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What is a monolithic architecture?

What is a monolithic architecture in eCommerce, and how does it work?

A monolithic architecture in eCommerce refers to a single, unified system where all components — frontend (UI), backend (business logic), database, and third-party integrations — are tightly coupled into a single codebase. This means that all functionalities, like product management, order processing, checkout, and customer accounts, are interconnected and deployed as one unit.

When does a monolithic architecture become a bottleneck for growth?

A monolithic architecture becomes a bottleneck if scaling is difficult, updates slow down development, and integrations become complex, limiting flexibility and agility as the business grows. The primary disadvantages of adopting a monolithic architecture include:

  • Difficult to Scale: Requires scaling the entire system, even if only one component needs improvement.
  • Slow Updates: Changes require redeploying the whole application, leading to downtime.
  • Limited Flexibility: Customization is constrained by the platform’s built-in features.
  • Vendor Lock-in: Businesses depend heavily on the platform’s ecosystem.

Why can monolithic architecture become a challenge for large-scale eCommerce businesses?

Monolithic architecture limits scalability, slows updates, and makes integrations complex, leading to performance issues and inefficiencies as large-scale eCommerce businesses grow and evolve. Enterprise eCommerce businesses should generally avoid a purely monolithic platform if:

  • They plan to scale rapidly and need high flexibility
  • Their business requires complex integrations and frequent updates.
  • They want to implement omnichannel commerce with multiple front-end experiences.

How do companies transition from a monolithic architecture to a more modular approach?

Companies transition by gradually breaking monolithic systems into microservices, adopting APIs, using a headless or composable commerce approach, and migrating functionalities step-by-step to minimize disruptions.