| Visualization | | | | | |
| Definition | Single-tiered software application where the UI and data access code are combined into a single program from a single platform | Monolithic application that is divided into modules based on features or business domains | Type of microservice architecture where each frontend component corresponds to a vertical slice of the application | Microservice approach where components are split based on horizontal layers like presentation, business logic, etc. | Modern approach that involves building a web application as a set of small, independent, and loosely coupled islands |
| Complexity | Low to moderate, depending on the application size | Moderate, as it involves breaking down the monolith into logical modules | High, due to the distributed nature of services | High, similar to vertical micro frontends but with an additional layer of complexity due to horizontal slicing | Moderate to high, depending on the granularity of the islands |
| Scalability | Challenging for large applications due to tight coupling and complexity | Improved over monolith due to modularity, but still requires careful management of module interactions | Good, as each service can be updated independently | Good, with the added benefit of clear separation of concerns | Excellent, as each island can be maintained separately |
| Technology Stack | Uniform across the entire application | Uniform or varied, depending on module requirements | Can vary between services, allowing for the use of best-suited technologies | Can vary between layers, providing flexibility | Highly flexible, with each island potentially using different technologies |
| Use Case | Small to medium-sized applications with a limited scope | Medium-sized applications that require clear separation of concerns without fully committing to Micro Frontend (MFE) | Large-scale applications with clear domain boundaries and the need for independent scaling and deployment | Large applications that require a clear separation of presentation and business logic | Applications that can benefit from a mix of different technologies and independent deployment cycles |