Monolithic SAAS Vs Modern SAAS

The online retail landscape is constantly evolving. As an e-commerce business owner, keeping your technology stack agile is crucial to meet changing customer expectations and business needs. The days of “one-size-fits-all” platforms are gone. Modular and configurable solutions now empower retailers to optimize their tech for any commerce model.

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This flexibility was not always available. In the early days of SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), monolithic platforms prevailed. These single unified systems seemed convenient initially. However, their rigid structure made customization difficult and hampered innovation.

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Times have changed. The meteoric rise of e-commerce led to diverse new models like social selling, omnichannel retail, and global marketplaces. Addressing this required a quantum leap in adaptability. Enter the new generation of modern SaaS solutions. Their modular architecture, interchangeable components, and API integrations are a game changer for merchants.

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In this guide, we’ll dive deep into monolithic versus modern SaaS. You’ll discover why flexible, modular platforms are enabling retailers to future-proof their operations like never before. We’ll demystify critical differences to help you make the optimal technology decisions for your evolving online business. Equipped with these insights, you can build a robust stack tailored to your current and future strategic needs.

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What is Monolithic SaaS?

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Monolithic SaaS delivers software capabilities on a single unified platform accessible over the web. Also known as single-unit SaaS, it provides an end-to-end solution built as one large codebase.

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Pros of Monolithic SaaS:

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• Simpler integration as everything is in one place
• Easier to develop as one coherent codebase
• Faster performance with in-memory calls vs API calls

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Cons of Monolithic SaaS:

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• Limited flexibility and inability to modify aspects
• More effort to scale as the entire platform must be scaled
• Higher risk as one bug can bring down the entire system
• Upgrades require re-deploying the complete codebase

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Monolithic platforms like Shopify were well-suited historically when businesses had more straightforward needs. However, modern e-commerce requires greater flexibility.

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What is Modern SaaS?

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Modern or modular SaaS consists of smaller, independent applications communicating via APIs. This microservices-based architecture allows greater configurability.

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Benefits of Modern SaaS:

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• Flexibility

With independent services, you can modify aspects of the platform to suit your needs. Easily tap into new innovations as they become available.

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• Scalability

Scale specific services up or down as required without affecting other parts. Cater to spikes in traffic by scaling only weak points.

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• Resilience

Issues with one service don’t take down the entire platform. Limit interruptions by isolating problems.

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• Agility & Speed

Make improvements faster by updating specific services. Easily integrate new capabilities by adding modules.

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Modern SaaS enabled by cloud infrastructure provides the configurability needed for diverse e-commerce models like dropshipping, social selling, wholesale, etc.

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Monolithic vs Modern SaaS Comparison

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Let’s compare monolithic and modern SaaS across key factors:

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1. Flexibility

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Monolithic: Low flexibility as everything is bundled together in one platform. Cannot modify or replace aspects easily.

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Modern: More flexible since components are decoupled. Easily integrate new services or modify existing ones.

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2. Scalability

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Monolithic: Difficult to scale dynamically as the entire codebase must be scaled together.

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Modern: Services can be scaled independently to adapt to traffic spikes. Smoother scalability.

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3. Resilience

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Monolithic: High risk as one issue can bring the full platform down. No isolation of faults.

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Modern: Problems isolated to specific services. Reduces the likelihood of system-wide failures.

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4. Performance

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Monolithic: Faster in-memory calls between functions. However, limited configurability hinders optimization.

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Modern: API communication creates slight latency. But flexibility enables performance tuning.

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5. Upgrades

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Monolithic: The entire codebase must be redeployed for any upgrade. Time and risk intensive.

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Modern: Individual services can be upgraded independently. Lower risk and faster improvements.

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6. Integration

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Monolithic: Tightly integrated end-to-end simplifies data sharing between modules.

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Modern: Components are loosely coupled. API-based integration is flexible but adds complexity.

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7. Development

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Monolithic: Simpler to develop as one unified codebase. Devs can work faster.

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Modern: More complex development managing separate modules and APIs. But enables specialized teams.

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Is Monolithic or Modern SaaS Better for E-commerce?

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For modern digital commerce, modern SaaS architectures are generally better suited.

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The flexibility to modify or replace elements gives you greater control to optimize the platform for your specific business needs.

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While monolithic SaaS is more straightforward, it can limit your ability to tap into the latest innovations for emerging commerce channels like social selling on Facebook, omnichannel retail, or global cross-border e-commerce.

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Modern SaaS built on microservices and APIs gives you an agile, future-proof foundation. The independent components interlock like building blocks, allowing you to exchange or enhance elements seamlessly as better technologies emerge.

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Scaling modern SaaS is also easier and lower risk. For example, add more servers to bolster performance during Black Friday or Cyber Monday traffic surges. With monolithic SaaS, the entire platform would have to be scaled together.

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However, modern SaaS is more complex to develop and integrate. This tradeoff provides the flexibility e-commerce businesses need to adapt and optimize as they grow.

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Evaluating Ecommerce SaaS Platforms

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When evaluating SaaS providers for your e-commerce business, one must assess both the high-level architecture and individual components:

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• Is it monolithic or modern SaaS? Modern is recommended for flexibility.

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• How easily can services be exchanged, added, or modified? Look for configurability.

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• How scalable is the platform? Test capabilities to handle traffic spikes.

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• Can you optimize performance? Check for performance monitoring and tuning capabilities.

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• What are the core services and integrations? Assess suitability for your business model and goals.

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• How resilient is the platform? Check for redundancies to minimize downtime risks.

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• What is the ecosystem for developers and apps? More choice and innovation options are better.

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• How established is the provider? Balance experience and stability with innovation.

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Combining the benefits of modern SaaS with specialized e-commerce services enables platforms like SHOPLINE to deliver robust, agile solutions tailored to diverse merchant needs.

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The modular architecture interconnecting front-end storebuilder, back-end management apps, integrated payments, global selling features, and 100+ platform enhancements provides unmatched flexibility. This empowers retailers to optimize their tech stack for any e-commerce model.

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Conclusion

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SaaS models have evolved from monolithic to modular modern architectures that offer retailers more choice, control, and flexibility in their tech stack.

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While monolithic SaaS is simpler, modern SaaS better meets the needs of sophisticated omnichannel commerce with its component-based structure. For most e-commerce businesses, the scalability, resilience, and agility of modern SaaS makes it the better choice.

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Evaluate both the end-to-end capabilities and configurability when selecting your ideal e-commerce platform. Modern SaaS solutions like Shopline provide the versatility to adapt and optimize as your business grows.

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