics, with microservices favoring high scalability and flexibility, and modular architecture being suitable for stable requirements with centralized control.

Microservice architecture vs modular architecture

So, when to use microservice architecture?

Using pods as an intermediate path between microservices and modular monoliths can be an effective strategy to balance complexity, communication efficiency, and scalability. This approach allows leveraging the advantages of both worlds and adapting the architecture according to the specific needs of your system.

I’d say the size of the company and number of developers plays a large role. If you only have one team, if even that, managing a bunch of microservices will be to much overhead and take up all your developer resources. If you have multiple upon multiple teams then microservices will gain in usefulness.
Are the huge companies like Amazon, Netflix, Spotify, Google and so on using microservices? Sure, does that mean a small company with 1-2 developers should? Probably not.