With increasing cases where developers are creating apps using API data, organizations want apps to be developed in less time, and end-users expect zero downtime, the requirement for microservices and web services is increasing.

A developer who is just diving into this field might find both of these services to be similar; without deep knowledge, it is hard to differentiate both. As they both are a part of API representation tools, they have similar ways to share and deliver information using APIs. But, they both are different.

We have arrayed this article to understand the basic differences between Web Services and Microservices.

Many times a single app uses both web services and microservices together, but they fulfill different requirements. In this article, we will mainly focus on Web services vs. Microservices, differences, pros and cons, and much more. So, let’s begin!

Web services vs. Microservices: Basics

Here’s the basic overview of most of the information that you will see in detail in the further article:

Basic understanding of web services and microservices:

• Web service: It is a strategy or procedure used to create services of an app useful for other apps by using various web interfaces.

On the other hand:

• Microservice: An autonomous, small app that performs a particular service for larger app architecture.

This definition shows that the functions of web services and microservices might look the same. It is because web services can become microservices, but microservices strictly execute only on internet and web services.

To be honest, these both are very different, and the giant difference lies in how they develop app architecture. Here’s the difference:

Web services app architecture: Web services provide services-oriented, modular app architecture. Here the architecture of the apps is connected via web services. So, developers can use these services to connect with monolithic apps, microservices, and other apps.

Microservices app architecture: Microservices provides a service-oriented and modular app architecture that is made up of independent, loosely connected microservices. Hence, microservices generally offer APIs, hence other apps and microservices can easily integrate.

It’s now common for modern, service-oriented app architectures to comprise a mix of monolithic apps and microservices. Now, many businesses also use a mixture of web services and APIs to integrate the microservices and apps that use these services.

What are Web Services?

Web services carry out particular functions on behalf of huge apps, web services give a standard, web-based interface that makes these services usable to different apps on the network.

Here’s a small definition:

Web services are processes designed to provide support for interoperable interaction of machine-to-machine in the network. It owns an interface made in a machine-processable way such as WSDL. Other software or systems interact with web services in a specific way by using SOAP, conveyed by HTTP with XML serialization in addition to other web standards.’

Web services have different apps to interact and connect with. They are more like the joint that developers can use to form a connecting bridge between apps and develop a web services app architecture.

These services are equated with APIs, as both work in a similar manner. But the reality is- web services are one way of API representation.

They are the HTTP wrapper done around any API. This wrapper allows the app to present its services using a web interface so other microservices or apps can interact easily with them.

One of the key advantages of using web services is that it allows the exchange of data and services even when the systems connected are developed on different platforms and using different programming languages.

What are Microservices?

Microservices is a software architecture helping in structuring an app as a group of independent, and little services that work together. Every microservice performs specific functions and interacts with other microservices using specified APIs.

This architecture is the contrast to a traditional monolithic structure where an app is developed using a single, complex unit. But, in microservices, developers can build the apps using multiple small and independently functioning services that can also be scaled and deployed independently.

Microservices provide flexibility in protocols and formats and hence this architecture is becoming more popular in the developer community.

Now, we’ll see the pros and cons of both web services and microservices.

Microservices vs. Web Services- Pros and Cons

Advantages of Web Services

• Interoperability is a key advantage of web services. It aims to provide a programmed and consistent association with a programming app

• Web services reveal the functions that already exist in the framework

• Web services provide ease of use, as they are easily conveyed using standard modern internet advancements.

• Web services are easily deployed or even arranged over popular internet technologies

• The use of XML is done for data transportation and depiction. So, minimal effort is required for communication

• It increases flexibility. As web services aren’t dependent on any one platform, they can be executed over various operating systems and devices.

• Web services provide better scalability. They can be managed as per the requirements of the business.

• Cheaper cost as compared to traditional software development architecture. Hence, fewer resources are required for applying web services architecture.

• Web services provide robust security. They can be made by keeping the safety features of the system in mind. One can use features like encryption, authentication, etc. to protect the data.

• With the feature of automating the tasks, web services provide increased efficiency for the system. It ultimately improves the business productivity and efficiency.

Disadvantages of Web Services

• Many times when the internet is not available, a special mechanism is required that will make another try to perform the transaction.

• Web services require special machine requirements that create lag in managing multiple customers.

• Transaction process isn’t available in the SOAP process.

• Sometimes, its advantage becomes a con itself. As web services are accessible to everyone using HTTP protocol, it is easy for hackers to breach the security.

Advantages of Microservices

• While using microservices, different teams try to implement multiple services together, and it is successful. This is because microservices are independent of other microservices. Hence, the dependency of the teams also decreases. It’s possible because of the small size and unique autonomy of each microservice.

• Each function executes independently and hence, there’s speedier deployment. Ultimately this process helps in speedier decision making.

• Microservices provide better portability across multiple platforms as they can be deployed easily on the containers.

• Even in certain situations, if one microservice fails or shuts down, other microservices aren’t interrupted. They continue to function.

• Scalability is one of the main advantages of microservices, it makes services more performant and elastic.

Disadvantages of Microservices

• One has to deal with different databases and this can become a tedious and time-consuming process.

• When microservices are used, it means the app is more complex to build than a monolithic app.

• As there are a large number of APIs, it becomes harder to control the interface of the system.

• Sometimes testing all microservices can be complicated and cumbersome. This occurs mainly because of its distributed nature. As services are distributed, developers have to access different machines to test the whole system.

• There’s the requirement of enough hosting infrastructure with maintenance and security support. So it requires a lot of experienced team support for development and deployment.

Microservices vs. Web Services- What’s the Difference?

Web Services

• It is a technology used for providing various services

• Web services are vertical as compared to provider-consumer interaction

• These services work as a plan to provide services across the apps by using web interfaces

• Web Services are comparatively simpler than microservices

• It also allows component sharing process

Microservices

• Microservices is a software architecture that helps in implementing different web services

• It has a horizontal approach

• It is considered to have an autonomous app designed for a particular service as a small part of the complex app

• As compared to web services, microservices are more compact and complex

• They provide limited sharing and have bounded context

Microservices vs. Web Services- Which One to Choose?

There’s no specific end to this debate of web services vs. microservices. It depends on the system’s size and requirements whether to choose microservices or web services.

It is better to hire a reliable software development company that can help you pick any one of these for your business software.

Microservices can be a good alternative if you want a lightweight, and more decoupled solution. Whereas, web services may be a good choice if you want a feature-rich and unified solution.

Final Words

In the end, we hope that this article has given you the required knowledge of web services and microservices. Though they both look similar, they are quite different. Hence, choose wisely. Because an unclear decision can cost many resources, and most importantly can cause failure in your app. Want to explore more technical blogs? Bookmark us! Happy reading!