Let’s say you’re building a massive web app. And somewhere along the way, your team is arguing about whether to use React, Vue, or that one guy’s custom framework “that totally worked in 2015.” Enter micro frontends: a way to let everyone have their cake, their framework, and eat it too.
So What Is a Micro Frontend?
Imagine if each part of your web app — like the search bar, the user dashboard, or the shopping cart — was its own little independent app. A self-contained widget, fully developed, tested, and deployed by its own team. That’s the idea behind micro frontends.
It’s the frontend version of microservices, but instead of micro-APIs, you’ve got micro-UI pieces. It’s like giving every department in your company its own cubicle and the ability to paint the walls whatever color they want.
You stitch them together using one of several architectural approaches, and voilà — your giant app is actually a set of smaller apps that just happen to be very good roommates.
Is This Still Relevant?
Oh yeah. If your frontend codebase is currently one giant JavaScript ball of sadness, micro frontends are the Marie Kondo of architecture. Netflix, Spotify, and IKEA (yes, even their website is modular) are all using this strategy to scale their frontend teams without going full Game of Thrones.
According to ThoughtWorks and Martin Fowler’s site, micro frontends remain a solid option in 2025 for large-scale, multi-team environments.
Pros and Cons (A.K.A. Things to Brag About and Things to Hide Until QA Notices)
Pros:
- Independent deployments
- Tech-agnostic teams (React? Vue? Vanilla JS? Go nuts.)
- Faster dev cycles per team
- Easier testing in isolation
Cons:
- Can increase bundle size (congrats, you’re now importing five copies of React)
- Performance overhead if you don’t plan carefully
- Requires strong governance or your app becomes the Wild West
Use Cases (And When You’re Just Being Overly Fancy)
Use it when:
- Multiple teams work on the same frontend
- You need isolated deployments
- You’re replatforming an old monolith piece by piece
Avoid it when:
- You’re a solo dev building a portfolio site
- Your app could fit on a well-organized napkin
A Real Example
Picture a modern e-commerce site:
- The header is built in Vue by the marketing team
- The product catalog is React-powered by the dev team
- The cart uses Svelte and was built by the intern who now lives in a van in Montana
They all deploy independently, but they render together using something like Module Federation, Single-SPA, or Web Components.
Alternatives
- Monolithic frontend: Easy to build, hard to scale
- Backend-for-frontend (BFF): Great for APIs, doesn’t solve frontend complexity
- Federated components with design systems: Less independence, more consistency
AI + Micro Frontends: Do They Play Nice?
Absolutely. You can integrate AI features like chatbots, recommendation engines, or ML-powered dashboards into just one frontend module without revamping the whole site. It’s like sticking a Tesla engine into your lawnmower — risky but impressive.
Tech Stack + Tools
- Webpack Module Federation
- Single-SPA
- Bit.dev
- Nx
- Tailor (by Zalando)
Languages? Anything that compiles to JavaScript. Mix and match, if you dare.
How to Start
- Choose your integration strategy (client-side routing vs. server-side composition)
- Split up your app (e.g., header, auth, catalog, etc.)
- Build each as its own deployable unit
- Integrate with routing/host app
Can You Convert a Monolith Gradually?
Yes! This is the beauty of it. Start with one slice (like the product page), turn that into a micro frontend, and go from there. The rest of your app stays monolithic until it’s ready to move out and pay rent.
Popularity Trends
Micro frontends were all the rage in the late 2010s, dipped a bit in hype, and are now enjoying a mature, steady rise — especially with enterprise teams who prefer autonomy over perfection.
Art Prompt: An Impressionist-style street scene at dusk, where glowing storefronts shimmer through light mist. The brushwork is energetic yet tender, capturing fleeting moments: a woman adjusts her scarf beneath golden gas lamps, a violinist’s silhouette plays softly near a lamppost, and reflections ripple in the cobblestone puddles. The colors are rich: warm ambers, muted violets, and soft slate blues, evoking the quiet beauty of a shared evening in a city on the verge of night.
Have thoughts on micro frontends? Used them? Survived them? Drop a comment and let’s swap stories. And hey — if you’re into these architecture deep dives with a sprinkle of sass, go ahead and follow me. Your future self (and your dev team) will thank you.
Start from the beginning with Episode #1: https://blog.lumaiere.com/software-architecture-a-whirlwind-tour-of-todays-best-and-buzziest-practices/