Monolithic vs Microservices Architecture: Complete Guide
How to decide when a backend should be split into services
Node.js Development Company
Node.js Development Services Fast, Scalable Backends
Your one-stop Node.js partner for the backend that powers your product. We build fast, secure, scalable APIs and real-time services that stay reliable as your traffic grows.
Trusted by teams worldwide
Full-Cycle Node.js Engineering, Backend to Cloud
From a single API to a full microservices platform. Six service lines cover every part of building a modern Node.js backend.
01
Custom Node.js Backends
- Express, NestJS or Fastify
- Clean, modular architecture
- Auth, roles and permissions
- Background jobs and queues
- Built to scale from day one
02
REST & GraphQL APIs
- Well-designed, documented APIs
- REST, GraphQL or both
- Versioning and pagination
- Rate limiting and caching
- OpenAPI and SDKs
03
Real-Time Apps
- WebSockets and Socket.IO
- Chat, presence and live data
- Notifications and feeds
- Collaborative features
- Scales to many connections
04
Microservices
- Service decomposition
- Event-driven with queues
- gRPC and message brokers
- Independent deploys
- Observability built in
05
Cloud & DevOps
- Docker and Kubernetes
- CI/CD pipelines
- Auto-scaling and load balancing
- Monitoring and logging
- AWS, GCP or Azure
06
Migration & Optimization
- Legacy backend rewrites
- Performance and query tuning
- Cost and resource optimisation
- Security hardening
- Zero-downtime cutovers
Deep Capabilities
Production Backends, Not Just APIs
Six engineering disciplines behind every Node.js backend we ship, and the tools we use for each.
Node.js Engineering
Clean, modular backends on Express, NestJS or Fastify, built for reliability and scale.
API Design
Well-structured, documented REST and GraphQL APIs with versioning, auth and caching.
Real-Time & Streaming
WebSockets, pub/sub and streaming for chat, live data and collaborative features.
Microservices
Event-driven services with queues and brokers that deploy and scale independently.
Databases
SQL and NoSQL data layers with modelling, indexing and query optimisation.
DevOps & Scaling
Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD and monitoring that keep services fast and always up.
Free Architecture Review
Building a Backend? Get a Free Architecture Review.
A short call and a look at your requirements or current backend tells you exactly where it can scale better, and how we would design it. So your first dollar goes toward something solid.
Get Your Free ReviewFree · No obligation · Delivered within 48 hours
Our Process
From Requirements to Production in Five Phases
A clear, low-risk process that keeps you in the loop at every step.
1
Week 1
Discovery
We map requirements, data and load, choose the architecture and agree a fixed quote.
2
Week 1–2
Design
API contracts, data models and infrastructure design before we build.
3
Week 2–8
Development
We build services in sprints with tests and demos the whole way.
4
Week 6–9
QA & Load Test
Automated tests, security checks and load testing before launch.
5
Ongoing
Deploy & Scale
CI/CD deploys, monitoring and a roadmap for scaling and new features.
Measurable Impact
Numbers From Shipped Backends
200+
Projects shipped
Backends and APIs launched for startups and enterprises worldwide.
99.9%
Uptime
Reliable infrastructure and monitoring keep services online at scale.
2x
Faster responses
Typical gains after our performance and query optimisation.
10K+
Requests / sec
Throughput our real-time backends handle in production.
Case Studies
Work We've Shipped
Products we have shipped across digital health, streaming and voice AI, plus a solution showcase that connects voice calls to Odoo.
LIVE IN PRODUCTION
DeepRest: Anxiety & Sleep Relief App
Paced breathing, a 21-day anxiety reset and night-time audio that keeps working on a bad connection.
95%Users feel calmer
21-dayAnxiety reset
HIPAA-READY BUILD
KALBI: Telecardiology ECG Review
Patients upload an ECG from their phone and a cardiologist returns a signed report inside 24 hours.
24hSigned report
100%Cardiologist reviewed
LIVE IN PRODUCTION
Ideal TV: OTT Streaming Platform
100+ live channels, movies and sport across mobile, web and connected TV, with one billing spine behind it.
100+Live channels
4Platforms shipped
15,000+Viewers
SOLUTION SHOWCASE
Voice AI + Odoo: Conversation to Action
Voice calls connected to Odoo CRM and ERP: identity checks first, a verified order status read from the record, and a clear route to a person.
6Connected workflows
4Steps, call to record
LIVE IN PRODUCTION
AI Voice Agent for Doctors & Hospitals
A HIPAA-ready voice agent that answers every patient call, books into the clinical system and hands over to a person when it should.
70%Front-desk load removed
24/7Calls answered
0Voicemails left
Tech Stack
The Stack Behind Our Backends
Node.js
Express
NestJS
TypeScript
GraphQL
PostgreSQL
MongoDB
Redis
Socket.IO
Docker
Kubernetes
AWS
Kafka
gRPC
Prisma
Industries
Built for Your Vertical
Every bullet is something we've actually shipped, not a sales pitch.
01
Healthcare & Fitness
HIPAA-ready products for patients, providers and wellness.
- Booking and telehealth
- Wearable integration
- Secure patient records
02
Fintech & Banking
Secure, compliant products for payments and money movement.
- Wallets and KYC flows
- Biometric auth
- Real-time transactions
03
Retail & eCommerce
Commerce that converts and keeps customers coming back.
- Catalog and checkout
- Recommendations
- Loyalty and campaigns
04
On-Demand & Logistics
Real-time products for delivery, dispatch and field teams.
- Live tracking and routing
- Driver and customer apps
- In-app payments
05
EdTech & Learning
Engaging learning products for students and coaches.
- Courses and quizzes
- Live classes
- Gamification
06
Real Estate & PropTech
Property products for search, tours and lead capture.
- Map search
- Virtual tours
- In-app enquiries
Client Voices
Trusted By Teams Who Ship
“Appther built our student competition app exactly the way we envisioned it: easy registration, smooth judging, and real-time results that keep participants engaged.”
Dionna MilemOwner · My BOB Team LLC
“Building a mental health app means every detail has to be handled with care, and Appther got that from day one. The product feels warm, simple, and genuinely helpful.”
Bob SinghalProfessor of Joy · Joyscore Inc
“Appther exceeded every expectation, on time and on budget, and the final product has been instrumental in scaling our business. A rare engineering partner.”
Johnathan PefferCEO · Bull's Eye Technologies Inc
“Implementing an ERP across our operations felt daunting at first, but Appther made the transition seamless. Every department now works off a single source of truth.”
Pushpender KumarGeneral Manager · A.B. Sugars Ltd
Latest Insights
Notes on Building Great Backends
Field notes from real builds. No hype, just what worked and what didn't.
The Complete Guide to Azure Managed Services
Cloud hosting, security and cost management for production workloads
How to Implement RAG in Your AI System: Architecture & Process
Architecture and integration steps for adding retrieval to an AI backend
Free 30-Minute Backend Strategy Call
Great Products Run on Great Backends. Yours Starts Here.
Walk away from one call with the right architecture, a scalable data model, a realistic budget range and a delivery timeline. No pitch deck, no obligation.
Scope shortlist
Budget range
Delivery timeline
Book My Free Call
200+Projects delivered
4.9★Client rating
15+Countries served
99.9%Production uptime
FAQ
Questions We Hear Every Week
It depends on scope. A focused API starts in the low five figures, while microservices platforms run higher. You get a clear, fixed-price quote after a free scoping call, with no open-ended billing.
A focused API or backend usually ships in 4 to 8 weeks. Larger platforms take longer. We share a realistic timeline with milestones in your quote so you always know what comes next.
Yes. We build chat, live data, notifications and collaborative features with WebSockets and pub/sub, designed to scale to many concurrent connections.
Whatever fits. We often start with a well-structured modular monolith and split into microservices when scale or team size justifies it. We recommend the right call for your stage.
Yes. We audit your current backend, tune performance and queries, harden security and can migrate to a more scalable architecture with zero downtime.
Absolutely. You own 100% of the source code and infrastructure setup. We can also sign an NDA before any discovery conversation.
An Engineer Replies Within One Business Day
Let's Build Your Backend
Tell us what you're building. No sales pitch, just a straight answer on architecture, scope, timeline and cost.
Free 30-min strategy callScoping and honest, practical advice.
Fixed-price quoteDetailed scope and price after discovery, no surprises.
NDA on requestYour idea and code always stay yours.
Prefer to talk now?+91 99114 32288 · info@appther.com
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