# How coupling distinguishes monoliths, microservices, and serverless architectures

DevFeed: [How coupling distinguishes monoliths, microservices, and serverless architectures](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/monoliths-microservices-and-serverless-aren-t-what-you-think-they-are-39078.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.devdetails.com/p/monoliths-microservices-and-serverless>)

Author: Mike

Published: 2024-01-19T05:42:25Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Dev Details](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/dev-details.md>)

Topics: [Architecture & Design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/architecture-design.md>), [Microservice](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/microservice.md>), [Microservices](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/microservices.md>), [Serverless](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/serverless.md>), [Databases](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/databases.md>), [DynamoDB](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/dynamodb.md>)

Tags: [coupling](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coupling.md>), [database](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/database.md>), [distributed](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/distributed.md>), [dynamodb](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dynamodb.md>), [microservices](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/microservices.md>), [monolith](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/monolith.md>), [serverless](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/serverless.md>)

## AI overview

This article examines how to distinguish monoliths, microservices, and serverless architectures. It argues that deployment coupling and dependencies matter more than the number of repositories, containers, lambdas, teams, or database servers. Applications that must be redeployed together are described as parts of a distributed monolith, while microservices are characterized by how tightly coupled they are to dependencies, one another, and data.

## Source excerpt

Or are they?