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Hey everyone — welcome back.
In this video, we’re going to answer a question that confuses a lot of new developers: what’s the difference between Spring Boot and Microservices?
People often mix them up — but they are not the same thing. In fact, they work together, but they play very different roles in software development.
We’ll go row by row through this visual comparison chart and explain everything clearly. If you're building Java applications or curious about modern architectures, this video is for you.
Let’s get started.
Definition
Let’s start with definitions.
Spring Boot is a framework. It’s part of the larger Spring ecosystem and is used to build backend applications quickly and efficiently. Think of it like a toolkit that helps you write Java APIs with less boilerplate code.
Microservices, on the other hand, are an architectural style. They describe the way you structure your application — breaking it down into small, independently deployable services.
So, Spring Boot is a framework you code with. Microservices are a design principle you architect around.
Purpose
Now, let’s talk about their purpose.
The goal of Spring Boot is to simplify Java backend development. It auto-configures a lot of things, handles dependency management, and lets you create production-ready applications faster.
The goal of Microservices is to build large systems as a collection of small, manageable services. Each service focuses on a single business function, and they communicate over the network.
In short, Spring Boot helps you write code faster. Microservices help you manage code at scale.
Scope
Their scope is also very different.
Spring Boot helps you build one application, typically a single web service or backend module. You can use it for monoliths, microservices, or anything in between.
Microservices refer to the entire system made up of multiple applications. Each microservice might be built using Spring Boot — but also potentially with Node.js, Python, or Go.
So while Spring Boot focuses on one piece of the puzzle, Microservices focus on how all the pieces work together.
Relationship
This one is key — the relationship between them.
Spring Boot is often used to create microservices. It’s lightweight, fast, and easy to deploy — which makes it ideal for building microservices that are small and independent.
So, in real-world projects, Spring Boot and Microservices go hand in hand. You build each microservice using Spring Boot, and together they form your distributed system.
You can think of Spring Boot as the engine and microservices as the design of the car.
Examples
Let’s make it even clearer with examples.
An app built with Spring Boot might be a simple REST API that manages users — it has login, registration, and profile features — all in one place.
But in a microservices architecture, you would break that down. You’d have a User Service for profiles, an Auth Service for login, and maybe a Notification Service for sending emails. Each one is deployed separately and communicates over HTTP or messaging.
So, Spring Boot helps you build each service, and Microservices tell you how to organize them.
Deployment
Deployment is also different.
A Spring Boot application is typically deployed as a single .jar or .war file. You package it and run it — just like any regular Java app.
In a Microservices setup, you deploy multiple services, often in containers like Docker. They run independently, scale separately, and have their own databases.
So Spring Boot apps are deployed individually. Microservices architectures require orchestrating many of these apps together.
Technology Level
Think of this comparison like technology vs architecture.
Spring Boot is a technology choice. It tells you how you build the app, what libraries you use, and how it runs.
Microservices is an architectural decision. It tells you how to split your application, how the services communicate, and how you manage them as a system.
They are both essential — but they operate at different levels of thinking.
Wrap Up
So let’s bring it all together.
Spring Boot is a framework. You use it to build fast, efficient Java applications — including microservices.
Microservices is an architecture. It helps you build large systems by combining multiple services — each doing one job — and often, each built using Spring Boot.
In practice, they work best together. Spring Boot helps you build great microservices — and microservices give you a clean, scalable way to structure your system.
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